St. Timothy's Church

Matthew 3.13-17

The Rev W Terry Sweeney

The Baptism of Andrew Earle Saulsbury

Westminster Larger Catechism Question 166: Unto whom is Baptism to be administered?

 

Answer: “. . . .  infants descending from parents, either both, or but one of them, professing faith in Christ, and obedience to him, are in that respect within the covenant, and to be baptized.”

 

Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 28.4, “Not only those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto Christ, but also the infants of one or both believing parents are to be baptized. “

 

I am thrilled that we’re gathered here this morning to witness the baptism of Andrew Earle Saulsbury – Andrew is a baby – two months old!  He won’t remember this moment but thankfully God will;

 

God will remember that Andrew has been washed with Jesus’ blood and marked as one of His own forever.

 

Some might wonder that since Andrew won’t remember this day nor has made a personal confession of faith why are we doing this? 

 

Shouldn’t we wait until he’s older – maybe 12 or 20 or 32?  Why do we baptize babies?

 

Three reasons:

 

1. God, in both the Old and New Testaments, explicitly makes a promise to believers and to their children

 

Genesis 17:7, “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.”

 

Acts 2:38-39, “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. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."

 

 

2. God, in both the Old and New Testaments, explicitly attaches specific signs (respectively, circumcision [Genesis 17:10] and baptism [Acts 2:38, cf. Colossians 2:11-12], to this promise that he gives to believers and their children.

 

Genesis 9.9-13, “ And God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.

 

Col. 2.11-12, “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, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”

 

 

3. Since God has given an explicit promise to believers and their children, in the New Testament, and attached a sign to this promise, and enjoined us (in the new covenant) to administer that sign [baptism, Matthew 28:19-20], then we should give the sign of the promise he has made to believers and their children, to believers and their children, in humble obedience to biblical command and example.

 

Matthew 28.19-20, “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, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

 

So we baptize Infants along with adults because God sets that out as the pattern He wanted us to follow.

 

What are we doing?  What happens?

 

1. Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ,

 

New Testament:  Acts 2.38; Col. 2.11-13; 1 Pet. 3.21; Mat. 28.19

 

not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible Church:

 

1 Cor. 12.13, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

 

but also to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace

 

Col. 2.11-12, “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, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”

 

a sign and seal of the covenant of grace or his ingrafting into Christ

 

Gal.3,27, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

 

Romans 6.5, “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.

 

of regeneration,

 

Titus 3.5 describes a spiritual washing given to us by God that acts to give us a new life – regeneration.  Starts something new to come in us and out of us.

 

of remission of sins, (Mark 1.4)

 

Baptism is a sign the one has truly repented and therefore been forgiven and given a fresh start.  Baptism doesn’t save us – faith that leads to repentance does – baptism is the sign that we have received faith and asked for forgiveness.

 

and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life:

 

Rom. 6.1-8, “ 1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.  5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.  8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

 

which sacrament is, by Christ's own appointment, to be continued in his Church until the end of the world. (Mat. 28.19)

6. The efficacy of baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered; yet, notwithstanding, by the right use of this sacrament

 

John 3.5, “Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

 

ex opera operato: The works worked-à

 

The proper elements: Water, Oil

The proper minister: faith

Gathered for the proper intention: parents, family, the candidate, God-parents: FAITH

The proper liturgical formula: The Name of the Trinity

 

the grace promised is not only offered, but really exhibited and conferred by the Holy Spirit, to such (whether of age or infants) as that grace belongs to, according to the counsel of God's own will, in his appointed time.

 

FRUIT will be evident – willful intention to improve one baptism!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

(GAL 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

 

TIT 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

 

ACT 2:38, 41 Then Peter said unto 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. . . . v.41 So those who received his word were baptized: and there were added that day about three thousand souls.)

Question 167: How is our Baptism to be improved by us?

 

1. Pronounce words of blessings upon Andrew every day.

 

2. Show him how God is connected to even the smallest things of life each day.

 

3. Demonstrate your faith – don’t keep it under wraps or too close to the vest.

 

4. Help him to know that temptation will come and must be resisted.

 

5. He will sin and be humbled for it.  Teach him the power of repentance and the grace of Christ that comes with it.

 

6. You LOVE Christ and model the way for him and let Christ do the rest.

Comments

Log in

Recent Article Subscribe