The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1910-02-02

Jesus Christ were baptized into his
death" Is there not difference?
That difference is the explanation of
The clearing of 1t away furnishes the
foundation for harmony between all;
and not merely for harmony, but for
union amongst all classes of consecrat-
ed Christians.
Consider the passage critically.
First, immersion into Christ signifies
to the justified believer his immersion
into. his burial into. the Body of
Christ as member Of the Church
which Is his Body" (Ephesians /. %.
3d. The Apostle sets forth clearly
distinction between the Church and
the world and between the salvation
of The Church and the salvation of the
world. The Church are the elect"
of the Lord. called and chosen; and
the glorious Church beyond the veil.
1t, as the Bride of Christ. will be his
companion and Queen during the Mil
lennial reign OF glory for the blessing
Of the world-for the blessing of the
non-elect, considered last Sunday.
St Paul not only tells us of our
need to be thus immersed into men,
bership In the Body of Christ, but he
proceeds to tell us hoo that member
ship can be brought about. The
words, Baptism into his death" ex
plain the matter. How strange that
we ever thought these words signifed
water immersion! Our eyes are now
opened. Plainly, now, We see that
Into his death" signifies our partici-
patton with our Lord Jesus In suf-
fering for righteousness. in self-de-
pials, self-sacrifcings Of the same
character as those endured by the
Master. 1t Is true indeed that the
whole world suffers pain, sorrow, dis
appointment. etc; yet our Lord suf-
fered differently from all others. and
our dying must correspond to his. He
suffered. the Just for the unjust The
holy. harmless. undefiled One laid
down his life SCIENTIFICALLY. voluntarily.
joyfully. And We, to share In his
death, to be baptized into his DEATH"
must do the same.
True. Jesus was spotless, while we
are members OF the fallen race. But
we are justified through faith in his
blood. And hence We have in the
Divine sight through him a standing
of human perfection or Justification.
This standing Is granted TO US or i'm
puted TO Us for the very purpose OF
permitting US 10 sacrifice our human
rights and earthly interests as he sac
rihced his. The elect" are TO be dead
with him. that Ia the resurrection they
may live with him aud be Ike him and
share his glory. honor and Immortality
By conservation we present our bodies
living sacrifices holy and acceptable to
God. as the Apostle declares tRomans
Ill, II. Thus We are immersed into
his death" and thus we become msm-
bers Of his Body.
Whoever falls TO be thus immersed
into ChrIst's death will fan Of the
membership In his Body-will fail to
be of his elect Church. his Bride The
difference between being dead with
Adam and being dead with Christ is
very great By nature we are all dead
with Adam. He was a sinner con-
demned. We as bis offspring are the
same. Ii was necessary therefore that
we should by faith be lifted out Of
this condition Of death with Adam, In
order that by conservation OF all earth
ly interests We might become dead
with Christ. Thus We share with him
his sacrificial death and. by participa-
tlon In This resurrection" also become
sharers OF his Kingdom glory
Kidding ourselves, then, of the IN
scriptural theory Of an eternal torment
awaiting the non-eleet, may not all
Christians perceive the reasonableness
Of the Divine proposition to bless them
through the elect? AS Jesus by his
sacrifice was made Head Of the
Church, so all who will be his members
must share his spirit Of self-sacrifce-
death to the world and earthly inter.
est. Only such may share with him
In his Millennial Kingdom work OF
blessing, uplifting. instructing, assist.
ing all Of the non-elect. Many Of the
non-elect under the fuller light and
better opportunities OF the Millennium
Will turn from sin to righteousness,
from death to life eternal. This ''bap
tism into death with its blessed re-
ward excludes no UNCONVENTIONAL lines
II includes In the Church Of the elect
those Of every denomination and Of no
denomination who comply with its
conditions of faith and obedience and
conservation unto death.
Was not this our Lords baptism As
he described 1t? Just before his cru
cifixion he said. Il have baptism to
be baptized with. and how am strait
ened Qroubled) until 1t be accom-
plished" His baptism dated from his
conservation at Jordan. but 1t was not
fully accomplished" until on the cross
he cried, 1T Is flnished"-his baptism
into death was finished. Was not this
baptism into death what he referred
to when speaking to his disciples!
James and John requested that they
might sit on his right hand and left
hand In the Kingdom. In reply Jesus
said. Are We able to be baptized with
the baptism that am baptized with 2"
Surely he did not refer to water i'm.
mersion! Surely he did refer to his
baptism into death. and meant his
apostles to understand that only by
sharing In his baptism into death could
they hope to sit with him in his
| Throne Mark x, 80.
With this reasonable. logical. Scrip
tural view OF baptism before our minds
| which Of US would be inclined to dis
pute over the form of the symbol or In
respect to the class Of persons who
should properly use the symbol? Sure
| ly none would claim that infants could
thus believe and thus consecrate to
death. Surely all would agree that a
symbolical immersion into water such
as was practised by the carly Church.
according to all the records, would be
the most reasonable. most beautiful,
most appropriate method of symbolic
| inv ho raol int, Cbrtct into