"I love you, and you belong to Me."

Baptism of Matthias, Torah, Jubilee and Lucy Hamilton

November 6, 2016

As always “faith” (not effort, striving or law-keeping) is the issue. As Paul wrote:

(Hebrews 11:6) And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

(Galatians 5:6) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

As we celebrated last week: Our salvation is one that is…

-         Revealed in God’s Word alone

-         By grace alone

-         Through faith alone

-         In Christ alone

-         To the glory of God alone

And the problem for us is, that God’s promises to save, bless and keep us are so audacious, spectacular, and well, nearly unbelievable, that we constantly find ourselves stammering some version of, “Okay, Lord, I believe, help me with my unbelief.”

And this “problem” is only multiplied when it comes to our children, for God’s promises for them are equally audacious, spectacular and well, nearly unbelievable. Three examples will suffice to put us all into an astounded state of, “Lord I believe, help me...”

(Deuteronomy 30:6) And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

(Psalm 103:17) But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,

(Acts 2:38–39) And Peter said to them, “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. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

Now, at this point, some will object and say that it is presumptuous to believe that God will circumcise the hearts of our children to love Him; that He will love them everlastingly, dress them with the righteousness of Christ, and fill them up to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. And it would indeed be presumptuous if God had not clearly promised these very things to us and to our children. But He has. And faith (without which it is impossible to please God) is simply taking Him at His word, irrespective of how mind-bogglingly extensive, inclusive, gracious and kind His promises are to us who believe and our children.

Today, Michael and Donna, by bringing their children to the waters of baptism are declaring their humble belief in God’s amazing promises for them and for their offspring. And from this day forward, the Hamilton children will bear on their bodies God’s indelible testimony to them: “I love you, and you belong to me.” A testimony that they need to believe for themselves now and over time, but made easier for them to believe by the example of their parents who simply took God at His Word and called them to do the same.

Matthias, Torah, Jubilee and Lucy have from birth been swimming in an ocean of God’s covenantal kindness; loved, provided for, instructed and disciplined by faithful parents and grandparents, and warmly received by God’s family not as pagan strangers or aliens, but as brothers and sisters in Christ. And now we, here at King’s Cross, will continue to read and recite, summarize and sing, paraphrase and preach God’s Word to them, bearing testimony of God’s saving love for them and for the world. And we, along with their parents, standing together on God’s promises to circumcise their hearts to love Him in return, will believe and trust God to keep pouring into them the twin gifts of faith and repentance, and a deep, abiding love for Jesus and his kingdom.

In a few minutes we will put an indelible mark, some would say, “an invisible tattoo” on the Hamilton children; the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, a mark that will silently bear testimony to God’s love for them for the rest of their lives. The Hamilton children’s faith will ebb and flow. Their obedience will ebb and flow. Their peace, joy, happiness and sense of security will ebb and flow. Their understanding of God and His ways will ebb and flow. And in the midst of all that flux and fluidity, instability and mutability, one thing will never change: God’s simple testimony given to them in their baptisms, where He said to Matthias, Torah, Jubilee and Lucy, just as He said to Jesus at his baptism: “I love you, and you belong to me.”

GH