The Baptism of Believers' Children
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 11/22/2015 PM |
Text: | Genesis 17; Lord's Day 27 |
Psalters: | 258, 393, 101, 237 |
Sacrament of Baptism |
- The infant of a faithful believer is baptized because God promised to be the God of His people and of their children (Gen. 17:7).
- Children are included with their believing parents in the covenant and Church.
- God’s promise of redemption and forgiveness is directed to children as well as to adults (Luke 18:15,16).
- Thirdly, God promises the Holy Spirit, the author of faith, also to the children of believers (Acts 2:38,39).
- As infants partake of condemnation in Adam without conscious knowledge, so they can partake of God's grace without conscious knowledge (cf. Ps. 139:13; Jer. 1:3; Luke 1:15; Mark. 10:13-16).
- The biblical practice: the apostles baptized the children/households of new believers.
- New believers (never baptized before) were converted under the preaching of the Gospel and are baptized (Mk. 16:16).
- The apostles practiced the baptism of new believers and their households.
- Water baptism, like circumcision, is commanded of us (it is not an option).
- The difficulty is that not all the children of believers are saved - some later show themselves to be unbelievers.
- Does this affect the basis for infant baptism? No, for we baptize infants because God commands us to do so.
- Serious errors have arisen in the attempt to deal with this difficulty.
- Scripture answers this problem by pointing to the Israelites who did not believe (Romans 9:1-8).
- The biblical responsibility.
- In obedience to God's commands we baptize and teach them the truth along with the command of God to obey (Gen. 18:19).
- We teach our children to consider themselves saved only in the way of their repenting and believing.
- And we constantly praise God for His goodness to us and our children, praying He will not cut us off in our generations.