Dark Brightness

baptism at otaki, 1853

Today at B@TCH four young people — aging from ages 13 to 20 — got baptized. The main points of the sermon were that this is a sign of a permanent transformation, unlike the transformations one may make in the gym or plastic surgery that wear off Barry diverted onto why these shows deny the inherent beauty of humanity).

Now the Westminster Confession says this.

I. Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible Church, but also to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, or his ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life: which sacrament is, by Christ’s own appointment, to be continued in his Church until the end of the world.

This is what Barry was preaching to.

A commentator added:
Baptism is only to be administered to those outside of the covenant community upon a credible profession of faith in, and submission to, the promises of God regarding redemption and his covenant. Believers’ baptism is mandated for all those becoming members of the New Testament form of the church. No one should receive this sign and be grafted into the visible body of the covenant people if the elders have reason to doubt that his professed trust in the gospel is both informed and unfeigned.

II. The outward element to be used in the sacrament is water, wherewith the party is to be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, by a minister of the gospel, lawfully called thereunto.

III. Dipping of the person into the water is not necessary; but baptism is rightly administered by pouring or sprinkling water upon the person.

The word baptise means to dip or immerse. Full dunking is not necessary, but the symbolism of going under the water is powerful.

Pouring or sprinkling water is practical in cold climates: something to reflect on as we drained 500 litres of fairly cold water from a paddling pool! John baptised in the Jordan as there was water there… the method of dipping is immaterial to the sacrament.

IV. 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.

V. Although it be a great sin to contemn or neglect this ordinance, yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably annexed unto it as that no person can be regenerated or saved without it, or that all that are baptized are undoubtedly regenerated.

VI. The efficacy of baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered; yet, notwithstanding, by the right use of this ordinance the grace promised is not only offered, but really exhibited and conferred by the Holy Ghost, to such (whether of age or infants) as that grace belongeth unto, according to the counsel of God’s own will, in his appointed time.

The same commentator noted:
Baptism represents an invisible and spiritual reality. Jesus warned that in the New Testament church the tares and wheat are to grow together without attempts to judge the heart. Excommunication recognizes that the visible church includes some baptized members who come to show no evidences that they are regenerated, members of the invisible church of the redeemed. But we don’t judge the heart. We only remove those who openly deny the grounds upon which they were admitted in the first place. Baptized believers are reminded that it’s the purifying of the heart, not of the body that is important in the eyes of God.

The spiritual import of the sign and seal of God’s covenant of grace continued even though the form of the initiatory rite changed. The connection is clearly referenced in Colossians 2:11-14.
11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
13 And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

The outward acts of circumcision and baptism are not the issue here. But Paul shows that they both relate to an inner change by which we are identified with Christ as our Sin-bearer. This atonement and its application to the believer is what the physical signs and seals represented in both eras.

There are many clear references in the New Testament showing that membership in the church after the time of Christ was a continuation of the same covenant and promises made to Abraham (see Acts 2:38-39; Romans 3:21; 11:16-17; Galatians 3:14,16,29; Acts 26:6,7; etc.).
Baptism represents the union of the believer in Christ’s victory over sin and its judicial effects. Since the true believer is identified with Christ who is his substitute, he is considered to be free from the penalty of sin which is death, the separation of the offending soul from the presence of God.

VII. The sacrament of Baptism is but once to be administered to any person.

So… some people baptised their children as infants. Those children should not be rebaptised (the anabaptists were criticised for this), and those unbaptised who do come to faith should be baptised.

The process today… using immersion, had some meaning. All four have believing relatives. Those who have led them to Christ and helped them — their youth workers and mentors — bought them to baptism, their parents helped them (towel down and warm up) after, and their gifts were explained to the congregation, who then spent some time (during the end of the service and afterwards) congratulating them.

There are two clear sacraments (that Jesus is recorded commanding), baptism and communion. It was a blessing to be in the congregation this day.