I had the privilege of baptizing my nephew, Marcus Jasper Spears on Sunday.

Baptism of Marcus Jasper Spears

I’ve been reflecting a little on discipleship. Jesus commanded that the Apostles, and the church by extension of their mission, were to make disciples of all the nations – doing so by baptizing them in the Triune name, teaching them to observe all that our Savior has commanded us – knowing that He is with us always. Too often, I think, we tend to think of baptism as just the first thing we gotta do to get to the real discipleship work of teaching long obedience in the right direction. But it is far more – it places the name of God on us all. This is no small matter. It is God’s claim upon us and our children, and His call to follow Him into the world as one who is marked out as Christ’s possession. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in The Cost of Discipleship,

“Baptism…betokens a breach. Christ invades the realm of Satan, lays hand on his own, and creates for Himself His Church. By this act – past and present are rent asunder. The old order is passed away, and all things have become new. This breach is not effected by man’s tearing off his own chains through some unquenchable longing for a new life of freedom. The breach has been effected by Christ long since, and in baptism it is effected in our lives…The baptized Christian has ceased to belong to the world and is no longer its slave. He belongs to Christ alone, and his relationship to the world is mediated through Him” (pp. 256-257)

What Bonhoeffer says is no less true of our children as they are brought to the waters of baptism than with adult converts. Wholly passive in this act, sometimes tearfully screaming through it, they witness to the miracle of Christian discipleship – it is by grace alone that we are made children of God and enrolled in the ranks of the mighty hosts of Christ. And with each baptism of a child – the hosts of hell shudder in fear and defeat. For they know that the gates of hell cannot prevail against those who walk through life bearing the name of the Savior, and who, like Jesus, will conquer suffering and death by rising again and again and again throughout history to gloriously triumph over all of Christ’s enemies.

Tags: Baptism, Marcus Jasper Spears

Autumn Lynn Hayes – Baptized Christian, January 22, 2012

We live in a world that is confused about a good many things. Years ago someone came to my door from Greenpeace or some other such group seeking money to save the babies seals, or baby whales or something. I stopped them and said that I wanted to ask them a question first: Do they agree with me that abortion is wrong. Oh, no clearly not – the choice of the mother cannot be violated. It told them that we could not continue in agreement about baby animals because our moral compasses were pointing to different True Norths. Until they could see that human babies are infinitely more valuable than baby animals, we have little to say to one another.

Sadly, for some today, there is more conviction that animals have more of a right to life than unborn children. One recognized ethicist has written that,

“The right to life is grounded in the ability to plan and anticipate one’s future. [given what he says next one wonders if he can anticipate the future] This extends the concept to non-human animals, such as other apes, but since the unborn, infants and severely disabled people lack this,” he states that “abortion, painless infanticide and euthanasia can be “justified” (but are not obligatory) in certain special circumstances, for instance in the case of severely disabled infants whose life would cause suffering both to themselves and to their parents.”

It is for this and many other reasons that we at RCC have set aside today as Anti-Abortion Sunday, to stand before the Lord in opposition to the disgraceful and abhorrent sin of abortion, calling upon Him to bring this horric practice to an end.

While its important to hate and actively oppose the sin of abortion, even more we must lovingly celebrate the children given to us, and raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord Jesus. And so with Christians all over our land, we also acknowledge what has been called the Sanctity of Humna Life Sunday. What more fitting way to do so than to welcome Autumn Hayes into the church of Jesus Christ through the waters of baptism – for the Apostle Paul declared that the children of believers are to be numbered with the holy, the sanctified people of God (1 Cor. 714).

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Autumn Lynn, Baptism, RCC

Understanding and Owning Christian Theology

Week 10 (Oct 9): Christian Baptism – Why It Matters

The Sunday School Class was recorded and can be heard here: Christian Baptism – Why It Matters

What is Baptism? Why do we baptize?

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Baptism, Bible Classes, Covenant, Infant Baptism, Paedo-baptism, Paedofaith, RCC, Reformation Covenant Church, Sunday School, The Westminster Confession of Faith

Grandfather Hayes Baptizing Amara

The Sacrament Of Baptism

It’s a great privilege for me to baptized Amara this morning – My first grandbaby, daughter of my firstborn child, here with my parents. There are four generations of Hayes’ in this room, in addition to the almost innumerable families connected to the Shubins – and it reminds us of the faithfulness of God to His covenant promise to be our God and the God of our descendents. When God gave Abraham the sign of the covenant, circumcision, He said, (Gen. 17:7) “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.” In Christ, we are the children of Abraham, and the new new Israel of God. When people asked on the day of Pentecost what they should do in response the Gospel preached to them, the Apostle Peter said to them, Acts 2:38-39 “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

The baptism of our children is a testimony that God our Father loves us so much that He brings our children into His family with us. They belong, with us who believe, to the membership of the church through the covenant made in Christ and confirmed to us by God in this sacrament which is a sign and seal of our cleansing, our engrafting into Christ and of our welcome into the household of God.  Our Lord Jesus said (Mk. 10:14-16) “Let the little children to come to Me and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of Heaven. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter therein.  And He took them up in His arms and put His hands upon them and blessed them.” The Apostle Paul also declared that the children of believers are to be numbered with the holy people of God.

In presenting your child for baptism do you confess your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord and do you promise, in dependence on the grace of God, to bring up your child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?

Let us pray.

Most merciful and loving Father we thank You for the Church of Your dear Son, the ministry of Your Word, and the sacraments of grace.  We praise You that You have given us so great and gracious promises concerning our children and that in mercy You call them to Yourself, marking them with this sacrament as a singular token and pledge of Thy love.  We pray that what we now do on earth may be confirmed in heaven.  As in humble faith we present this child to You, we ask You to receive her, to indue her with Your Holy Spirit and to keep her ever as Your own, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

What is the Christian name of this child? Amara Zion Hayes

Amara – Means “Eternally Beautiful” – Zion, or course is the City of God

The Bible tells us that Zion is the beautiful city of God – the place where His people gather to Him in song, praise and worship – the place to which the nations come from all the nations to learn the Truth of God. Hebrews tells us that each Lord’s Day we come Mount Zion and the city of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem  – May the life and testimony of Amara Zion Hayes be a reflection of the beauty and glory of God in His Church.

Amara Zion Hayes, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. And may the blessing of God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit descend upon you and rest upon you, now and forevermore.      Amen.

This child is now received into Christ’s kingdom, and do you, the people of this congregation, in receiving this child, promise with God’s help to be her sponsors to the end that she may confess Christ as Lord and Saviour and come at last into His eternal Kingdom.  If so answer, “Amen.” (Congregation responds ” Amen.”)   Jesus said “Whosoever shall receive one such little child in My Name, receives Me.”

Let us pray.

Almighty and everlasting God, who of Your infinite mercy and goodness has promised that You will not only be our God, but also the God and Father of our children, we humbly ask You for this child, that Your Spirit may be upon her and dwell in her forever. Take her, we entreat You unto Your fatherly care and protection.  Guide her and sanctify her, both in body and in soul. Grant her to grow in wisdom as in stature, in favor with God and men.  Abundantly enrich her with Your heavenly grace.  Bring her safely through the perils of childhood.  Deliver her from the temptations of youth and lead her to witness a good confession and to persevere therein to the end.  O God, our Father, give unto Your servants in whom You has committed this blessed trust the assurance of Your unfailing providence and care.  Guide them with Your counsel as they teach and train their children.  Help them to lead their household into an ever increasing knowledge of Christ and in a more steadfast obedience to His will.  We commend to Your fatherly care the children and families of this congregation.  Help us in our homes to honor You and by love to serve one another, and to Your name be all blessing and glory through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Amen.

Grandfather, David, Kathy and Amara

Tags: Amara, Baptism