There is One, Part 8: One Baptism

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. – Ephesians 4:3-6

A scripture that takes me back…
For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. – 1 Corinthians 10:1-4

Every story in the Old Testament finds its hope, fulfillment and realization in the of the New Testament.

1 Corinthians 10 takes me back to the beginning of the Old Testament:

God promises to the people of Israel
But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. – Genesis 15:14 (English Standard Version)

God delivers the Israelites from  
During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. – Exodus 12:31

God saves the Israelites from a hopeless situation on the coast of the  
Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” – Exodus 14:13

God makes a miraculous way of escape “through ”
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. – Exodus 14:21–22

God calls his people to  
And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant. – Exodus 14:31

In the same way for us:

Jesus promises to all who believe
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. – John 8:36

Jesus delivers us from  
I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. – John 8:34
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. – Galatians 5:1

Jesus saves us from a hopeless situation of  
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. – Ephesians 2:4-5

Jesus makes a miraculous way of escape through  
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. – Ephesians 1:7

Jesus calls us to  
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. – John 14:1

Anything that takes you back can also remind you of .

Small Group Questions

1. Have you ever escaped from a hopeless situation? What happened?
2. Do you remember how you first heard the story of the crossing the Red Sea? Children’s book? Movie? Just this week? What’s one takeaway about God, Moses, the people of Israel or yourself?
3. What does the story of God’s deliverance in Exodus teach us about baptism in 1 Corinthians 10:1-4?
4. In what areas of your life are you still a slave? Confess and ask God for help.
5. Have you felt the approval of God this week? How did that happen?
6. How can we pray for you today and throughout the week?