Into the Name - I Am
The sermon emphasizes the importance of baptising people into the name of the triune God, specifically 'I AM', which is the eternal consciousness of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
G.W. North emphasizes the significance of Jesus' command in Matthew 28 regarding baptism, clarifying that the focus should not be on the specific words spoken during the act but rather on baptizing individuals 'into the name' of the triune God. He explains that the phrase used by Jesus indicates a singular name, 'I AM', which encompasses the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, rather than treating them as separate entities. North warns against the common misunderstanding of grouping the names together, asserting that true baptism is about the recognition of the divine presence rather than the verbal formula. He highlights that this name, 'I AM', signifies God's eternal nature and is the foundation of the Christian faith. Ultimately, the sermon calls believers to understand the profound unity of the Trinity in the act of baptism.
Text
Returning to Jesus' last command to His disciples in Matthew 28, it ought to be noted that He neither told them then, nor has told anyone since to say anything during the course of baptism. He did not supply us with a baptismal formula, as though He was teaching the science of baptism; He told us to do it, that is all, and in doing so, to administer it with the purpose of baptising people 'into the name of' the triune God, It is therefore quite in order for someone who is totally dumb to baptise someone who is stone deaf into that name. The repetition of words is not the important point of the matter; providing Jesus is there, such a baptism would be quite as valid as any other.
What the Lord actually said in Matthew 28 was 'Go ye therefore and make disciples of every nation, baptising them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost'. It is important to note that He did not say 'into the name of Father, Son and Holy Ghost', as though to imply that the three should be grouped together in one personal name, for that is not the same thing, To mistakenly think that both forms of expression mean the same thing is to lay the foundation of the subtle error which has now become so prevalent among men. According to all known rules of grammar, the words the Lord spoke were really a shortened form of 'baptising them into the name of the Father and into the name of the Son and into the name of the Holy Ghost', which is a very different and perfectly consistent thing. Further, He did not say 'baptising them into the names of .... etc.', as though He commanded that all of the many names which each person of the Trinity bears must be stated. That would be altogether too great a task.
There is a name which each person of the blessed Trinity bears in His own right, whether He be the Father or the Son or the Holy Ghost; each one jointly shares this name with the others. Seeing this is so, without doubt it is into this name that all must be baptised. This simple yet profound name is stated quite clearly in verse 20, 'lo I AM with you always, even unto the consummation of the age'. The name and person into which all must be baptised is 'I AM'; it is the one name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Milleniums before Matthew wrote his Gospel, God had said that He would be known by this name to every generation. It is therefore exactly right to baptise into that name and not into the name of any one person. I AM is the first expression of self-recognition, the eternal consciousness of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. This age is the age of generation into I AM by I AM for I AM in I AM, that is God.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Understanding Jesus' Last Command in Matthew 28
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II
- The Importance of Baptism into the Name of the Triune God
- The Validity of Baptism without a Baptismal Formula
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III
- The Meaning of 'Into the Name of' in Matthew 28
- The Distinction between 'Into the Name of' and 'Into the Names of'
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IV
- The Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
- The Significance of 'I AM' in the Bible
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V
- The Age of Generation into I AM
Key Quotes
“It is therefore exactly right to baptise into that name and not into the name of any one person.” — G.W. North
“I AM is the first expression of self-recognition, the eternal consciousness of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” — G.W. North
“This age is the age of generation into I AM by I AM for I AM in I AM, that is God.” — G.W. North
Application Points
- Baptism is not about reciting a formula, but about being baptised into the name of the triune God.
- Understanding the significance of 'I AM' can deepen our understanding of God's nature and our relationship with Him.
- This age is a time of generation into I AM, where people are being transformed by God's eternal consciousness.