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| > Sermon Archive > Sermons by Author > Rev. Stephen 't Hart > Grafted by baptism into the covenant of God | Previous Next Print |
| Order Of Worship (Liturgy) Bible translation: ESV Greeting Psalm 111:1,3 Nicene Creed Psalm 111:5 Prayer Read: Galatians 3 Psalm 78:1,2,3 Text: Lord's Day 27 Hymn 58:1,2,3 Prayer Collection Psalm 103:7 Blessing |
Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There is a children’s song that perhaps you are familiar with. It goes like this:
Father Abraham has many sons,
Many sons has Father Abraham.
I am one of them, and so are you my friend,
So let’s just praise the Lord!
But is it right to sing this song? May we teach our children that they are Abraham’s offspring? Are our children heirs according to the promise? Are they members of God’s covenant and congregation? Or is it only believers who belong God’s Church?
For most of the history of the church there hasn't been a lot of debate about all this. For most of the history of the church it was accepted that children are a part of God's church, and it was also accepted that they would be received into the church through baptism. Indeed, from the beginning, the Christian Church has baptised the children of believers. The Early Church Father Augustine wrote,
“And this is the firm tradition of the universal Church, in respect of the baptism of infants, who certainly are as yet unable “with the heart to believe unto righteousness, and with the mouth to make confession unto salvation.” . . . And yet no Christian will say that they are baptized to no purpose. And if anyone seek for divine authority in this matter, though what is held by the whole Church, and not as instituted by Councils, but as a matter of invariable custom, is rightly held to have been handed down by apostolical authority.”
So that is how the Early Church understood things: the children of believers were a part of God’s Church, were “sons of Abraham”, Christians from birth, and were to be baptised accordingly.
In the days when the Heidelberg Catechism was written, the Roman Catholics, the Lutherans and the Reformed all practised infant baptism. That's not to say that they all agreed on what baptism means, but they did agree on when baptism is to be administered. At the time of the Reformation the only ones who denied infant baptism were the Anabaptists, those who belonged to the so-called “Radical Reformation.”
But today the doctrine of infant baptism and with it the biblical understanding of the place of children within the covenant of God is challenged – also by many who would call themselves to be Reformed. Since the Bible teaches us in places such as Galatians 3:7 that “it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham” they conclude that first one must believe and only then should he or she be baptised and so be incorporated into the Covenant Community, the Church of God.
And so for us today, perhaps more than at any other time in the church’s history, we need to be convinced that along with ourselves, our children too are counted as sons and daughters of Abraham and therefore ought to be baptised. And most importantly we need to work out of that conviction to understand our calling to raise them as children of God and as heirs of the Promise.
I preach to you the Word of God concerning the baptism of infants under the following theme.
Grafted by baptism into the covenant of God.
1. The covenant sign.
2. The covenant calling.
1. The covenant sign.
In Lord’s Day 25 we learned that baptism is a sacrament, a holy visible sign and seal that God Himself instituted to seal to us the promise of the gospel. And this is the promise: that God graciously grants us forgiveness of sins and everlasting life because of the one sacrifice of Christ accomplished on the cross. Baptism, therefore, does not point to our faith, nor is it the way that we join ourselves to God. Rather, it points to the promises of God to us, and to the work that God does for us in Christ’s death and resurrection. And then we are called to receive those promises by faith.
And yet there is a close connection between faith and baptism.
We read together from Galatians 3. In this chapter, the apostle Paul was opposing the Judaizers who were threatening the very foundation of the Church. The Judaizers taught that to become a true child of God, you had to become a Jew and follow the Old Testament laws. They taught that baptism in Christ was not enough; in order to become a full member of God’s covenant and congregation, and in order to be saved, you had to be circumcised, you had to become a Jew. That was the way to become a child of Abraham, and that was the way to become an heir to the promises of the covenant. But the apostle Paul taught that this was not true! You are not saved by keeping the Old Testament law, by being circumcised and so forth, but you are saved through faith in Christ. And then Paul explained that really this was not something new: even in the Old Testament, one was saved by grace through faith. Abraham was circumcised in Genesis 17, at the age of 99 years. But well before that, in Genesis 15, we read in verse 6,
“And [Abram] believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”
It was following that expression of Abram’s faith, that the LORD made a covenant with him, and it was years later that God gave Him the sign and seal of His covenant, circumcision. Circumcision, therefore, was [to quote the words of our form for baptism] “a seal of the covenant and [a seal of] of the righteousness of faith.” And now the way to become one of Abraham’s children is to share the same faith that Abraham had. Just as Abraham believed God’s promises and was declared righteous, so we also are called to believe God’s promises, and in that way enjoy the full blessings of those promises.
So in Galatians 3 the question was, “How do you become a child of Abraham, how do you become a child of the covenant?” The Judaizers said, “You become a child of Abraham through the law, through circumcision. To become a child of Abraham you have to become a Jew.” But Paul said, “No. Whether you are a Jew or a Greek is not the point. The covenant promises aren't just for those who are physical descendants of Abraham; rather, because Christ, the True Seed of Abraham has come, the promise of the covenant is extended to everyone who shares in the faith of Abraham. And then Paul concluded this by saying in Galatians 3:26-28,
"For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
So Father Abraham really does have many sons since we all share in the one faith that Abraham also confessed.
But now what about the children of believers? Are our children also “sons and daughters of Abraham”? Are they also a part of God’s covenant and congregation? Yes they are. When God establishes His covenant with believers, He also extends His covenant promises to the children of believers. And that is nothing new: it was already the case with Abraham himself. In Genesis 15, it was Abraham who believed God and was therefore declared righteous. And so in Genesis 15 the LORD made His covenant with Abraham. But included in that covenant were all those who were in Abraham’s household. This becomes very clear in Genesis 17:7 which says,
"And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you."
Notice that this clearly says that God established His everlasting covenant not just with the believer Abraham, but also with his family. Abraham was the one who believed, but the covenant the LORD established with him also extended to his children. In fact, even those children who did not believe and would later reject the covenant promises, were also incorporated into the covenant, receiving its sign. Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised and Esau was eight days old. Neither Ishmael nor Esau fully received all that was promised in the covenant since they rejected the covenant promises. But they were both eligible to receive the sign and seal of the covenant, circumcision, because they too belonged to God’s covenant and congregation. In the Old Testament, therefore, the covenant was not restricted to those who themselves believed but was also extended to the children of those who believed. These covenant children were special, a chosen generation, who received unique privileges and responsibilities. If they trusted in God and walked in His ways, then they would inherit the blessings of the covenant; if they rejected God’s promises, they would fall under the covenant curse.
And that was the pattern for the rest of the Old Testament: God established His covenant not just with adult believers, but also with their children. As Psalm 103:17,18 expresses it,
"But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, 18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments."
In the Old Testament, the children of Israel were clearly a part of God’s covenant and congregation. The promises of the covenant were not just for the Fathers but also for their descendants. And this principle remains the same in the New Testament. Already in Luke 1:50, the song of Mary says,
“And His mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation.”
And at Pentecost, when Peter told the people to repent, he told them who the promise was for:
“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 2:39)
Just as in the Old Testament, so also in the New Testament, children who remain under the authority of a believing parent are included in the Covenant of Grace. And that is why 1 Corinthians 7:14 calls the children of believers holy:
"For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy."
And so we see that the Old Testament principle of the LORD extending His covenant promises to believers and their children did not change in the New Testament. The covenant God established with Abraham, which was an everlasting covenant and continues into the New Testament, was for believing parents and their children. To receive what was promised in the covenant, these children would, in time, need to accept those promises in faith. But the children of believers are blessed to receive the promises of the covenant, and they are holy, separated from the children of unbelievers. Although there isn't a single and specific Bible verse that says that the children of believers must be baptized, the New Testament does make it clear that the covenant promises God made to Abraham also apply to the New Testament sons of Abraham, to all those who are in Christ Jesus. And those promises extend not just to the one who believes, but also to the children who live in his house.
But there is still a strong connection between baptism and faith in the New Testament – just as there was a strong connection between circumcision and faith in the Old Testament. We do not baptize all infants, but only the children of believers. And that is why when parents bring their children to church to be baptized we ask if they confess that the doctrine of the Old and New Testament, summarized in the confessions and taught here in this Christian church, is the complete doctrine of salvation. And that is also why the parents must promise to instruct their child and have him instructed in the truth of God’s Word. For the promise given to the child in his or her baptism must be received in faith. As the child grows up, he is called to confess his faith and say Yes to the promises given to him at his baptism. We will see this further in our second point.
2. The covenant calling.
The doctrine of infant baptism is not simply a theoretical one that makes little difference in practice but, as answer 74 of the Catechism says,
“. . . by baptism, as sign of the covenant, they must be incorporated in the Christian church and distinguished from the children of unbelievers.”
"They must be incorporated into the Christian church." That means, this is their home, this is where they belong. And, just as they are a part of family life back home, so our children are a part of our church family here in [Southern River]. And our conviction that our children belong to God's covenant and congregation has various consequences.
In the first place, we need to teach our children in our homes. "These words," God said in Deuteronomy 6:6-7,
"these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."
When your child was baptised, you promised to instruct him or her in the truths of the gospel to the utmost of your power, that is, in every way that is open to you. As parents we tend to make great sacrifices for our children, wanting to give them the best start in life. That includes healthy food, a good education a comfortable house and, sports activities such as soccer or netball, music lessons and a host of other opportunities, as well as great experiences such as holidays. It's good to do these things, of course, but there is nothing more important than the
spiritual nurturing of your children. And that starts in the home. And the first thing I encourage you to is consistency. Life can be busy for all of us. It's hectic with small kids, and our schedules can be all over the place when they start growing up. And one of the things that can get squeezed out are structured mealtimes, along with set times for family devotions. So I'd like to ask you, what happens in your house on Monday mornings? Are you, as mum or dad, being consistent in sitting down with your children to open the Bible and to pray? And what about your evening devotions? Is it the norm in your house to open God's Word, to speak about it together, to pray, and perhaps to sing? Much more can be said, of course, but let's just begin with being consistent, day in and day out, whether it's a school day or a Saturday or a holiday: bring your children together, morning and evening, open God's Word, and pray!
Secondly, we need to have our children join us here in church. There's a reason as to why we worship God together as entire families. This was already done in the time of the Old Testament. Listen, for example, to what it says in Deuteronomy 31:11-13.
"When all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”
And Joshua 8:35 says,
“There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women,?and the little ones,?and the sojourners who lived among them.”
The New Testament also assumes that children are in the worship services, and on a couple of occasions they were even addressed in the letters of Paul. Ephesians 6:1, for example, says,
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."
And the same thing is mentioned in Colossians 3:20. Now it's true that our younger children won't understand everything that is said or sung or prayed about here in church. Some things will go over their heads and at other times they will get distracted. But never estimate the power of God's Holy Spirit that is at work here in church. The church is, someone once said, the workshop of the Holy Spirit. This is where we enter God's presence in a special way. This is where we and our children learn the rhythms of worship. This is where we get together to sing, to pray, to give our gifts to God, and to have fellowship with one another. And, most importantly, this is where we receive the preaching of the gospel. And parents, it is your task to teach your children the command, the value and the importance of coming together for worship. In his book "The Nursery of the Holy Spirit" Reformed pastor Daniel Hyde wrote,
"The greatest stumbling block for our children in worship is not that they are bored or because nothing is ‘at their level’, but that as parents we don’t convey in words and deeds that we cherish holy worship."
He also wrote,
"Worship is better caught than taught. Our children learn by participating in worship more than by our explanations about worship. Our children can feel the difference between duty and delight. They will pick up from us a dour attitude if we have a dour attitude. They will come to believe that worship is not that important if we do not show them that it is important."
And,
"As parents, we are the greatest example to our children of the meaning and value of worshipping the Lord. Our children should see how we listen hungrily to the word of God read and preached, how we reverently partake of the bread and cup of the Lord’s Supper, and how we bow our heads earnestly in prayer, and sing out our praise to God with sheer joy in our face. We must love to worship our God for our children to learn to love to worship Him."
So parents, don't be too quick to leave your children at home - even if one of you has to stay behind with another child for one reason or another. Take them to church and when you're home speak about the things that we do here.
But that's not all we can say, however. Since our children too are a part of God's covenant and congregation, we need to consider ways to instruct them in the gospel and at time that also needs to be done in age appropriate ways. This is where Christian schooling comes in, where children are taught in the ways of the Lord from preschool to year 12. And what a blessing it is that we are privileged to enjoy covenant, Christian education of a good standard in our John Calvin Schools here in Australia. At School, not only do our children sing psalms together and hear Bible stories or church history lessons, but the rest of their lessons are also taught from a Christian perspective. This is important and we ought to do what we can to see to it that our children receive such a God honouring and Christian education. And if, for any reason, your child is being educated in a non-Christian environment, it's really important that you teach these things to them. You are to teach them diligently, when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. (Deuteronomy 6:7) And you are to teach them that they do not belong to the world, but they belong to Another, the Lord.
There are other ways, too, for us to have our children to be taught here in Southern River. Importantly, there's Catechism instruction and Bible study for those in year 7 and upwards. And perhaps in the future there may be other ways to think about having them grow here in this Christian church. Indeed, we should always ask what we ought to be doing as a church to to both equip our parents in their task of raising their children and to better teach our little ones the wonders of God's love. Our children's place in God's covenant and congregation make it incumbent upon us to see to it that each one of these children is nurtured in the gospel and the fear of the Lord.
It is as members of God’s covenant and congregation that the promises of the covenant are given to our children. Having received the sign and seal of holy baptism they are given the promise that God graciously grants them the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life because of the one sacrifice of Christ accomplished on the cross. Let us then teach this to our children, praying that Holy Spirit might incorporate them into Jesus Christ, that they might be buried with Him by baptism into death and raised with Him to walk in newness of life. Let us teach our children the blessings that are theirs, praying that they might receive them by faith and so receive that which was promised. Amen.
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Stephen 't Hart, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2024, Rev. Stephen 't Hart
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