We have been both introduced and know that sacraments as a means of grace first and foremost by means of the preaching that brings us to a vibrant faith! This sacrament is important as God establishes His covenant with us and our children as we are faithful to Him! There are only two sacraments which are instituted by God and not man.
This sacrament is not of man's invention but instituted by God Himself (in addition to the preaching of the Gospel) and is a symbol that God does what He says incorporating us into Himself and His church. John baptizes as the forerunner of Christ and Christ coming to him to be baptized further corroborating this very sacrament. God points to it as righteousness and was applied to even our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. It progresses in scripture even to the "great commission" to go and preach and baptize all nations! Baptism is a confirmation of what is taught in the gospel...they preached and baptized! Baptism was tied to active and living faith in the old testament (but scripture is explicit with examples of salvation of whole households. Paul baptized the household of Stephanas for example. Many will not baptize infants as they do not yet have active and living faith....but God works through covenant generations even as Abraham had to circumcise his HOUSEHOLD as God establishes His covenant in generations. "You and YOUR seed!"
The "washing of regeneration!" Regeneration is the spiritual working within a man whereby he is born again and incorporated into Christ! Baptism symbolizes this in that what we see physically happens to us spiritually as we are engrafted into Christ and made righteous in Him! We are spiritually cleansed from our sins. It is ALWAYS addressed to faith and not addressed to the infant. Addressed to the PARENTS as they and we believe in Christ's promise to us and as we spread it beyond our own pale. The message is Christ and Him crucified and is always addressing righteousness in Christ! We are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and baptized into Him and the newness of life; raised with Him (justification and sanctification) in newness of life! We believe that we and our children are members (full) in the church! We are incorporated into Christ through the teaching to bring them to a vibrant and living faith. We even believe that they are regenerate in conception otherwise why would they be teachable?
It is NOT a christening like so many believe today, but is a sign and symbol that Christ puts upon our forehead as we are engrafted into Him. A sign and seal of the great things God does for us. And, we can press them to us so that as the water washes filth away so we are cleansed in Christ of our sin. We us it and are therefore thankful that we can us this sacrament as a covenant token to us AND our children!
"Laying Up for our Children" II Cor. 12:14-15 & Deut. 6:1-15 It seems the apostle Paul has uneasiness after the first epistle about the church's partisanship and fornication, and Paul writes the latter part of this chapter as he explains that...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
"Infant Baptism- Questioned, Demanded, and Significant!" LD27, Genesis 17:1-14, Colossians 2:6-14 Each time a minister comes upon this doctrine he wonders whether to deal with it on a separate basis. Yet, and although the Anabaptists are not with...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
"SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM" LD26 and 27a, Galatians 3 & Colossians 2. After dealing with the means of grace, we now start to deal with the sacraments that are for the confirmation of our faith. They can NEVER stand alone, but ALWAYS stand WITH the...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
"Asked and returned to the Lord!" I. Samuel 1:27-28 (Baptism) Historically, this is the time of the Judges and there was no open vision from God at this time. In the midst of this we find a woman who prays for a man child, is granted her request...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
