It rained for forty days and forty nights. It wasn’t just the rain that fell from the sky, the springs of the deep erupted and the waters rose until they covered the peaks of the mountain tops. For one year the earth was covered with water. Peter writes that the same water that destroyed the surface of the earth is the same water that now saves you also! Peter is so clear – the syntax of the Greek is clearer – water saves. Peter is, of course, talking about the sacrament of Baptism.
It could be argued that here is no more attacked doctrine from within and without the church as is Baptism. Last week we compared God’s means of grace to a pipe where God funnels his grace to us. Last week we looked at his Word. This week we considered the second pipe – Baptism. Next week we’ll examine the Lord’s Supper.
There are many objections to God’s idea of Baptism – infant or otherwise. Many of those objections focus around it making sense. This is ironic because most of when we believe about our God is beyond our understanding. The problem these and other arguments is that they ignore the clear word of God. Want to read more? Remember the 3’s: 1 Peter 3, Titus 3, John 3, and Galatians 3. All of these are clear passages of Scripture that talked about God’s grace in Baptism. Looking at the Galatians passage, Paul lays out how we are in God’s family through faith. How did that happen? In Baptism!
I have had very well meaning people ask if could dedicate their child to God. I could do that, but why would I pledge what I would do for God when God wants to give me something very powerful in Baptism? The question isn’t should we baptize? All nations in Mathew 28 means all nations – including the youngest of those nations. The question is why shouldn’t we baptize? All nations, including infants, are born sinful. All nations need to hear about their Savior. When faith is given it something that God does, not something that I or anyone else does.
God does not call us to understand him, to parse his words. He called us to trust him and take him at his word with all things including his gifts, his means of grace. May we cherish God’s gift of Baptism. To hear much more on the topic please listen to the sermon below and the Bible study that followed out worship.
Topic(s): MinistryBook(s): 1 Peter
Series: Ref500
Tag(s): Baptism
Speaker(s): Fred Guldberg