I have to admit, infant baptism used to really freak me out! But it was what the only church that we had ever found to be biblical in all of its doctrines confessed, so we either had to pretend that we believed it, really dig into research to see if they were actually right in their belief, or start the search for a church all over again. We chose option B. Which worked out in the end, because they actually were right all along, I was wrong. Even better, the more Ive studied baptism, the less grudgingly I have to admit that I was wrong, this is seriously good news! The implications to life and faith and, well, everything if I had been right are pretty dire. Ive been thinking about this again because church on the 18th of this month is promising to be a baptism extravaganza, and Im soooo excited!!! So Ive been reading through some of my old notes and I found this more recent research thing I did in response to a friends objections to baptism. I will only include my explanation of baptism in this post, though. It has all been shared before on my timeline. Here it is: In answer to you, I will attempt to use as much Bible and as few of my own words as possible. I believe that the Bible is quite capable of defending itself, especially given the wealth of passages on this particular subject of baptism. Definition is important. The Greek word used for baptism, baptizo, may denote immersion, but it also describes washings by pouring or sprinkling. This is the same word that is used in reference to Christian baptisms. Mark 7:3-4 “And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.” This is a clear instance of letting the Bible define itself. To import an arbitrary definition (immerse) in this instance sounds absurd. And it is. Immersion is not required to constitute a baptism. the biblical requirements are water (amount unspecified) and the Word. Eph. 5:25-26; Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Mat. 28:19; And Peter said to them, repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38; Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and he gave himself up for her that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. Baptism is for Dead people. “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned-- for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.” Romans 5:12-14; “For as by one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” Romans 5:19; “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.” Ephesians 2:1; “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Psalms 51:5; And to Adam he said, because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, you shall not eat of it, cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all of the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Genesis 3:17-19; all confirm our original state is one of sinfulness in nature and actions, and spiritual death. As much as Lazarus (John 11:43-44) was unable to make a decision to be brought back to life, so we were dead and rotting in our sin, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our tresspasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5. “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.” Ephesians 2:8-9 Titus 3:4-7 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Romans 3:21-28 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it--the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show Gods righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works?No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Notice the extreme lack of doing anything by the faithful involved in these verses. God is doing the doing. Gods goodness, Gods loving kindness, Gods mercy, Gods washing, Gods pouring, Gods justifying, Gods gift, Gods righteousness, Gods forbearance, and on and on. The only thing the believer is doing is receiving.There is not even a decision mentioned or alluded to on the part of the believer, its all Gods work. And thank God for that! If it were left up to our will we would choose to reject him every time, such is the extent of our sinful nature. Who does the verb in baptism? Now there was a man of the pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by the night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Jesus answered him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mothers womb and be born? Jesus Answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. John 3:1-8; And Peter said to them, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself. Acts 2:38-39; And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name. Acts 22:16; Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 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. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. Romans 6:3-5; And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:11. For what need was there that Christ was given for our sins if our merits can make satisfaction for our sins? Baptism is not a work that we do (Ephesians 2:8-9), baptism is done to us. Baptism is God’s grace given to us freely, which faith receives. Baptism is a sacrament, an objective, tangible means of grace, worked by God upon an utterly helpless person, in which that person is covered with the righteousness of Christ, being united in Christ’s death and resurrection. So that when God looks at His baptized child, He sees Christ’s righteousness instead of that person’s corruption. Through the Word in and with the water, baptism grants freedom from the eternal consequences of sin, adopts us as heirs and part of the family of believers, gives new life, creates and strengthens faith, and produces good works. Baptism is not a mere symbol, it is a real thing with real consequences. “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your all your uncleanesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.” Ezekiel 36:25-28; “And Peter said to them, ‘repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’” Acts 2:38-39, “Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:16. Once saved always saved? Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16. Scripture makes it pretty clear that falling away from the faith is a very real danger. Baptism and belief save, but the lack of belief and/or the despising of baptism condemns. So one can be baptized and later reject their baptism. Once baptism is understood as the amazing Gospel that it is, the question is no longer should infants be baptized, but why shouldnt they be? Mingling baptism, even in the smallest way, with works corrupts the Gospel. The Law condemns us, the Gospel saves us. Works condemn, Jesus saves. If baptism is a decision, an attitude, or an act of obedience, that makes it a work. Works condemn. But if baptism is a gift, something wholly separate from any kind of doing, deciding, or being obedient to, then it is nothing other than the beautiful pure grace of the Gospel! That is what amazing grace is all about! Its undeserved, unexpected, and un-asked for. Otherwise, it is nothing at all and you would be better off taking a five gallon jug of white out to your Bible and erasing every instance of the word grace. The church has historically understood the command to baptize to include infants, provide actual benefits, and not to be legalistic about the actual amount of water required. The burden of proof lies on anyone who would try to deny infant baptism. If the only proof against baptizing infants is an anomalous lexicon, that simply doesnt cut it.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 21:29:10 +0000
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