Pastor's Corner - Infant Baptism

Dear Friends,
This Sunday we have the joy and privilege to witness an infant baptism. We celebrate baptism as one of the wonderful sacraments that the Lord Jesus Christ gave to His church. This baptism will be an infant and covenantal baptism which begs the question, "Why do we baptize infants?"
This is certainly a question that I wrestled with for years and did not understand. Then one day I was introduced to Covenant Theology and my life was changed forever. Covenant Theology teaches us that God is a God who makes promises to His people and He does so through covenants. This theme of the covenant is traced through the Bible and culminates in Jesus fulfilling the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace on our behalf. Baptism is a sign and seal of this covenant. We believe, as a New Testament, Protestant and Reformed church, that baptism has replaced the covenant sign of circumcision.
At Cornerstone, we baptize infant children of believers as a sign of their inclusion in God’s covenant, with all the rights and privileges that are part of it. The children of believers were included as recipients of the sign of the covenant when it was first given to Abraham (cf. Gen. 17:7-10). We believe that God continues to deal with covenant families in the same way in the New Testament era (cf. Acts 2:39; Col. 2:11-12; I Cor. 7:12-14). Since baptism and circumcision are parallel, their application is also parallel. Adult believers and their children are to be baptized. The promise continued for believing adults and their children (Acts 2:39), therefore the sign of the promise continues for the same.
In light of this, it’s helpful to understand that: We do NOT believe that baptism saves the child (no more than it does an adult). We are saved only by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit (by grace through faith in Christ). In fact, we believe that children must eventually profess faith in Christ personally, at which time all the benefits signified and sealed in baptism become theirs. When these children make a public profession of faith, they are admitted to the Lord’s Table by the Session and become communing members of the church.
Here are two very good resources that I recommend to parents considering baptizing their children. This doctrine is important for all the church. Please take some time to study these things.
See you Sunday!
By His grace and to His praise, your pastor,

Wilson

Worship Notes: November 8, 2015
  • Hosea 13 is our sermon text this week. Israel must learn: "But I am the LORD your God from the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and besides me there is no savior." (Hosea 13:4 ESV)
  • In preparation for the sermon:  "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23 ESV)
  • A hymn for the week: Praise to the LORD, the Almighty! 
  • Click here for this week's bulletin.
  • We are podcasting! Catch up on sermons on iTunes.

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