Romeo is my grandson. Born on May 22 of this year, he is a little guy, yet he has had a big influence on many lives. He is perfect in every way. Everyone who sees him, or hears about him, cannot help but smile. Last Sunday, Romeo had a big day. He was baptized at the Church of the Lakes in Canton, Ohio. Both sides of his family were well represented. His baptism remind us of the significance of baptism. I wrote this blog in Romeo’s honor to remind you of the significance of baptism. Chinese Christian Watchman Nee (1903-1972) once said, “Baptism is an outward expression of an inward faith.” That leads us to our scripture reading.
We find ourselves in the sixteenth chapter of Acts, verses eleven through sixteen. Paul, Silas, and Timothy are in Philippi. That community was a Roman colony, so it was the perfect place for former Roman authorities and soldiers to retire. However, the Jewish population was small. Without an organized synagogue (twelve Jewish males were required to organize a synagogue), Paul’s small group goes outside of the city gates to pray. It is while they are there that they meet a woman by the name of Lydia. She was a foreigner herself, from the city of Thyatira. Verse fourteen tells us she was a worshiper of God. What does that mean? That means she believed in both the Jewish understanding of God and the Jewish moral code of the scriptures. However, she had not yet converted to Judaism. That conversion never happened because on that day she accepted Jesus and was baptized into the faith. The story does not end there. Verse fifteen says she and her entire household were baptized that day. Who exactly was baptized on that day? There was Lydia, herself, her husband, their children, and some believe, their slaves. Everyone was baptized because of the influence of one person.
Do you understand why baptism is so important? It is important that you know I am a United Methodist by choice and not by birth. I was raised in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). That means I was immersed at my baptism, not sprinkled. I was baptized at twelve years old. I never saw an infant baptism until I officiated at one. However, I believe in infant baptism because your baptism welcomes you into the life of the church from the very beginning. Never underestimate the power of Christian influence.
The early church understood the importance of baptism. It is older than the faith itself. Baptism was not created by the early church, but it was redefined by the early church. Baptism began with God’s Chosen People. Never forget, the Jews are both a race and a faith. Some were born into the faith. Other non-Jews or Gentiles were baptized into the Jewish faith. The symbolism was clear. The individual was held under the water to symbolize a washing. It was like taking your Saturday night bath. They were washing away the sins of their old life and starting over again fresh and new. That form of baptism is called sinner’s baptism.
That was the baptism that John the Baptist offered. Many left the city and went into the wilderness to be baptized by John. Everyone was encouraged to be baptized because everyone had sinned. Then, Jesus came and threw a curve ball. The early church wanted to be like Jesus, so they baptized new converts. At first, baptisms only took place on Easter morning. Men baptized men and women baptized women because the person being baptized was in their birthday suit. The symbolism changed. When they were held under the water they were dying with Christ. When they were pulled out of the water they were being resurrected with Christ. We call that form of baptism “immersion” or believer’s baptism. Baptists are still baptized by immersion.
Everyone would have been immersed if it wasn’t for the Dark Ages. For it was during that horrible time baptism changed. You know it is true. Moms and dads have always loved their children. Parents have always wanted to see their children go to heaven. During the Dark Ages the infant mortality rate was high. Parents were afraid their children wouldn’t make it into heaven without baptism, so they ran their newborns to the church to be baptized, just in case the unthinkable happened. It is for this reason most the western church practices infant baptism.
In infant baptism two things happen. First, there is a spiritual side of baptism. The original sin of Adam is washed away. Within each newborn is a flaw that leads them to sin. Each person was born with that flaw. Spiritually speaking, I have never met a perfect person, you are not perfect. Second, there is a practical side of baptism. Children are not born into isolation. They are born into communities. Part of that community is family. Part of that community is the church. The goal of infant baptism is salvation. We are promising to influence the child toward Jesus, our only hope of salvation. We want the child to wade into the faith gently.
In my time in the ministry, I baptized both adults and infants. I have immersed and sprinkled. Baptizing an adult is humbling because you can see the Holy Spirit has been working in them. Baptizing an infant is exciting because multiple generations are involved. As a United Methodist, infant baptism is my norm, so I want to take some time in the blog and examine infant baptism. I will do by looking at the ritual offered in the United Methodist Book of Worship and by looking at three words.
The first word is faith. One of the great stories in the Bible is Jesus’s baptism. John is in the wilderness baptizing people in the Jordan. There must have been a sea of sinful faces, which is why the one sinless face stuck out. It was the face of his perfect cousin, Jesus. John believed in Jesus from the very beginning. It is for this reason he was uncomfortable baptizing Jesus. Why would a sinless person need a sinner’s baptism? Yet, Jesus is determined to be baptized. When Jesus is baptized, something wonderful happens. God, Himself, suddenly appears. God says in Matthew 3:17, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” In other words, God was endorsing Jesus as the Messiah. For the Jews, it meant the waiting was over. The Messiah had finally arrived. To us, it means more. It means that Jesus was the most unique life who ever lived. He was the very incarnation of God, the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. Baptism reminds us that Christianity is the one true faith! Baptism is a witness. We are telling the world that Jesus is our only hope of salvation. Moses and Buddha were fine people, but they were not the son of God. They are both dead, but Jesus is alive. That takes us to the second word.
The second word is family. In the scripture lesson, Paul is traveling with Timothy. Who is Timothy? For one thing, Timothy was a product of a Christian home. Timothy’s grandmother was Lois, and his mother was Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). Timothy was not a first-generation believer. He was at least a third-generation believer. I do not know how much Paul knew about family dynamics, but I do know this: Paul knew the greatest influence on Timothy’s life was his family. The greatest influence on your life is your family. The greatest influence on the child being baptized is their family.
That is why in the old ritual we ask the parents of the baby these questions:
Beloved, do you in presenting this child for holy Baptism confess your faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
Do you therefore accept your duty and privilege to live before this child a life that becomes the Gospel; to exercise all godly care that he be brought up in the Christian faith, that he be taught the Holy Scriptures, and that he may learn to give the reverent attendance upon the private and public worship of God?
Will you endeavor to keep the child under the ministry and guidance of the church?
The parents always say, “We do” or “We will.” However, on the day the parents answer, “No!” the baptism is over. Infant baptism means nothing if the faith means nothing to the parents. Let me ask you this question: how important is the Christian faith to you? If you want your child to take the Christian faith seriously, then you must take the faith seriously. In infant baptism we are admitting Christianity is the one true faith. In infant baptism the family is promising to be a holy model of Christian living. That takes us to the third word.
The third word is fellowship. There comes a point in the baptism ritual that the attention leaves the baby and the parents – it is now the church’s turn to make the promise. How many times have you recited these words?
With God’s help we will so order our lives after the example of Christ, that this child, surrounded by steadfast love, may be established in the faith, and confirmed and strengthened in the way that leads to eternal life.
Don’t just read the words, look at the meaning. The church is promising to create a Christian environment to influence the child toward salvation. That is why Vacation Bible School is important. That is why Sunday school is important. That is why the annual youth mission trip is so important. That is why Junior Church is so important. God has entrusted these young souls to the church, so church must do their best. How could you enjoy the riches of heaven if one of these precious souls was missing? This is the truth. We can have the best Christian Education program in the history of the church, but if the parents don’t give the church the opportunity to work with their young, then it means nothing! In infant baptism we are admitting Christianity is the one true faith. In infant baptism the family is promising to be a holy model of Christian living. In infant baptism the fellowship is promising to create a Christian environment.
Years before the war began, Kathryn and I traveled to Ukraine. Even then, the Ukrainian people faced many challenges. A missionary in Ukraine named Patrick was organizing a baptismal service. He was encouraging everyone who had never been baptized to be baptized. I don’t know how else to say it. Spiritually, the Ukrainian people seemed confused. They were part of the Soviet Union, so there is a communist hangover. For this reason, some were atheists. Some Ukrainians professed to be Orthodox, but they have not practiced their faith in decades. Some Ukrainians called themselves Protestants. The Protestants, like Methodists, were lumped together. Some Ukrainians joined cults. When religious freedom came to that land, cults arrived and began teaching their false theology. Patrick’s baptism service was important because he was simply trying to lead the people back to their Christian core. He was not promoting the United Methodist Church. He was simply promoting Jesus! Patrick knew the truth. If we do not have Jesus, then we have nothing at all. That is why baptism is important. Do you remember the quote from Watchman Nee? He once said, “Baptism is an outward expression of an inward faith.”
Russ Adams 