The Sign Of The Covenant

The Sign of the Covenant" (Romans 4:9-12)

Introduction: It has been our pleasure this mo to witness the covenant baptism of three children. It is a pleasure because it reminds us of the covenant mercies of God, that He would include the children of those who have believed in the covenant that they might receive th.e mElny benefits of living within that covenant. It is for this reason that we baptize them, not because we necessarily believe that they are saved, but because we recognize that God includp.s them in Hts covenant. Baptism is the of the covenant. It is a sign and seal of the covenant of grace and the covenant grace of God. That, by the way. is also what circumcision was for the Old Covenant people of God. Those who were in the covenant> i.vhether they were adults or infants, all received the because they were all inc Juded in the covenant. They \vere not necessarily saved by that inclusion, for we understand that in all ages there have been those branches of the covenant tree which stood by faith, and those which were cut off through unbelief; there were those branches which were connected to the life which is in Christ, and those which only looked as though they were; those which \"ere the true vJheat which hore fruit and those which i.vere the tares which hrought no fruit to maturity. The d:ifference between the two groups, of course, was whether or not they had true saving faith through the new birth \'\lhjeh comes sovereignly from above. It did not and does not depend upon the s itself. In Ollr text th1,S morning, we learn that Abraham believed in the Lord and through the instrumentality of his faith. he received the righteousness which comes on the basis of fattlI, the imputed righteousness of Christ, He received this righteousness before he was circumcised, shm¥ing us that it was not his circumcision that saved him, but. his faith, He also received circurtlcis:lon after He \.;ras justified, to show to both the Jews and the Gentileb that it is his faith that we need to imitate, not his circumcision, at least, not that circumcision which was outward in the flesh. What we rea] ly need is that circumcision \vhich is inward, the circumcision of the heart. that \¥hich produces faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And what I want you to see this morning is that, 5

ami seal tbe same Circumcis.ion ami baptism both the COllenant o.f Grace to those who receive it, but those bl only received through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. r{hat I would like us to consider this nwrning is {;That circumc:is.ion is, that it is a sign and a seal of the covenant grace of God, that baptism sign.ifies and seals the same b.l as that of cin.:umcL<:;jon, bllt tbat these blessings are not conferred by the and seal :itse.Z[ but through [aith in Christ. I. First, I liTant You to See What Cjrcumcis~ion Is. A. F.irst We Learn from Our Text that Ci:rcLlrnc~ision Is a Sign. L A is that which points away from iLseLf to someth~ing {;lse< a. It is really not that much different from the way that {,le use signs in our culture. b. When we see a stop sign we knoffJ that it points beyonr.lHselr to the law of the land which commands us to our cars to a complete stop before we cross the ~intersection. c. When we see a which tells us that: Sacramento :is 30 miles away, tlle understand that it is pointing beyond itself to the city which is yet up

2 d. Even the words v.lhich we speak are are poLnting beyond themselves to

symbols which Ivhich they

e . i s something fdlich represents .some else. It causes us to look beyond it to f;,!i18t .-it represents. It is not tbe jise.If, but ~it us to it. f. The sacrament ot' circumc.ision was a sign of the covenant grace of God. It was not tbat grace, but it pointed the people of God to .-it. It po.inted th(~m to the grace of the new birth through .f[d th in Chris t ,

2, The BibJe tells us that c:ircumcision IfiNU3 a s .in t"l0 {tTIlIS IS lilY COVENANT, WHICH YOU SHALL KEEP, BETWEEN ME AND YOU AND YOUR DESCENDANTS AFTER YOU: EVERY lvfALE AMONG YOU SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED. AND YOU SHALL BE CIRCUHCISED IN THE FLESH OF YOUR FORESKIN; AND IT SHALL BE THE SIGN OF THE COVENANT BETWEEN ME .4ND YOU," ) Th-i.c.:, in otber words, was bow tlIe Loyd designa t ed who was included in the covenant. Everyone who was .in the covenant had to rece.ive that sign. I f a male did 11ot, then he {iJas cut out of the covemmt. The Lord said, "BUT AN UNCIRCUMCISED MALE WHO IS NOT CIRCUMCISED IN THE FLESH OF HIS FORESKIN, THAT PERSON SHALL BE" GUT OFF' FROM HIS PEOPLE; HE HAS BROKEN MY COVENANT" (Gen.

17:14). b. It wa.s also a.

of the inward change of the heart which is necessary to become a partaker of the ricl1 blessings of the covenant. (1) It was a sign of the grace of God in regeneration. It r..a.s a of that im4anl change of heart which .is necessary to pI ease the Lord. (il) Moses [.;}'Tote in Deuteronomy 10, "AND NOW, ISRAEL, WHAT DOES THE LORD YOUR GOD REQUIRE FROM YOU, BUT 1'0 FEAR THE LORD YOUR GOD, TO WALK IN ALL HIS WAYS AND LOVE HIN, AND TO SERVE THE LORD YOUR GOD filTH ALL YOUR HEART AND riITH ALL YOUR SOUl~, AND TO KEEP THE LORD'S COMMANDMENTS AND HIS STATUTES WHICH I Mf CONJ>fANDING YOU TODAY F'OR YOUR GOOD? BEHOLD, 1'0 THE LORD YOUR, GOD BELONG HEAVEN AND THE HIGHEST HEAVENS, THE EARTH AND ALL THAT IS IN IT. YET ON YOUR FATHERS DID THE LORD SET HIS AFFECTION TO LOVE 1111711, AND HE CHOSE THEIR DESCENDANTS AFTER THEM, EllEN YOU ABOVE ALL PEOPLES, AS IT IS THIS DAY. CIRCUt\fCISE THEN YOUR HEART, AND STIFFEN YOUR NECK NO MORE. FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS THE GOD OF GODS AND THE LORD OF LORDS, THE GREAT, THE MIGHTY, AND THE MIESOME GOD WHO DOES NOT SHOW PARTIALITY, NOR TAKE A BRIBE. HE EXECUTES .JUSTICE FOR THE ORPHAN AND THE WIDOW, AND SHOWS HIS LOVE FOR THE ALIEN BY GIVING HIM FOOD AND CLOTHING. SO SHOW YOUR LOVE FOR THE ALIEN. FOR YOU WERE ALIENS IN THE LAND OF EGYPT, YOU SHALL FEAR THE LORD YOUR GOD; YOU SHALL SERVE l-lIN AND CLING TO HIM, AND YOU SHALL SWEAR BY HIS NAME" (lTv. 12-20) • Liii) They did not nC?ce.ssari1y rece.i'Te tbe c:ircl1mcis~ion o.f the heart through the circumcision of their [oresldn, but i t showed them that that of betl.rt I,fas were to please the Lord. necessary Lf

3 (iv) Notice that though .it was not within their power to circumcise their hearts so that they would not stiFfen theLr necks against His commandments, .it \:\la8 sti.!] tbeir yesponsibility to do so.

B. Secondly, Our Text Tells Us that It Was a Seal of the i:eousness which Abraham Had Ivllile Unciycumcised. 1. A. seal is a gUarantee that the one who has made a promJse will fulfill it. il. A king would have a s:ignet fAli ill fvhich he would his seal upon an offieLd document, thus guaranteeing {;lith a 11 his authority that that document was authentic and that wlJat was written in i t would be ca.rried out b. Tile of a seal continues to be the same even today. c. The President has what is calf ed the Great Seal which he pu/;s to his official documents for the same purpose. d. And often you will bear a minister say t,lhen he is admLnis the Lord IS Supper, that this is God IS personal and autllOLitative prom:ise to you, that i f you TAlill meet the requirements of fai th and repentance, then YOlI wi11 rec£'.ive the benefits of what .1.s _in the Supper, the cleansing al1d strengthening g.l:-ace of Christ. 2..

In the ,c:;,:une way, Paul tel1s us that circl..!mc.ision was a seal of ~e



~hi~.

It attested to the Fact that does come through faith. b. I f a person believed, his heart had been circumcised, and he had received tbat which God contInned to him in circwllc.isiol1, the promi:se of a new heart. c. The seal then is God's promise that He w.i.l1 bestow the righteousness of fai th to those who meet tiw qua1.ifications of faith and repentance, realizing that God is the One I-Iho mus t change the heart or .it wi n )Jot happen.

a

C. NoUce Thirdly, that Circumcision Was Administered to Every Ma1e Which Was Included in the Covenant. "THIS IS MY COVENANT WIlICH YOU SHALL KEEP, HETWEEN ME AND YOU AND YOUR DESCENDANTS AFTER YOU: EVERY MALE AMONG YOU SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED" (Gen. 17: 10). 1. Tl1isincluded Abraham himseLf, "BETlil.EEN HE AND YOU." 2. It .included every ma.le chi1d wh.ich was born to him, "L1ND YOUR DESCENDANTS AFTER YOU." 3, It also included every male servant, "AND EVERY MALE ANONG YOU WHO IS EIGHT DAYS Of,D SHALL, BE CIRClflVCJSED THROllGHOUT YOUR GENERATIONS, A SERVANT WJIO IS BORN IN YOUR HOUSE OR WHO IS BOUGHT WITH MONEY FROM ANY FOREIGNER, WHO IS NOT OF YOUR DESCENDANTS. A SERVANT WHO IS BORN IN YOUR HOUSE OR WHO IS BOUGHT WITH YOUR MONEY SHALL SURELY BE CIRCUMCISED; THUS SHALL NY COVENANT BE IN YOUR FLESH FOR AN EVERLASTING COVENANT" (vv. 12-13). 4~

We are riot to th_i111{ Cha.t tl1e fe.mclle cl1~i ltJretl were 110t~ included in the covenant because they were incapable o.f being

c:i rcumcised. If a had been given whic.h could have been administered to them, i t surely wouJd have been, for Wf;re included in the covenant. 5, We see then that the covenantinc1uded the v.7!10} e flOusehold of t11e 011e who heJ ieved,

4 Second}y, I Want as tbat A, The Scr_ipture SaJlle

L

You to See that Baptism Signifies and SeaJs the Same

of Circumcision.

8hol/IS U.s that Circumcision and Baptism the

t i o n , i n a Different Way. the nef.!l b.irtl1 through a bloody It the circumc.is.iorl of the heart. DeuterOrlOYfij/ 10: 16 Literally reads, "CIRCUMCISE THEN THE FORESKIN OF YOUR HEART. " b. It is tbe removal of the heart of s tone and the put ting .in of a heart of flesh by the Lord~ In Ezekie.l 11: .19-20, f.7hl::'re the Lord is speaking of the promised blessings of the Net.; Covenant to HLs people, He says, "AND I SHALL GIVE THEM ONE HEART, AND SEMLL PUT A NEW SPIRIT WITHIN THEM. AND I SihlLL TAKE THE HEART OF STONE OUT OF THEIR FLESH AND GIVE THEM A HEART OF FLESH, THAT THEY M4Y WALK IN NY STATUTeS AND KEEP MY ORDINANCES, AND DO THEN. THEN TlJEY ~lILL BE NY PEOPLE, AND I SHALL BE THEIR GOD. 1/ c. He circumcises theIr hearts so that they ,vi.11 walk In a.11 of His commandments, d. This is vlh.ich only God can do. It .is tbe which He g:i.ves to His elect in the Covenant of Grace. Moses says, "MOREOVER THE LORD YOUR GOD fllILL CJRClLMCISE YOUR ilEA.RT AND THE HEART OF YOUR DESCENDANTS, TO LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL ALL YOUR HEART AND [,71TH ALL YOUR SOUL. IN ORDliR THAT YOU MAY LIVE" (Deu. 30:6). e. This change of heart was s:ignified by the bloody sign of circumcision, showing that .it was through blood thai the Lord would accomplish tilis, the blood of Christ.

2. Baptism

of

the new bIrth through a non-bloody It washing and cleansing of the .soul through tbe tioll of the grace of Cl1rist by the Holy Spirit:. Paul writes in Titus 3:4-7, "BUT WHEN THE KINDNESS OF GOD OUR SAVIOR AND HIS LOVE FOR .MANKIND APPEARfW, HE SAVED US, NOT ON Tl:lE BASIS OF DEEDS WHICH r~E HAVE DONE IN RIGHTlJOUSNESS, BUT ACCORDING TO HIS NERCY, BY THE w:.4SHING OF REGENERATION AND RENEWING BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHOM HE POURED OUT UPON US RICHLY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOR THAT BEING JUSTIFIED BY HIS GRACE WE MIGHT BE 1'1ADE HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE. /I b. Paul even dX·i:lws the meaning of the two signs together in Colossians 2: 11-1 where he wr.ite8, ".AND IN }fIN YOU i\fERE ALSO CIRCUMCISED WITH A CIRCUMCISION M4DE WITHOUT llANDS, IN THE REl"10V.4L OF THE BODY OF THE FLESH BY THE CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST; lIAVlNG BEEN BURIED WITH HIM IN BAPTISM, IN wHICH YUU WERE ALSO RA.ISED UP WITH HIM THROUGH FAITH IN THE fllORKING OF GOD WHO RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD. tf c. Tl1e resu.lt, of course, of regeneration .in the New Covenant Ls the same as .in the Old, tbe fnUt of good tvorks. "FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND, THAT riE SHOULD WALK IN THE!t" (Eph. 2: 10). d, The fact that the of tlie New C(HTenant :is not bloody can be attributed to the fact that Chr.ist had already shed rris blood. There was no .longer the need of a bloody sign to point forward to it, but now a non-bloody to point back il.

to .it.

5 B. Furthermore, Because of the Close Parallel Between the Tt,;-o and Because of the Same Recip:ients, There Is LitUe Doubt that Tt Is A}so a Seal of God's Covenant Promises. I ~ fve must notfon5et that both covemwts are adm.inistratio1]s of

the same covenant of Grace, a. TlLis is one of the reasons ~"hy t,'e are not surprised fact that there .is such an between the two b. Both signify tbe sa_me b.l for they are the blessings of the same covenant. The only d.ifference is that they those bl a sign which is appropriate fay their time. The are aJso substantial tIle same. a. All who believe and their l1011seho.lds receive the sign. b, There is nothing in Scriptnre which indicates that God has changed His way of deaLing with His peop.le, but strong indications tllat; He hasn 't. He has altvays called whole famil.ies into His covenant. and not tindividua.ls. c. And this shou.ldn It surprise us, for the NevI Covenant .is nothing more than the Fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant which d.id include the wllO.le household. d. , it is the same covenant of Grace. 3,

It therefoye seals to the recipients the same promises, tl1e righteousness of fa.ith •.i f tl1ey wLll repent and beLiel.Te. a. We etTfm have the Abrahamic repeated in the New Testament to show I1S that tl1:is Ls the case. b, In Genesis 7: 17, we read, "AND I lV'ILL ESTABl.ISH NY COVENANT

c,

BE7'f4!EEN HE' AND YOU AND YOUR DESCENDANTS AFTKR YOU THROUGHOUT THEIR GENERATIONS FOR AN EVERLASTING COVENANT, TO BE GOD 1'0 YOU AND TO x'OUR DESCENDANTS AFn'R YOU." And in Acts 2:38~39, when 011 the day of Pentecost the people

were struck to the heart by Peter's sermon, they said, '" BRETHREN, r"HAT SHALL WE DO?' AND PETER SAID TO THEN, 'REPENT, AND LET EACH OF YOU BE BAPTIZED FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SINS; AND YOU SHALL. RECEIVE: THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. FOR THE PROMISE IS FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN, AND FOR ALL WHO ARB' FAR OFF, AS MANY AS THE LORD OllR GOD SHALL CALL TO HIMSELF. '"

d, Here

f~7e have the idea of promise ,'It tached to the reaS011 for bapti:r:ing. The prom:ise pertains to you and to your ch:i1dren. Bul it is in fact g.iven only to those whom the Lord wiLl call to Himself through faith _in Christ and repentance t"rom sin. e. tism tllen signifies and seals the same blessings that circumcision does, only nov.? i11 a non-bloody "lay,

III.

Lastly, I Want You to Rea.lize That Whether or Not You Receive that , You Win Not Be Saved Apart from Faith .in the Ri.sen and Living Sav.ior. A. Palll Asks the Question, "IS THIS BLESSING THEN UPON THE CIRCUNCISED OR UPON THE UNCIRCUMCISED ALSO'?"

1. Notice that he says that Abraham received this blessing apart from circwncision. a. "FOR f.JE SAY THAT FAITH WAS RECKONED TO ABRAHAN FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. HOW THEN WAS IS RECl<~ONED TO ABRAHA}:f, WHILE HE w:.4S CIRCUMCISED OR UNCIRCUl'1CJSED? IT tvAS' NOT RECKONED TO ABRAHAllf WHILE HE WAS CIRCUNCISED, BUT IT lvAS RECKONED TO HIM WHILE HE rvAS STILL UNCTRC[JNCJSED. AND HE RECEIVED THE SIGN

OF CiRCUMCISION • • • SO TR4T HE MIGHT BE THE F.4TIlER OF ALL WHO BELIEVE WITHOUT BEING CIRCUl1CISED, SO THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS NIGHT BE RECKONED TO THEN ALSO, AND THAT HE MIGHT BE THE FATHER OF THE CIRI7UMCISTON, TO THOSE t"HO ARE NOT ONLY OF THE CIRCllMCISION, BUT ALSO TO THOSE WHO FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE FAITH OF OUR FATHER "4BRAHAM, WHICH HE HAD ¥tfHILE UNCIRCUMCISED. " b. Abraham was salTed through the righteollsness o.f Christ, through faitb ,in H:im. He was not saved through his circumc_ision. He was in fact circumcised a.fter he was saIled.

2. Those wlJo receilTed the

of circumcision as well did not receive the blessing unZess they believed. a. To those who were circumcised, the Lord sa_id, "CIRCUMCISE THEN THE FORESKIN OF YOUR HEART" (Deu. 10: 16) • b. CirClllJlci,siol1 o[ tlle flesh dJd not that tlu,dr hearts r.;ould be aiIected.

B. It Is Not Your Circumcis,ion or Your Baptism That You Are to Rely lIpan, But Faith :in Christ Aione to Receive the Blessings which Are S;igni.fied and SeaJed in BapLism. 1. Certainly if you trusted il1 circumcision to save you, you mllst also keep ther(~st of the Law. a. Paul t~rites in Galatians 5:2-5, "BEHOLD, PAUL, SllY TO YOU THtlT IF YOlf RECEIVE CIRCllMCISION, CHRIST WILL BE OF NO BENEFIT Tn YOU. AND I TESTIFY AGAIN TO EVERY MAN WHO RECEIVES CIRCUMCISION, THAT HE IS UNDER OBLIGATION TO KEEP THE WHOLE LAW. YOU HAVE BEEN SEVERED FROM CHRIST, YOU ll!lfO ARE SEEKING 1'0 BE JU5iTIFIED BY LAW; YOU HAVE FALLEN FROM GRACE. FOR WE THROllGH THE SPIRIT, BY FAITIJ,ARE WAITING FOR THE HOPE OF RIGHTEOU,':;NESS. If b. I f you were to turn circumcision into a work: whereby you t be saved, then you would be under the curse. Aga_ln, Paul wr_ites, "FOR AS HANY AS ARE OF THE WORJ(S OF THE LAW ARE UNDER A CURSE; FOR IT IS fvRITTEN, 'CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW.. TO PERF'O&"'l THEM" ((:':BL .3: 10). 2. The same is true if you trust in your baptism as a kind of work whereby you might be saved. You as well would fall under the curse. 3. What really matters is faith in the Lord Jesus ChYist. a. Again, look at our text, THIS BLESSING THEN UPON THE CIRCUMCISED OR UPON THE UNCIRCUMCISED ALSO? FOR WE SAY, ,FAITH WAS RECKONED TO ABR4HAN AS RIGHTEOllSNESS. I HOW THEN WAS IT RECKONED? WHILE HE WAS CIRCUMCISED, OR UNCIRCUMCISED? NOT WHiLE C1RCllMCISED, BUT ~1HILE UNCTHClTMCISED. " b. Circumcision, and more important bap are signs and seals of the covenant grace of God which is bestowed tJll<Jugh faith in Christ. c. You must not trust in your baptism to save you. You mllst not tTust in anything but a whole-hearted res in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His merits .3,lone to save you. d. This is, in f.3.ct, what YOllr bapLi,'::m calls you to do. e. Your tisJ]) is a symbol of your dying with Chris!: > and yising with Him io ..{ !alk in newness of life.

7 f.

g"",

h.

i.

Book of Church Order po,ints t1ris out fv'lwre ,it tells us, "And since baptized pex-sons are called upon to assume the obliga Lions of the cfnrenani, bapLis111 summons us to renounce the devil, the 'World and the flesh and to walk humbly ~vith our God ~in devotion to his commandments" (Directory IV; B: 1). I,f you ax'e in God's covenant:; it" you beal-­ the covena11t Sigl1 of bapti",;])), t.hen you are His servant" and you are to serve Him 'with a1.l your heart, mind, soul, and strength, for a11 of your days. You are never to turn back or to hold anything back. You are to claim noth,ing as your m....l 1. And for those of YOll who are parent.s, you are to be fait11fl1,1 in ,rais,ing YOllr children according to God's ways. You haFe r.ommitted yourse.lf to do this in oFfecil1g your children in baptism. You have committed .vourself to raise them to be children of the covenant, to wa.lk before them as an examp.le, to pray for them, and to seek by a1,l the means appointed by God for their salFation. And so are you trusUng in Christ this morning? Are you living up to what your baptism has engaged you to? Are you seeking by all the means of God's appointment to enter ,into the kingdom of God, and seeking that your children might enter there as wel]? May God gxant you the grace to fully app.ly yourself to this most holy task, and may He grant you SHccess. Amen. OUY