The Sacrament of Covenant Baptism
by Stanley D. Gale
What is baptism?
Baptism is sign and seal of belonging to God's covenant community, His visible church.
It involves the application of water in the name of the triune God, marking the
recipient out as special in God's sight.
What is the covenant?
The covenant is the name of the relationship God has entered into with a people.
"Covenant" is used to describe this relationship in both the Old Testament period
and the New Testament period.
What does baptism have to do with the covenant?
There were two sacraments established by God related specifically to the covenant:
a sacrament of initiation and a sacrament of continuation. The sacrament of initiation
under the old covenant was circumcision and under the new covenant is water baptism.
The sacrament of continuation was the Passover under the old and the Lord's Supper
under the new. These covenant signs and seals have always been part of the expression
of God's covenant relationship.
To what does baptism point?
Baptism is a sign of God's promises of eternal life and blessing found in Jesus
Christ that are to be received by faith. Often it is misunderstood that what is
pointed to in a person's baptism is his or her personal faith in Christ. It is said
to be "an outward sign of an inward change." In this view the person's (subjective)
faith is at issue. But, in the context of God's covenant, the issue is something
objective—God's promise. So, baptism, as was circumcision, is actually an outward
sign expressing the reality of God's promise.
Who is to receive the sign of covenant initiation?
Those who aligned themselves with the people of God and the children of those who
were part of God's covenant family were to receive the sign. Or, to put it differently,
the sign is for believers and their children.
Why are children set apart for the sign of covenant initiation?
God has always dealt with families and so the children of at least one believing
parent are regarded differently from the children of unbelieving households. This
sign was a pointed reminder of the need for the same cleansing from sin for the
child that the parent had already received by virtue of faith in God's Savior. In
Acts 2, Peter applies the same promises to new covenant believers as were given
to old covenant believers in Genesis, both regarding families.
Does the sign save the child or indicate the baby is saved?
No, the sign points to the promises of God that are to be received by faith. If,
by God's grace, the child grows up to believe, baptism becomes a sign of blessing
of the promises of salvation found in Jesus Christ. Unbelief is a rejection of those
promises. While it is the teaching of some that water baptism saves from sin, actually
working a new nature in the recipient, this is a grave error. Many people have a
false confidence in the fact that they were baptized, when in fact they are called
to trust in Christ alone for salvation.
Did the covenant signs change with the new covenant?
Yes, they became fuller. The covenant sign was broadened from circumcision to water
baptism to encompass females as well as males. Now the signs are unbloody rather
than bloody in the case of both sacraments. But certainly God has not left His church
without a sign of covenant initiation for children under the new covenant. That
would be totally contrary God's design of His covenant.
Why should I baptize my baby?
Certainly not because of superstition or tradition or some idea that it in any way
saves your child, but only out of concern for God's design and submission to God's
command to give your children the sign of covenant initiation. Water baptism is
not necessary for salvation, but it is necessary for obedience to our covenant Lord.
Is dedication of babies acceptable instead of baptizing them?
Dedication is not found in the Bible. It is the invention of man to fill the void
created by neglect of God's sacrament of covenant initiation of children born into
Christian homes.
Why sprinkle water instead of immerse in it?
The key factor is the water, as a symbol of the need of God's cleansing grace realized
in Jesus Christ. Sprinkling was the method of ceremonial cleansing and the sign
of the coming of the Spirit in the new covenant.
Selected Bible passages for study
Gen. 17:9-12;
Ex. 12:47-48;
Mt. 28:19;
Acts 2:38-39;
Acts 16:31-34;
Rom. 2:28-29;
Rom. 4:9-13;
Gal. 3:17;
Col. 2:11-12
Mode:
Num. 8:7;
Heb. 9:10-14;
1 Pet. 1:2;
Ezek. 36:25;
Acts 2:1-3.