I used to think that baptism has no effect other than
to witness to others a confession of faith.
I lost that when I studied "household" salvation.
One case in point was the converted jailer.
He was converted upon seeing that the Lord had loosed the
believers from his watch and that they had not run.
The jailer was about to kill himself *BECAUSE* to be a Roman
guard who had lost prisoners was a situation worse than suicide.
We *KNOW* what happened to Christ.
The jailer was about to "take the easy way out" when Paul said:
Acts 16:28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying,
Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
Interestingly enough it was not just the jailer who was baptized:
Acts 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Paul says that if the jailer would believe "all his family would be saved"
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord,
and to all that were in his house.
33 And he took them the same hour of the night,
and washed their stripes; and was baptized,
he and all his, straightway.
Straighway means immediately upon listening to the Gospel.
34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set
meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with
all his house.
The idea that the promise is not just to "individuals" is foreign
to our individualistic ideology in modern America.
Noah was righteous - but God saved both he and his household - all eight souls.
Also - Lot was righteous but his whole household would have
been saved had his wife not been in rebellion to both God and Lot
his daughters however were also saved through Lot's obedience.
Many such examples are displayed of household salvation and
household baptism.
I believe in infant baptism because of these kinds of records
and promises:
Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong unto the LORD
our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us
and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
1 Corinthians 1:16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas:
besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
Household baptism - it is not reasonable to presume that
all of them had faith alike or that all were "of age" and without infants.
Acts 16:15 And when she was baptized, and her household,
she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be
faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there.
And she constrained us.
This woman says if "she" was faithful then to come to her "house"
Someone may quote a verse such as this:
Matthew 10:36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household
However - I think it is speaking not about the family being
against a man but the deep affection for one's own family
being greater than our love for Christ - that is quite different:
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not
worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than
me is not worthy of me.
"Dumping water" on the heads of unbelievers is a poor choice of words.
It conveys attitude but no spiritual facts.
When a man baptizes his child - he does so in faith.
It is not 'dumping water' - it is baptism.
It is funny that those who often deny infant baptism
have replaced it with a "dedication service" something
that has no scriptural warrant - but even those who strive
against the kingdom of God being of such infants - sense the
utter void left by destroying what Christ taught the disciples:
Mark 10:14 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.
Not every one who is baptized is saved - but neither is everyone
who confesses and then baptized are saved either.
In a effort to preserve baptism as special - they deny it having
any spiritual power or significance - how is that special?
Ironic how men end up doing what they intended not to do.
I believe the promise of salvation is not to me alone
but also to my family - not all men have this faith.
Brian |
