As a small band of believers in the midst of a huge Roman Empire, not predisposed to like them very much, they could relate to the terrible odds any reasonable person would give to the people of God. Despite their poor chances, the people of God rallied behind the Psalmist's battle cry:
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord Our God!"But the early church did not simply see baptism as a LIBERATION from earthly powers. In fact, in some ways they didn't see -- the couldn't see -- this kind of liberation at all. Like the Apostle Paul himself, many of these early Christians remained in chains. So, when Paul writes to the church from prison -- as he does in the book of Ephesians -- they are eager to hear what he has to say. With his hands and ankles bound by shackles he wrote:
"Finally, be strong in the LORD and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."The people of God pass through the waters in safety. But all that pursues them -- whether the chariots of Pharoah's Army or the lingering powers of Satan's temptations -- are swept away by the same waters. The Belgic Confession has these words to speak about the nature of this salvation:
"This does not happen by the physical water but by the sprinkling of the precious blood of the Song of God, who is our Red Sea, through whom we must pass to escape the tyranny of Pharoah, who is the devil, and enter the spiritual land of Canaan."Christ is our Red Sea. Ultimately, it is our union with Christ that LIBERATES us from the powers not only in the earthly realms but in the spiritual realms as well. Thanks be to God.
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