Hi everyone,
I just had a few thoughts that I would like to share.
I wanted to mention 1 Peter 3
8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Our baptism is the answer of a good conscience toward God...our obedience, our earnest desire to serve God. It's our answer to those around us for the hope that is in us...the sanctifying of God in our hearts before men, and Him.
Colossians 2
1 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
We are free from this world, and delivered from it, because we are dead to sin...dead to our uncircumcised flesh, and made alive by Him. Since we are truly dead to sin, we are alive in Christ...spiritually. Our baptism is our burial that plunges us forward in hope to the resurrection of Christ...it is the first step in a physical new life, the hope to following Him in bodily resurrection. We identify with Him, and we let others know we are on the path that leads to life.
Infant Baptism, and Infant Dedication, are really not needed at all. We are to be fruitful and multiply, and to raise Godly seed for God...this is most important. We are to give them in service to God as Hannah did...this is true dedication. We are to give them over to His care ultimately, but it is through our faith obedience that the work is done. We are to raise children in the fear and admonition of the Lord...we are to teach them Scripture as we go about our daily walk with Christ...we are to saturate them with the love, discipline, and mercy of God...we are to pray that God saturates them with His Holy Spirit...with grace through their faith. As parents, this is our first ministry, our first mission field. Children are arrows, or should be, and the Scriptures say blessed is the man who's quiver is full of them. It is not enough to ritually dedicate them, or baptize them, and in some cases this is a false sense of security for parents...and for children. We need to be DISCIPLING them, and preparing them to receive the gift of salvation...then once they do, DISIPLING THEM MORE WITH THE AID OF THE HOLY SPIRIT to go and tell others of Christ. We are preparing them to spread the Gospel. This is what Christ did for His disciples, and didn't they progress and grow leaps and bounds once they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit!? When a child truly becomes a believer, then it will be his blessing to stand before his brothers and sisters in Christ and be baptized into the faith brotherhood...into the church of Christ...into the doctrine of Father God alone. He is obeying Christ and taking a step into the hope of the resurrection.
Sometimes we are more concerned with rituals, rather than obedience. It is a type of washing the outside of the cup, and not the inside. If we obey God's commands with hearts given over to His will, and if we do good works toward our children...reflecting Christ genuinely...then they have a good foundation to build on if they receive Christ in their lives. They also have been given the Word early. The ritual is simply empty unless it means something to the child in a sincere way.
Just some thoughts on the topic, the Lord bless.
