15. All people are spiritually called to obey the divine Word. The divine Scriptures tell us to obey the voice of God that is revealed in divine revelation. Phillip was obedient to the call of the gospel according to divine Scripture. The Ethiopian eunuch was obedient to the divine Word. That is, he heeded the gospel call to repent and believe. Jesus said in John 14:23 that if you love Him, you will keep His word. Obedience is a primary mark of spiritual conversion. Phillip was used as an divine and spiritual instrument of God. We also ought to be used as an instrument of God. The eunuch heard the apostolic proclamation of the gospel. The eunuch was baptized through Phillip. It is not recorded that the eunuch trusted Christ but to fill in the gap, Phillip explained the need for him to be baptized. The eunuch saw water and become eager to be baptized. He fulfilled the mark of obedience for a follower of Christ. That is, he trusted Christ as Savior and Lord and he was baptized by immersion. Phillip explained that he needed to trust Christ with all his heart and if he did he could be baptized (cf. Acts 8:37). The eunuch said in verse 38 that he trusted Jesus as the eternal Son of God. Phillip had the chariot stop and they went down into the water and he baptized the eunuch. But let me ask you, how does someone trust Christ? A person trusts Christ with their heart. The Bible says the heart is desperately wicked and corrupt. We have a complete limitation on our spiritual free will. The Bible does not teach that man has libertarian free will to apprehend Christ with his cooperation with the divine assistance of supernatural grace. A sinner needs the written Word and the Holy Ghost to have his heart change. He cannot cooperate because he is spiritually dead. Is a dead corpse alive? No, it is naturally dead. In the same way, man is spiritually dead and he cannot avail to spiritual redemption through his synergistic will. Historically, sovereign regeneration is held by Martin Luther and John Calvin. We would do well to take their Christian example.
16. Many profess faith in Jesus but do not have authentic faith. However, there are genuine Christians in the world that possess Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. It is right to get baptized by immersion and not to adhere to baptismal regeneration. We see that the eunuch had a profession of faith. Every Christian ought to have a testimony of their deliverance from sin through the Cross of our Savior! Immersion in Romans 6:3-5 signifies their union with the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Christ. We are not spiritually saved by baptism. The nature of justification by grace alone through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-10). Baptism is an outward picture of God's Trinitarian work. We are called to be baptized through immersion in reverent obedience to God through His dear Son. After baptism should come rejoicing like the eunuch in verse 39. If you have been born from above, do you not understand that your sins are forgiven (John 3 cf. Titus 3:5)? What is the spiritual evidence of knowing a person is born from above? It the mark of the obedience of faith and repentance in the awareness of the presence of the Spirit of God. Are you committed to a life of trusting Christ and obedience to His holy name? Do you bring the written Word to others and declare the good news?
17. Do you realize that the Spirit of God accompanying the Word of God in His spiritual application to the sinner in biblical regeneration brings to the sinner a new heart and the divine grace of the imputed unified merit of Jesus Christ as the sole grounds for how we are right with God? Are you trusting in your free will cooperation that you can add something to His divine grace? Many unbiblical teachings add baptism to the work of the Spirit of God. It is where the early church has went astray. We ought to rejoice that we have the written Word and the clarity of His imputed righteousness to us by faith alone unto good works (Ephesians 2:10).
To God alone be the glory!
This blog web site is for the in-depth, sound and basic exegetical study of the Bible in Reformed apologetics; that is, I shall expound upon the inerrant and infallible Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. There shall be biblical studies in world religions and non-Christian cults. I also quote and research reformed writers and I am happy to study from them. May the Lord bless everyone who reads this blog with spiritual riches in Christ which is His imputed merit by faith alone.
