“You Baptize
Infants?”
[Colossians
2:11-15]
September 22, 2013 Hope Reformed Church
During our last evening study –
which was on the doctrine of Hell – one of the people in attendance suddenly
questioned, “You baptize infants?” And I
told him, “Yes, this is a reformed church.”
(Don’t worry – for now – about how we got from Hell to infant baptism!)
This church is also a church in a
reformed denomination, so you celebrate and administer the sacrament of baptism
for infants – as well as adults.
And we might wonder exactly where in
the Bible it says that we are to baptize infants. So, if you’ll turn with me in your Bibles
to…oh, wait, there isn’t anywhere in the Bible that says we are to baptize
infants. That sounds like a problem,
doesn’t it?
Well, let’s talk about circumcision
then:
If we turn to Genesis 17 we read, “When
Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I
am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant
between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.’ Then Abram fell on his face.
And God said to him, ‘Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the
father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram,
but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude
of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into
nations, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish my covenant
between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations
for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.
And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your
sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will
be their God.’
After God finished talking with
Abraham, we read what Abraham did: “When
he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. Then Abraham took
Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every
male among the men of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their
foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. Abraham was ninety-nine years
old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son
was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. And all the men of
his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a
foreigner, were circumcised with him”
(Genesis
17:22-27, ESV).
God made a covenant with
Abraham. Now, generally speaking, a
covenant is an agreement with blessings, curses, and signs. It’s an agreement that says, “I will do this
and you will do this and if we do, this will happen, and it will be a blessing
to both of us, and if we do not, this punishment will occur to the one who
breaks the covenant, and these signs will represent what we have done.”
What do we see here? God promises to be the God of Abraham, to
make Abraham the father of a great people – who shall be in all nations, and to
give him the land of Canaan. God requires
of Abraham that he keep all of God’s commands.
And he also tells him that all the males in his family must be
circumcised and from then on, all the newborn males are to be circumcised on
the eighth day.
Why?
Or, let me put it this way, was it
possible for Abraham or any of his descendants to keep all of God’s commands? Did Abraham – or any of his descendants –
keep all of God’s commands?
If someone did not keep the commands
of God, how could he be forgiven for his sin?
The author of Hebrews tells us, “Indeed, under the law almost everything
is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no
forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22, ESV).
Who was the covenant made with? Abraham and all his descendants. And notice that those who entered into the
covenant were of all ages – from old men to infants – Abraham at 99 and infants
at eight days old entered into the covenant.
Now follow me: what did circumcision do? God tells us in Genesis 17 it functioned as a
sign of the covenant – it pointed to the reality of the covenant in some
way.
How
did circumcision point to the covenant?
Through the shedding of blood.
How
did the shedding of blood point to the covenant? In two ways:
first, it showed that blood was necessary – in other words, God knew
that no one would be able to keep the covenant – God’s commands – and God
wanted every person who entered into the covenant through belief in the God of
Abraham to understand that they were sinners who needed to be made right with
God. Second, it foreshadowed the coming
of a Baby Whose shed blood would be effective in the forgiveness of sins for
all those who would believe in Him – the Savior God promised in the Garden –
Jesus Christ.
And
so we see, first this morning, that circumcision didn’t save anyone – it did
not reconcile anyone. It was symbolic of
the fact that there is only deliverance from slavery to sin and the wages of
sin through blood, and it was symbolic of the fact that the Gospel – that God
came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ, that He lived a perfect life under
God’s Law, died – shedding His blood – for the sins of everyone who would ever
believe in Him Alone for Salvation – and physically rose from the dead and
ascended back to His throne – receiving that Gospel – receiving Jesus’ shed
blood – by faith alone – is the only means of salvation.
Maybe
we can talk about baptism this morning – let’s turn back to Colossians:
Now,
let’s remember that Paul is writing to Christians – believers in the Gospel –
and he is confronting those heretics who have come into the church and said
that if you haven’t been circumcised, you can’t be saved – they didn’t get the
point that circumcision was a sign of the need of salvation and a sign of salvation
through Jesus and His work for His people, not salvation itself.
“In him also you were circumcised
with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh,
by the circumcision of Christ,”
Paul explains that – in salvation –
there is another kind of circumcision – a spiritual circumcision – which, by
the work of the Holy Spirit, cuts off our sin – and the Holy Spirit works in us
to mortify – to kill – the sin that has been paid for by Jesus, which we still
commit. So, Paul is telling the Gentiles
– those who had not been circumcised – not to worry about circumcision of the
flesh – that physical act never saved anyone – it was a sign – rather, salvation
is the work of the Holy Spirit Who applies the Work of Jesus – His shed blood –
and cuts away our sin, so we are innocent, perfect, and holy in the eyes of the
Father. We are saved through the work of
God, not a physical procedure.
So, second, circumcision of the
heart by the Holy Spirit frees us from our slavery to sin and our debt for sin.
“having been buried with him in
baptism,”
Here, Paul brings in the parallel to
circumcision which is baptism. And we
remember that Paul reminded the Ephesians:
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked,
following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the
air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we
all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the
body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of
mankind” (Ephesians 2:1-3. ESV).
All mere human beings since the sin
of our first parents are born with original sin – we are born sinners – inclined
towards sin – and Paul tells us that since we are born sinners and inclined
towards sin, we are born spiritually dead – following after the devil, seeking
to sin with our heart and soul and mind and strength – “children of wrath” –
people who are deservedly under the Wrath of God – just like the rest of
mankind – before the coming of Jesus and after the coming of Jesus.
Those who were circumcised in the
flesh, but unbelieving, were dead and buried – spiritually, even though they
bore the sign of circumcision, which pointed to salvation through the Gospel
and deliverance only through blood.
Similarly, those who are baptized in the flesh, but unbelieving, are
dead and buried – spiritually, even though they bare the sign of baptism, which
is symbolic of the Gospel, the wages of sin, and the cleansing of dirt, which
is symbolic of sin.
What does this mean? It means, third, that baptism doesn’t save
anyone, though it is symbolic of the Gospel, the wages of sin, and the
cleansing of dirt, which is symbolic of sin.
As The Heidelberg Catechism
notes: “Q. 72. Is then the external baptism with water the
washing away of sin itself? A. Not at
all; for the blood of Jesus Christ only, and the Holy Spirit, cleanse us from
all sin.”
So, baptism doesn’t save
anyone. It is a sacrament which points
to the Gospel – to salvation through Jesus Christ Alone. It is a sign or a symbol of the only way to
salvation.
“in which you were also raised with
him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”
Fourth, baptism received by faith by
the Holy Spirit indwelling all those who believe in the Savior frees us from
our slavery to sin and from our debt to sin and transfers Christ’s Righteousness
to us.
What does “received by faith”
mean?
We have already said that baptism
does not save. However, what baptism
signifies – what it points to – faith in the Savior – does save. So, if we receive what baptism signifies – if
we believe in Jesus Alone for salvation, we will be saved.
If the Old Testament believers were
circumcised in their flesh or we are baptized in our flesh, but unbelieving, we
are still dead and buried in our sin.
But, if the Holy Spirit gives us faith and we believe by faith in what
the sacrament symbolizes – the Gospel – then God raises us from spiritual death
to spiritual life – we are not left buried in our sin, but raised from our sin,
by the “powerful working of God.”
It’s important that we remember that
we bring nothing to our salvation – we can do nothing to save ourselves. Salvation is the gift of God – the work of
God – all of God and by God and for God.
Paul writes, “But God, being rich in
mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead
in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been
saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places
in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable
riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you
have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift
of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:4-10, ESV).
So, if we believe by faith in what
baptism signifies – the Gospel of Jesus Christ – we will be saved – we will be
raised from spiritual death.
“And
you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God
made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by
canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This
he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities
and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”
Fifth,
through faith, we are raised to life as Christ was – we are raised to new life
through faith in Christ and receive – not just the sign of baptism in the flesh
– but the seal of baptism in the spirit and the flesh, just as those who
received circumcision in the flesh through faith received the seal of
circumcision in the spirit and the flesh.
What does this mean?
All those who believe in the Gospel
and receive salvation by faith are united with Christ in His death and
Resurrection. Through faith in what is
symbolized in baptism – the Gospel – we receive the benefits of Jesus living a
perfect life under the Law -- His Righteousness is credited to us – and we
receive freedom from our slavery to sin and from the Wrath of God against us
for our actual sins, because Christ took our sin upon Him and suffered God’s
Wrath on the cross to free every one who will ever believe.
We are now alive in Christ, because
we are living the life that He merited for us through His life, suffering,
death, and resurrection, and now, with the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit,
we don’t have to sin – Christ has disarmed our enemies – He has put them to
shame – He has trampled them under foot – we can take the way of escape the God
has promised us and be faithful and walk in righteousness before God.
Paul explains, “We were buried
therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was
raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness
of life” (Romans 6:4, ESV).
But we were going to talk about
infant baptism, weren’t we?
We ought to baptize infants, because
–
Sixth, in the same way that
circumcision of the flesh in the Old Testament was a sign of the necessity of
salvation, so in the New Testament, baptism of the flesh is a sign of the
necessity of salvation.
As we baptize an infant, we proclaim
that this child is a sinner – dead in sin – who can only be made clean through
being washed with the blood of the Savior.
Just as circumcision of the flesh – for infants – proclaimed that the
child was a sinner – dead in sin – who could only be made clean through the
shedding of the blood of the Savior, so we now baptize infants with water.
Also, both with circumcision of the
flesh and baptism of the flesh, it is a sign that we are bringing the child
into the community – we are taken on ourselves the responsibility of making
sure the child knows that he is a sinner and that he must be saved if he is to
escape the wrath of God and the eternal death of Hell.
We are also reminding ourselves and
all those witnessing the sacrament that salvation is only through faith in
Jesus Alone – through believing the Gospel.
There is nothing anyone can do to become right with God – Jesus has done
it all – and He is the only way.
So, in the baptizing of the flesh an
infant, we proclaim the Gospel to all those in attendance, we proclaim the
Gospel to ourselves, and we begin to proclaim the Gospel to the child – covenanting
to continue to proclaim the Gospel to that child until he receives the seal of
baptism and believes by faith in the Gospel.
Does that make sense?
Circumcision of the flesh was a sign
– it saved no one. Baptism of the flesh
is a sign – it saves no one.
Finally, seventh, Christ
accomplished the work of salvation symbolized in circumcision and baptism. Christ shed His blood for all those who would
ever believe, as symbolized in circumcision.
Christ died and was buried – yet physically rose – as symbolized in
baptism.
That’s why we baptize infants –
because baptism is one of two sacraments approved by Jesus to visibly present the
Gospel.
So, let us remember:
First,
circumcision didn’t save anyone – it did not reconcile anyone. It was symbolic of the fact that there is
only deliverance from slavery to sin and the wages of sin through blood, and it
was symbolic of the fact that the Gospel is the only means of salvation.
Second,
circumcision of the heart by the Holy Spirit frees us from our slavery to sin
and our debt for sin.
Third,
baptism doesn’t save anyone, though it is symbolic of the Gospel, the wages of
sin, and the cleansing of dirt, which is symbolic of sin.
Fourth,
baptism received by faith by the Holy Spirit indwelling all those who believe
in the Savior frees us from our slavery to sin and from our debt to sin and
transfers Christ’s Righteousness to us.
Fifth,
through faith, we are raised to life as Christ was – we are raised to new life
through faith in Christ and receive – not just the sign of baptism in the flesh
– but the seal of baptism in the spirit and the flesh, just as those who
received circumcision in the flesh received the seal of circumcision in the
spirit and the flesh.
Sixth,
in the same way that circumcision of the flesh in the Old Testament was a sign
of the necessity of salvation, so in the New Testament, baptism of the flesh is
a sign of the necessity of salvation
Finally,
seventh, Christ accomplished the work of salvation symbolized in circumcision
and baptism.
Let
us pray:
Almighty
God, we thank You for the sacraments of the Lord’s Supper and baptism – and we
especially thank You today as we consider the sacrament of baptism – what it
does – and why we ought to baptize infants.
Help us to remember that the Sacraments are visible representations of
the Gospel, not salvation in and of themselves.
Help us to see that baptizing an infant reminds all of us that we need a
Savior and You Alone can be that Savior.
Help us to recommit ourselves to the raising of any child that is
baptized in our churches, recognizing that though it is especially the work of
the parents to raise a child, it is the responsibility of the whole church to
make sure that every child that comes into our church hears and understands the
Gospel, as You have mercy to grant understanding. For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
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