As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter.
Mark 10:15
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
That verse is one which is misunderstood in Baptism, for Christ does not mean a child in years, but Christ is speaking about everyone must come to Christ with a childlike Faith, a trust which does not require proofs, but a belief that transcends to that leap of Faith, to enter into Eternal Life.
"Dearest Jesus, We Are Here"
by Benjamin Schmolck, 1672-1737
Translated by Catherine Winkworth, 1829-1878 1.
Dearest Jesus, we are here,
Gladly Thy command obeying;
With this child we now draw near
In accord with Thine own saying
That to Thee it shall be given
Martin Luther actually touches on Baptism of children in the first part of the examination of Baptism, but in this it is expanded here, because there is always controversy in religions. Some say Baptize children as why take the chance if they might die. Others say, how can an infant believe, as they can not hear.
The answer though is given in the Bible, and while Luther uses the following Bible verse to point to children should be Baptized, by God's Grace the legal reality will be provided here and not just naming the head of a household or adults.
Mark 10
13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
In the Old Testament in the Covenant in which circumcision was established by God through Abraham, the reality is that once Abraham cut off his own foreskin, he as head of his household and troop, had absolute authority to circumcise all the males in his group.
The same Authority in Baptism and Responsibility resides in all parents or guardians over children. You have heard, you believe, and they are in your care. You do not ask them if they want their diaper changed, or if they want a blanket. You just do it as you are the adult. It is the same situation with Baptism. The head of the family has the infant Baptized. You then are responsible to discipline and teach that child about God and the Gospel, so the rich rewards of the Holy Ghost invited into the soul, will become established and guide and comfort the child.
There is far too much of this theologian nattering in religion of people pretending they have some vast new insight,which causes division in a Church and Faith, when all they are is exposed as fools, and those with them, as the answer has always been in the Bible, and if these groups would have simply been humble and followed the guidance of the Great Reformer in Martin Luther who God raised up, instead of daring to tempt the Faith of the ignorant, all of this would not have ever been a situation of division or derision. That is the work of satan.
Genesis 17Baptism is a reality that the human we were before no longer exists, and we arise each day in the new growth as a Spiritual offspring of the Father through Jesus Christ His Son and the Holy Ghost Who creates in us One.
23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.
Fourth
What does such baptizing with water indicate?
It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
Where is this written?
St. Paul writes in Romans chapter six: “We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Rom. 6:4)
This is where the Old and New Testament meet in Baptism. The Law and the Gospel. For the Law convicts us to the penalty of death, to move us to repent, but in Baptism the Law becomes the guide in which we discipline ourselves each moment, so to not injure or destroy the work of the Holy Ghost in us, as we transform to the Spiritual offspring of the Living God.
The Law in Baptism no longer condemns us, but the Law is a lamp unto our feet, in guiding us to the path of Life.
Ephesians 4:22
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
We have been crucified with Christ in our bodies. The penalty of spiritual death has been paid, and with Him, we have already risen to eternal Life in the contract of Baptism for that peculiar work of the Holy Ghost has transformed us to the Spiritual children of God.
Galatians 5:24
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
We are renewed daily in Baptism and Spirit. We prepare daily for the eternal time, when in Spirit, and a new body without aging, will live in the family of God forever. That is the eternal Baptism we have been born into, in those who choose to accept Christ as their Savior on His Lawful Terms.
II Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
By the Law, we are established not in being convicted or condemned, but through Baptism that Law sets up apart in true holiness, away from the world of self indulgence which the Christian rejects, and in Faith are made righteous or in the right standing with God.
Ephesian 4:24
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Many times we hear of the two edged sword. The Law is what too man fear as they know their failings, but in Baptism the Law no longer has the power to sentence to death, because through Christ and working to obey those statutes, the Law justifies us in Faith as the Law justified Christ who kept the Law perfectly.
The Law in Baptism no longer is an executioners sword, but the Sword of Christ our Protector, for as Spiritual children we are perfect in the Law. That does not mean a license to sin, as there is no Redemption for such corrupting of the Gospel as deliberate abuse of the Forgiveness of Christ is sin, but it means that every Christian Faithful unto death or the Lord Christ's return, is by self discipline to not sin, is proving to God by acts, that we are His Faithful children, born of the Spirit by the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.
Nuff Said
agtG
