Why do we baptize believers and their children? Here's a brief answer which summarizes what we believe the Bible teaches regarding baptism:

After he had risen victorious from the grave, Jesus said to his disciples:

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matt. 28:18-20).

The Promises

Here are the promises which God makes when a baptism takes place.

The Lord made this great promise to Abraham:

"I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and vou and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you" (Genesis 17:7).

"'This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,' declares the Lord. 'I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, "Know the Lord," because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,' declares the Lord. 'For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more'" (Jer. 31:33-34).

After Jesus had risen from the dead, the apostles proclaimed:

"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:38-39).

These are the unfailing promises of our Lord to those who are baptized.

The Instruction

Here is a brief account of the Bible's teaching concerning the sacrament of baptism.

The water of baptism signifies the washing away of our sin by the blood of Christ and the renewal of our lives by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). It also signifies that we are buried with Christ (Romans 6:4). From this we learn that our sin has been condemned by God, that we are to hate it and consider ourselves as having died to it. Moreover, the water of baptism signifies that we are raised with Christ (Colossians 2:12). From this we learn that we are to walk with Christ in newness of life. All this tells us that God has adopted us as his children, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17).

Thus in baptism God seals the promises he gave when he made his covenant with us, calling us and our children to put our trust for life and death in Christ our Savior, deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him in obedience and love. God graciously includes our children in his covenant, and all his promises are for them as well as us (Genesis 17:7; Acts 2:39). Jesus himself embraced little children and blessed them (Mark 10:16); and the apostle Paul said that children of believers are holy (1 Corinthians 7:14). So, just as children of the old covenant received the sign of circumcision, Christian children are given the sign of baptism. Therefore, Christians are to teach their little ones that they have been set apart by baptism as God's own children.

The Vows

When parents who have made a public profession of their faith in Jesus Christ present their children for baptism, they make the following vows:

First, do you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, accept the promises of God, and affirm the truth of the Christian faith which is proclaimed in the Bible and confessed in this church of Christ?

Second, do you believe that your children, though sinful by nature, are received by God in Christ as members of his covenant, and therefore ought to be baptized?

Third, do you promise, in reliance on the Holy Spirit and with the help of the Christian community, to do all in your power to instruct these children in the Christian faith and to lead them by your example to be Christ's disciples?

When a child is baptized, not only the parents make a vow, but also the entire congregation:

Do you, the people of the Lord, promise to receive these children in love, pray for them, help instruct them in the faith. and encourage and sustain them in the fellowship of believers?

The Sacrament

After the parents and congregation make their vows, the time comes for the most important vow of all: the vow of God to the child to give a special blessing on that child throughout his or her life.

While the pastor sprinkles water on the head of the infant or child, he says the child's name, then says,

"I baptize you into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

(This material has been adapted from a form used for baptism in our church which is printed in The Psalter Hymnal (Grand Rapids, Michigan: CRC Publications, 1987), pp. 960 - 961.)