The Promise Is For Your Children

”The Promise Is for Your Children” (Acts 2:38- 39)

Introduction: This morning the Lord has granted to us the privilege of receiving into the New Testament covenant community two children by way of baptism. It is always a joyful occasion when the Lord adds His blessing to our individual families by granting them children. But it is also a blessing to His church for we all rejoice together with one another as the body of Christ for His blessings bestowed on any one part of that body. And we especially rejoice when we see those infants receiving the covenant sign of baptism, which, although it does not save them, yet it seals to them the promises of God, and may become, with God’s blessing, a means to their salvation. This morning, we will look specifically at baptism, what it is, and who the Bible says are to be the recipients. In Acts 2, we read of the events of Pentecost, when the Lord Jesus poured out upon His church the promised blessing of the Spirit. In response to the events of that day, many of the Jews gathered to hear what the apostle Peter had to say concerning them. Peter drew upon Old Testament prophecies to explain what was then happening, who this Jesus was who had walked among them for three years, and then how Jesus was exalted after His ascension. He said, ”THEREFORE LET ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT GOD HAS MADE HIM BOTH LORD AND CHRIST--THIS JESUS WHOM YOU CRUCIFIED” ( 2 : 3 6 ) . When they heard this, they were pierced through with conviction, and cried out, ”BRETHREN, WHAT SHALL WE DO?” (v. 3 7 ) . Peter responded, ”REPENT, AND LET EACH OF YOU BE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SINS; AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT” (v. 3 8 ) . He told them to turn from their sins of having crucified the Lord of glory, and from all of their sins which are an affront to the holy God, and to turn unto Jesus in faith. Faith and repentance are simultaneous acts: Repentance the turning from sin, and faith the turning towards Christ. But there was yet more that they must do. They must be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. This does not mean that baptism washes away their sins, as some churches teach, but that baptism signifies the washing away of sins, it symbolizes that which is promised to all who will embrace the Lord Jesus Christ by faith. In reality, it is accomplished by the Spirit as He applies the merits of Christ to them, as He unites them to Christ, and all that is Christ’s becomes their’s. But next, the verse goes on to tell us to whom this promise pertains, namely, ”FOR THE PROMISE IS FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN, AND FOR ALL WHO ARE FAR OFF, AS MANY AS THE LORD OUR GOD SHALL CALL TO HIMSELF” (v. 3 9 ) . This promise of the cleansing of sin is not only for those who heard the words of Peter and responded to them, but also for their children. And yet, now the promise of the Gospel is not only for the Jewish people and their descendants, as it had been under the Old Covenant, but now it is going to be sent to the furthest parts of the earth, going out to every nation, tribe, tongue and kindred, to ”AS MANY AS THE LORD OUR GOD SHALL CALL TO HIMSELF.” What we will want to look at in this passage this morning is specifically what baptism is, and to whom it is to be administered. And what I want you to see is,

2

Baptism is the sign and seal of the blessings of God’s covenant grace, and it is to be administered to all professing Christians along with their children. For the sake of those visiting with us this morning who may have a different view of baptism, I can only ask that you try and follow the biblical reasoning presented, and at least try to understand why your Christian brethren believe that infant baptism is mandated by Scripture.

I.

First, I Want You to See What Baptism Is, the Sign and Seal of God’s Covenant Grace, and of Inclusion in the New Covenant. ”LET EACH OF YOU BE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SINS, AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.” A. In the Old Covenant, God Gave to the People of Israel Circumcision as the Sign and Seal of His Covenant Grace. 1 . It was given as the sign of the covenant. a. The Lord said to Abraham, in Genesis 17:10, 11, ”THIS IS MY COVENANT, WHICH YOU SHALL KEEP, BETWEEN ME AND YOU AND YOUR DESCENDANTS AFTER YOU: EVERY MALE AMONG YOU SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED. AND YOU SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED IN THE FLESH OF YOUR FORESKIN; AND IT SHALL BE THE SIGN OF THE COVENANT BETWEEN ME AND YOU. b. A sign points to something, and what circumcision was pointing to was the spiritual reality of the circumcision of the heart, or the new birth. Moses told the people of Israel, ”MOREOVER, THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL CIRCUMCISE YOUR HEART AND THE HEART OF YOUR DESCENDANTS, TO LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, IN ORDER THAT YOU MAY LIVE” (Deu. 30:6). c. The purpose of the sign is visibly to point to the invisible realities of the grace promised by God. d. God gives to us things we may see to strengthen our faith in the things we cannot see. 2.

B.

Circumcision was also the seal of the covenant. a. We are told by Paul in Romans 4:11> concerning Abraham, ”AND HE RECEIVED THE SIGN OF CIRCUMCISION, A SEAL OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE FAITH WHICH HE HAD WHILE UNCIRCUMCISED.” b. Circumcision was not only a sign of the invisible grace of God, but it was also a seal of that grace. c. A seal guarantees to its recipient the earnestness on the part of the one who seals to give what is promised if the requirement is met. d. It is like the act of a king, who, desiring to show his commitment to some matter, writes a document and seals it with his signet ring, thus putting upon it his guarantee. e. Circumcision guaranteed the giving of the invisible grace of God to circumcise their hearts if they would repent and believe.

In the New Covenant, Baptism Replaces Circumcision as the

3

Sign and Seal of God’s Covenant. 1 . It is plain in Scripture that we are no longer to circumcise those who profess the true faith. a. To circumcise would be to turn back again to the Old Covenant, back to the shadows which had been fulfilled in Christ. b. In Christ, all of God’s gracious covenants made with the Jewish church have been fulfilled. We are not therefore, as the author to the Hebrews warned, to turn back to the things that were merely types and shadows of the reality. 2.

Rather, in the New Testament, when the reality appears, the Lord Jesus gives to us the covenant sign of baptism to replace that of circumcision. a. The Lord Jesus gave to His disciples the command to baptize all who profess the true religion. ”GO THEREFORE AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL THE NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT” (Matt. 28:19). b. In the New Testament, we learn that baptism signifies the same thing that circumcision did, only now in a non-bloody manner. (i) Before the shedding of Christ’s blood, the new birth was signified by circumcision, a bloody sign which signified the circumcision of the heart . (ii) But now He gives to us baptism which signifies the same thing, the washing away of guilt and the pollution of sin, which is the new heart, but without any blood being shed. (iii) A s Paul says to Titus, ”HE SAVED US . . . ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY, BY THE WASHING OF REGENERATION AND RENEWING BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHOM HE POURED OUT UPON us RICHLY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOR” (3:5-6). Paul, in the New Testament, links the two together, showing that they signify the same thing and function the same way, ”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; HAVING BEEN BURIED WITH HIM IN BAPTISM” (Col. 2: 11-12). d. That which circumcision is pointing to. is here said to be fulfilled when that which baptism points to is fulfilled as well. e. And so we see that baptism replaces circumcision in the New Covenant as a sign and seal of God’s covenant. C.

II.

Secondly, I Want You to See Who It Is That Is to Receive the Covenant Sign of Baptism. ”FOR THE PROMISE IS FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN, AND FOR ALL WHO ARE FAR OFF, AS MANY AS THE LORD OUR GOD SHALL CALL TO HIMSELF.” A. Historically, God Has Always Dealt With Families, Rather

4

than Individuals, to Give to Them His Mercies or His Curses. 1 . God dealt with families in the days before the Flood. a. In the first family of Adam and Eve, God obviously had dealings with all of the children. God blessed the line of Seth, through which Abraham came, and He cursed the line of Cain. b. When Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord, he alone was not saved from the flood, but he, his wife, his children, and their wives (Gen. 6-8). 2. God dealt with families in the days of the Patriarchs. a. God blessed not only Abraham, but his seed, "AND I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT BETWEEN ME AND YOU AND YOUR DESCENDANTS AFTER YOU THROUGHOUT THEIR GENERATIONS FOR AN EVERLASTING COVENANT, TO BE Gon TO YOU AND TO YOUR DESCENDANTS AFTER YOU" (Gen. 17:7). b. When the Lord was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, He first sent to get Lot, but not only Lot, also his wife, his daughters, and his daughters fiances. 3.

B.

And He dealt with families in the Mosaic Covenant. a. He took the whole line of Levi to minister to Him in the tabernacle and Temple. b. He took all the males of the household of Aaron to be priests before Him continually. C. When Korah, Dathan and Abiram sought to intrude into the priestly office, they brought down the curse of God not only on themselves, but also on their entire family, including their wives, their sons, and their little ones, and all that belonged to them (Num. 16:27, 31-33). d. When Achan stole the valuables from Jericho which were under the ban, he not only lost his life, but also his wife and children were destroyed. e. When Israel was taken into exile for their sins, all the people went, the guilty and the non-guilty. f. God has always dealt with entire families in history. When blessing came to the household, all the members were blessed. But when cursing came, all the members suffered. g. And so when Abraham believed and received the covenant sign of circumcision, all of his household, all who were under his authority, were circumcised as well, all received the sign of the covenant showing that they were included in it, "THIS IS MY COVENANT, WHICH YOU SHALL KEEP, BETWEEN ME AND YOU AND YOUR DESCENDANTS AFTER YOU: EVERY MALE AMONG YOU SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED (Gen. 17:1 0 ) .

Now, If God Was To Suddenly Change His Established Practice Surely He Would Give Some Revelation to that Effect. But Since There Is No Evidence of a Change, but rather Evidence Which Strongly Suggests God's Continuing Practice of Dealing with Families, All in the Household Should Be Baptized. 1 . The fact that there is silence in the New Testament with regard to the baptism of infants actually argues for the continuance of including them.

5

a. Since it is God’s established practice of including the children of believers in His gracious dealing all throughout history, to suddenly cut them off would be a tremendous change and shock to His people. b. Do you mean that with the coming of an even greater revelation of the grace of God, in that it includes now all the nations, that my children are now excluded from the covenant? Where does He say in Scripture that my children are now outside the covenant when He has included them for so long? Would you expect that to happen in an age of even greater graciousness? c. But the fact is that the early church and the church throughout the ages, up until about the time of the Reformation, baptized their children without raising any questions. It was simply accepted that infants were included in the covenant people of God and as such ought to be baptized. d. And so the silence of the New Testament on the issue of infant baptism, far from arguing against the practice, actually strengthens it.

2.

But Scripture does in fact give to us strong evidence that God still deals with whole households. a. The promises, which are signified and sealed in baptism, are given to the infants as well as to the professing adult. Our passage tells us the promised blessings of the covenant are FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN.” Not just for the one professing Christianity, but for their children as well. b. When the Old Covenant people of God were bringing Jesus their children that He might bless them, the disciples tried to hinder them. But Jesus said, ”PERMIT THE CHILDREN TO COME TO ME, AND DO NOT HINDER THEM, FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD BELONGS TO SUCH AS THESE” (Luke 1 8 : 1 6 ) . Jesus said the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these, even though Luke tells us that they were infants. c. The children of professing Christians are called holy in the Scripture. ”FOR THE UNBELIEVING HUSBAND IS SANCTIFIED THROUGH HIS WIFE, AND THE UNBELIEVING WIFE IS SANCTIFIED THROUGH HER BELIEVING HUSBAND; FOR OTHERWISE YOUR CHILDREN ARE UNCLEAN, BUT NOW THEY ARE HOLY” ( 1 Cor. 7:14). In what sense are they holy? Does this mean that they are sanctified and saved by the blood of Christ? No. The root idea of holiness is that of separation. They are separated from the world, but in what sense? It most naturally means that they are separated from the world to Him by inclusion in H i s covenant. Don’t forget that this does not guarantee their salvation, for in the covenant community there are both wheat and tares, there are God’s elect and those who are reprobate.

6

d. Lastly, there are many references to household baptisms in Scripture, which is what we would expect to find if the principle which applied to circumcision also applies to baptism. (i) The household of Cornelius, Lydia, the Philippian jailer, Crispus, and Stephanas are all mentioned among the household baptisms. (ii) The Scriptures do not indicate that in each of these cases every member of the household believed, but it does indicate that the whole household was baptized. (iii) As a matter of fact, a very careful study of the word ”household” in the Greek, has brought out the fact that it has particular reference to houses with infants. (iv) And this is exactly what we would expect to find with the continuance of God’s dealings with whole families rather than with individuals. e. Our conviction, therefore, is that not only professing adults, but their children as well, are to receive the sign of baptism. And even as the neglect of it in the Old Covenant was very sinful, so that it issued in their being cut off from the covenant, so also its neglect in the New Testament is a serious sin.

III.

Lastly, I Want You to See What Baptism Calls You To as the Recipient of It, and What It Calls Covenant Parents to Who Have Their Children Baptized. A. Baptism Summons You to Be Faithful to the Covenant. 1 . The sign of circumcision had two meanings. a. On the one hand, it signified the making of the heart of stone into flesh, through the work of God’s Spirit in quickening them to life. This was the promised blessing of the covenant which was received by faith in the coming Messiah. b. But on the other hand, it signified the cutting off from the covenant of those who were disobedient to it. This was the promised curse for those who would not repent and believe. 2.

Baptism signifies the same as well. a. It signifies and seals the blessings of union with Christ, forgiveness of sins and the cleansing from the pollution of sin, for those who meet the requirements of faith and repentance. b. But it also signifies the covenant curse of God in being cut off by drowning if you do not receive the mercy of God as it is offered to you in the Gospel. C. And so the Lord calls you who have received the the covenant sign of baptism to examine your hearts to see whether or not you have been faithful to the obligations of the covenant. d. Are you walking in daily faith and repentance from sins? e. Does your life demonstrate that the reigning power of sin has been broken in your life? Are you set

7

free from sinful practices? Does Christ reign in your heart and life, and is He the One that your heart beats for? Is pleasing Him the most important thing in your life? g. And you who are the children of the covenant, do you see the work of the Spirit of God in your own hearts? Have you told God that you are a sinner, and called upon Christ to save you? Are you turning from your sins, and following Him? This is what your baptism engaged you to do. h. Baptism does not save you. If you become covenant breakers, then you will suffer even more than those who were never baptized, because you will have sinned against even greater light. i. And so examine your heart and see if the invisible realities which are signified by baptism are really yours, and renew your obedience to the covenant of God. f.

B.

Baptism Summons You Who Are Parents to the Faithful Raising of Your Children in the Fear and Admonition of the Lord. 1 . You must never forget that you are bringing children into the world who are born dead in trespass and sin. a. Everyone born in the line of Adam through normal conception and birth are born dead to God. b. Paul wrote, ”THROUGH ONE TRANSGRESSION THERE RESULTED CONDEMNATION TO ALL MEN,” and ”THROUGH THE ONE MAN’S DISOBEDIENCE THE MANY WERE MADE SINNERS” (Rom. 5:18, 19). 2.

But even though every child is born dead in sin, it is not therefore sinful for you to have children. But since you have brought them into the world, shouldn’t you do everything that God has put within your power to save them. a. Shouldn’t you be committed to family worship, so that your children will hear the Word read, explained, and applied to them; so that they will hear you crying out to God in faith and repentance for yourselves and crying out to God for their sakes; and so that they will learn the songs of Zion, the psalms of praise, as well as evangelical hymns which extol the work of the Messiah? b. Shouldn’t you as well never cease bombarding the throne of God in your own private prayers, never giving heaven a moments rest until you see the work of God’s Spirit in your children, renewing their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus? C. Shouldn’t you be as faithful as possible in attending the Sunday School classes and Worship services with your children, making sure that they are profiting as much as possible by your interaction with them in the things they have learned from the teaching and from the sermon? d. And shouldn’t you do everything that is in your power to remove the stumbling block from your children of your own sinful behavior, and seek to model a life of real faith and obedience, and not just a Sunday Christianity? e. Children can soon tell the difference between sincerity and hypocrisy. If they don’t see you living for Christ,

8

they will not be compelled to do so either. But 0 what a powerful thing a godly example would be to them if they were to see you crying out to God day and night and living daily for Him, not like the world. g. And 0 how powerful would the means of grace be if we exercised them for ourselves and for our children, to give us the strength to live for Him. h. And even if they are raised and out of the house and on their own, and have not yet come to Jesus in faith and repentance, how powerful would be the continued prayer and pleading with them to turn unto Christ. Remember that outside of Him, they will surely perish. i. People of God, the Lord calls you this morning through your baptism to renewed faithfulness toward Him, and repentance from your sins. It is a sign of your engagement to God, to serve and love Him with all your might in this life. And so continue to believe in Christ, to serve Him with all your might, to cleanse yourselves from the pollution of your sins, and to teach your children to do likewise. Trust in Christ for the grace to do it, and He will surely supply. Amen. f.