God's Promise... and to Your Children

Minister:
Date: AM
Text: Acts 2:39
Psalters: 265, 330, 67, 101
Sacrament of Baptism
  1. Promise of what?
    1. Peter assures them of a promise.
      1. A promise is a pledge or an assurance that something will be done in the future.
      2. That it is God?s promise means that God obligates and binds Himself to do what He promised.
    2. The content of God?s promise is to save from sin by Christ giving forgiveness and the Spirit.
      1. In fact, the word ?promise? is used in Scripture for God?s gift of the Messiah, for salvation and for the realization of this gift - confer: Psalm 77:8; 105:42; Acts 7:17; 13:23,32; 26:6,7.
      2. The Holy Spirit who applies salvation is also called the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph. 1:13).
      3. Our text speaks of this salvation as remission of sin and of possessing the Spirit who works justification and sanctification.
    3. Note that the ?promise? is singular, for it is the one and same promise in every age.
  2. To whom is this promise of God given? Not to everyone or anyone.
    1. First, it is to ?you,? i.e., those who were pricked in their heart and asked what to do (37).
    2. Second, ?and to your children.?
      1. The promise is not to all children, but to the children of repenting believers.
      2. Parents who are faithful in belief and in walk vow to instruct their children and to pray God?s blessing on their instruction.
    3. Third, God?s promise is also ?to all that are afar off.?
      1. From the perspective of the Jews, these words have to apply to non-Jews out of every nation (Isa. 43:5-7; Acts 1:8).
      2. The far off ones are brought nigh through the (same) blood of Jesus (Eph. 2:13; Rom. 4:16).
  3. We experience God?s promise in the way of hearing God?s ?call.?
    1. This call of God is not for all Jews, nor for all of our children, nor for all them that afar off.
    2. This is God?s irresistible call by His Spirit in the hearts of His elect (Rom. 8:30).
      1. When the gospel is preached some obey and are converted because God calls them out of darkness into His marvelous light, confers on them faith and repentance and translates them into the kingdom of Jesus (Canons III,IV-10).
      2. The called hear that salvation is promised: forgiveness and the Spirit so Christ is with them.
    3. We are among the ?afar off? whom the Lord has called.
    4. In this way we have God?s promise to sinners who are repenting is that His died for such ungodly sinners (Rom. 5:6).