31. Sign and Seal 2

Last week we saw how the Lord gave two sacraments to the church: the Lord’s supper and baptism, and how both of those were signs and seals. Let’s look at both of these elements as they apply to baptism.

Baptism is a sign. As I’ve said before, signs do not point to themselves. You would think it pretty silly of me if Kathy sent me to the bakery to get some donuts, and I came home with the little sign that they stick in the donuts and gave that to her. The sign is obviously not the donut even if it has donut written on it. And yet that is precisely the mistake that some people make when they bring their children to be baptized and go home and forget about the thing that the sign pointed to thinking that the sign was all that was needed. So salvation is not in the water, but this points to the salvation that God has promised. We should not be seeing something magical happening when we apply water to children or to adults.

Well, what is it that is written in bold letters on this sign? Titus 3:5 says it points to regeneration. Acts 22:16 says it points to the cleansing from sin. Other Scriptures indicate that, just like circumcision, it points to union with Christ and death to our old life. But all of those things are really just the fine print that is summarized by the major title “The baptism of the Holy Spirit.” It is by the gift of the Holy Spirit that we are regenerated, washed, united to Christ and given the gift of faith and repentance, etc. So water baptism ultimately points to spirit baptism.

This, by the way, is why we as Presbyterians prefer to pour or to sprinkle, because this is a better figure of the baptism of the Spirit which is consistently spoken of in Acts as the Spirit coming upon people, or being poured out upon people. It was prophesied in the Old Testament as the Spirit being sprinkled upon people as clean water. Listen to how Hebrews 10:22 compares water baptism to spirit baptism when it says, “having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” So water baptism is a sign of Spirit baptism.

But Baptism is also a seal. A seal was a mark that was placed upon a document often by pressing a ring into hot wax. This authenticated the document. Often seals were used like a modern Master Card or Visa. The banker would write out the loan on a clay tablet and you would pledge yourself to pay by pressing your seal into the clay, or if paper was used, into the wax.

Well, in circumcision and in baptism God made a pledge to His people, but His people also made a pledge to Him. This is something that people many times fail to appreciate, that this sacrament is a pledge both ways. We often focus on the multitude of passages which point out that God will bless our descendants with salvation and forget to focus on the passages which point to our responsibility in the process. Let me illustrate in Abraham’s life since baptism replaced the sign of circumcision that God gave to Abraham.

Turn to Genesis 17. In that chapter God made a promise to not only Abraham, but promised to be a God to his children. In Genesis 17:7 He says, “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.” That is a bold promise, but does it just come automatically while Abraham and his seed did nothing? No. Verse 9 hints that Abraham has his duties to do before he will see this promise fulfilled. “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.” Turn over to chapter 18:19. “For I have known him, [notice that it begins with grace - Abraham could not carry out His responsibilities without that.] in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” Without Abraham’s commitment to God, he would not have seen the fulfillment of God’s promise to his children.

The first step in being good parents is to believe God’s promises. Some might wonder how the parents’ faith can have any effect upon the child. Look at Mark 2:5. In Mark 2:5, we have the story about the men who tore open a hole in the ceiling so that they could let down the paralytic to be healed by Jesus. The verse says, “And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, ‘My son, your sins are forgiven.’” Their faith was in some way instrumental in the salvation of the paralytic. How much more so the faith of parents who have many, many Scripture promises upon which they can base that faith. So in baptism, believe the promises of God.

The next step is to put that faith into action and raise them as Scripture directs us. Don’t expect them to be pagans or your lack of faith may be self-fulfilling prophecy. Parents are saying in baptism, “Yes Lord, I believe your word when it says you will be a God to my children and I will seek to raise them as a stewardship trust from You. So put your faith into action. Scripture says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

I am going to ask the two couples to come forward at this time along with the elders, and as they come forward I will read a few Scriptures upon which each of us can base our faith as we covenant together before the Lord.

Isaiah 44:3 prophecies of our period in the following words: “For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.” Isaiah 65:23 prophecies of our time as being much better then the old covenant with regards to the state of children: “They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble; for they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.” Isaiah 40:11 says, “He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young.”

Luke 18:15-16 says, “Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when His disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to Him and said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.’”

God takes such care of the children of believers that Christ said our children have angels assigned to them. He said, “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” In fact, Christ identifies so closely with our little ones that He said on one occasion, “whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.” (Matt. 18:5)

For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call. (Acts 2:39)

So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31)