Well, tonight in connection with question and answer 74 of the Catechism, I would ask you to turn to Genesis 17 as we read together the first 14 verses and also Colossians 2 as we read verses 8 through 15. These passages will be used to help us in our consideration of infant baptism tonight. When you have found Genesis 17 and Colossians chapter 2, please also turn in the back of the Psalter hymnal to page 35. And there we find Lord's Day 27 with three questions and answers. We'll give expression to what we believe concerning all three. But again, tonight, considering in a particular way just question and answer 74. Page 35 in the back of the Psalter hymnal, Lord's Day 27. Question 72 asks, Does this outward washing with water itself wash away sins? No. Only Jesus Christ's blood and the Holy Spirit cleanse us from all sins. Why then does the Holy Spirit call baptism the washing of regeneration and the washing away of sins? God has good reason for these words. He wants to teach us that the blood and spirit of Christ wash away our sins just as water washes away dirt from our bodies. But more important, he wants to assure us by this divine pledge and sign that the washing away of our sins spiritually is as real as physical washing with water. Should infants too be baptized? Yes, infants as well as adults are in God's covenant and are His people. They, no less than adults, are promised the forgiveness of sin through Christ's blood and the Holy Spirit who produces faith. Therefore, by baptism, the mark of the covenant, infants should be received into the Christian church and should be distinguished from the children of unbelievers. This was done in the Old Testament by circumcision, which was replaced in the New Testament by baptism. We turn to Genesis 17, beginning with verse 1. Hear now the word of God. When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you, and will greatly increase your numbers. Abram fell face down, and God said to him, As for me, this is my covenant with you. You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram. Your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful. I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you, and I will be their God. Then God said to Abraham, As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you, for the generations to come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep. Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come, every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner, those who are not your offspring. Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who has not been circumcised in the flesh will be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant. And turning over to Colossians 2, verses 8-15. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ who is the head over every power and authority. in Him you were also circumcised in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men, but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code with its regulations that was against us. and that stood opposed to us. He took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. May God add His blessing to the reading, the hearing, and the preaching of His Word tonight. Well, dear people of God, one of the most glorious yet controversial practices of the Christian faith is baptism. Indeed, throughout the history of the Christian church, there has been agreement that baptism ought to be practiced. But there is no agreement with regard to what it means. For example, questions and answers 72 and 73 of the catechism are a reformed defense against the error of the Roman Catholic teaching which says that baptism itself gives the grace that it points to. In other words, that the water of baptism, boys and girls, the water that we use in this baptismal font up here, they would say actually washes away the original sin from the one receiving the sacrament. Now, we would agree with the Roman Catholic Church that children ought to be baptized, but we disagree wholeheartedly with them when it comes to their meaning of baptism. But there is also no agreement when it comes to who is to receive the sacrament of baptism. And question and answer 74, the catechism, is a defense against the Anabaptists of the Reformation period and all who have adopted their way of thinking regarding baptism, saying that it's only for adults, believing adults. And maybe some of us here have struggled with this issue. Indeed, we practice infant baptism. It's what we have been brought up with. But for some of us in high school, maybe you have high school friends across the street, or maybe as parents you have children who have attended certain colleges that are more baptistic, and those who hold to believer baptism, as it's called, seem so confident with what they believe. And they seem to have Scripture on their side because, indeed, Peter says, repent and be baptized. it doesn't get any clearer than that. That must be the order of things. And again, we don't disagree with that for adults who have never been baptized. But is that all there is to it? And the question that must be asked is, what does baptism stand for? And that is the crux of the matter. What does baptism stand for? We know it is a sign and seal, but a sign and seal of what? Is it a sign and seal of something in us, for example, our faith? In other words, does baptism point to one's faith as a sign and therefore as a seal guarantee that that one's faith is real? If that's what it means, then we would have to agree that infants ought not be baptized. or is it a sign and seal of something that is given to us that believing adults and their children have in common? And this is indeed what we believe is the clear teaching of Scripture that baptism signifies and seals a covenant relationship which God has established and in which He makes a promise. Baptism is a sign and seal of God's promise. It is not, first of all, proof of one's faith. But it is proof of God's promise. And therefore, beloved, with confidence we confess that the Word of God teaches holy baptism is for children of believers. Or maybe we should say also for children of believers. For children of believers who, in the first place, receive the promise of the covenant. They receive that promise. And to understand that, then we must consider, first of all, what is the content of that promise? What is it all about? Well, the covenant, we know, is a relationship between two parties, in a nutshell, a relationship where two parties bind themselves together with an agreement, and between people, we call it a contract. God bound Himself, as we considered a bit this morning, He bound Himself to His people with the promise, I will be your God, you shall be my people. And as we read tonight, we think of God's covenant with Abraham, that covenant we call a covenant of grace. And that covenant with Abraham included God's promise that He gave already when He called him in Genesis chapter 12, I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. And then in Genesis 15, we find the actual making of that covenant, God making that covenant with Abraham. You recall that when the pieces were cut, the animals were cut and laid opposite of each other, it was God himself, not God and Abraham, not Abraham himself, but God Himself that passed between the pieces, promising to fulfill His Word. And we notice in chapter 15, beginning in verse 5, these things. He took him, God took Abram outside and said, Look up at the heavens and count the stars, if indeed you can count them. Then He said to him, So shall your offspring be. Abram believed the Lord and he credited it to him as righteousness. He also said to him, I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it. The making of the covenant. Then we find in chapter 17 that God confirms His covenant with Abram there. We read there beginning again at verse 5. No longer will you be called Abram. Your name will be Abraham for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful. I will make nations of you and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Cain and where you are now an alien I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you and I will be your God. And notice God says there that His covenant, His promise is an everlasting one. It's talking about salvation. He's talking about the eternal promised land. And what was the response that Abraham was to give? In verse 1, the Lord says, Walk before me and be blameless. Notice, not so that God will do these things, but because of what God will do. Abram believed. And we know, as the Bible says, he was justified by faith. faith that was demonstrated in fellowship with God and obedience to God. But now when it comes to the fulfillment of this promise, why can we say that God's promise is certain and sure? After all, Abraham was a sinner. He did not himself, we know, walk before God perfectly. He wasn't blameless. Neither was his seed, as we consider this morning with Israel again. Why is God's promise so certain and sure? But because of Jesus Christ. Paul in Galatians 3 ties Christ to Abraham. He makes it clear that Jesus is the true seed of Abraham. Jesus is the one who alone was blameless. He alone offered perfect obedience to God. He alone suffered and died for our sins and rose again as the victor. He freely gives His righteousness to those who believe. And therefore, as Paul says in Galatians 3.29, if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed. Heirs according to the promise. You're connected with Him. And the content of that promise, beloved, as the catechism says, is the forgiveness of sins through Christ's blood. That's God's promise. Paul says it this way in Colossians 2.13-14, When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code with its regulations that was against us and that stood opposed to us. He took it away, nailing it to the cross. So that is the content of this promise. Well, who then are the beneficiaries of the promise? Who are those who belong in that covenant relationship? Who are those who receive the promise of God? Well, notice again with Abraham in verse 7 of chapter 17. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you. But he doesn't stop there. And your descendants after you for the generations to come to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. God made his covenant with and gave his promise to Abraham as an adult. With Him, He established that covenant community on this earth, that covenant community of faith. But in the very same breath, God made it with His descendants, with His children. He gave the promise to them. And the same way is with believing adults today and also their children. We see that clearly in Acts 2, verse 39. Peter says the promise, the promise of forgiveness that he had been preaching about, the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, for all whom the Lord our God will call. We see there the inclusion of the Gentiles, to be sure. But for you and your children. Beloved, there is one covenant of grace and there is one promise. And included in it are many different kinds of people, young and old, male or female, different levels of knowledge, different levels of ability, but also believing parents and their children. They are the beneficiaries of the promise. But then what about the condition for receiving the promise? You see, the condition for receiving that promise is not determined by one's faith. It's kind of like, I can make any one of you a promise that I'll give you $100. I can make that promise. Now, it may come with some sort of a condition that you need to do this, that, or the other thing. So in order to get that $100, you need to do something. But I can give you that promise without any obligation on your part. You see, the condition for receiving the promise is not determined by one's faith. God does not give His promise to those who first demonstrate faith. That would make it a work that I have to perform before I can get God's promise. But the conditions for receiving that promise are determined by God's choice. He alone says for whom is His promise. He clearly says that it is also for children of believers as they belong to the visible body of Christ. Our catechism really echoes what we confess in Belgian Confession, article 34, which says, by baptism we are received into the church of God and set apart from all other peoples and false religions. By baptism we are received into that community of faith. What is the role of faith in baptism? Does faith have a role in baptism? Well, absolutely. And if we talk about the role of faith in baptism, we need to remember again, baptism is about whom God says belong, and to whom He gives His promise that whoever believes will be forgiven. Baptism itself is not yet the thing. It is not yet the truth promised. Baptism is not forgiveness. It does not mean that one is a believer, that one is forgiven. It is not about one's response to that promise. Faith is not a condition for receiving God's promise, though it is necessary to claim, to have the thing, to have the truth, to have the forgiveness God promises. And that's why even with infant baptism, we speak of the necessity of rebirth and faith in the form it says very clearly we cannot enter the kingdom of God except we are born again. Baptism itself points to God's promise, not to one's faith that must respond to that promise. And therefore, for those who will believe, baptism is a sign picturing the cleansing power of Christ's blood and spirit, And it is a seal that certifies or guarantees the operation of this activity of love and grace in the lives of all those who embrace Christ by faith, who embrace that promise. And therefore, when it comes to adults who come to faith and are baptized, their baptism, again, is a sign and seal of God's promise. But only for them, it's a sign and seal of that promise which, by the grace of God, they have claimed by faith, already claimed. And therefore, their baptism is an assurance to them. As answer 73 says, He wants to assure us by this divine pledge and sign that the washing way of our sins spiritually is as real as physical washing with water. It's an assurance to them that they have what God has promised. And when it comes to infant baptism, their baptism is a sign and seal again of God's promise, but that promise which is given to them, which is yet to be claimed by faith. And therefore, beloved, since children of believers receive the promise of the covenant, it only stands to reason then that they also are those in the second place who receive the sign of the covenant. Because the promise and the sign go together. They are not to be separated. And that sign is holy baptism. And they receive the sign of the covenant, which is the teaching of the Scriptures. On the one sense, it is a teaching from silence. Because indeed, we do face the accusation as Reformed believers that there is no specific text commanding us to baptize infants or children, which is indeed true in that sense. But we can easily respond to that by saying there is no text forbidding it or commanding us not to do it, which would make more sense given the evidence. Even if we consider the early church fathers, some whose lives overlapped with the lives of the apostles, some of them testify in their writings to infant baptism being common into the church. For example, Justin Martyr touches on it, Irenaeus. Tertullian lived a little bit after the apostles, somewhere between 150 and 225. he gives a warning that those who wrongly believe that baptism itself actually saves should not baptize their children. Notice, he says that because it was being done. It was being done in the church from the time of the apostles. And therefore, on the one hand, to put it negatively, if it was so wrong, then we would expect God in His Word to forbid it. Of course, if he did, that would mean then that God had changed how he considers children of believers in the New Testament time from children of believers in the Old Testament time. But he didn't change his mind with regard to how he considers them. Just as the promise of the covenants and the sign of the covenants are given to infants in the Old Testament, so they are given to infants of believers in the New Testament. We see this through examples. Genesis 17 again. There we read that Abraham and the male children, eight days old, and we would say the daughters, by virtue of their fathers, the believing fathers, they were circumcised. And in verse 10 and 11 again, Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. Now, every male eight days old was circumcised, not because they all believed God's promise, but as God said, as a sign of the covenant, as a visible sign of God's promise to them, a mark of identity, that they had been set apart as heirs of God's promise, that they were a part of this covenant-believing community. Indeed, because of the faith of their parents of Abraham. And I believe we also see the examples of this in Acts. There we read of household baptisms. But again, we face the accusation, yeah, but it doesn't say that there were tiny children in those households. Well, it doesn't say there weren't. And we know that at that time there were countless household baptisms that had taken place, and it would just be irregular, as it were, to assume that there were no infants in those households. that infants also were baptized. Now in Colossians 2, Paul is correcting a false teaching, the false teaching of the Judaizers that said that she had to follow the outward signs and regulations like circumcision. He issues this warning in verse 8, see to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. And Paul makes it clear here, I believe, that the bloody Old Testament sacrament of circumcision, that physical circumcision, because Jesus Christ shed His blood, that physical circumcision, that bloody physical circumcision, was no longer valid as a sign of the covenant. He says in verse 11, In Him, in Christ, you were also circumcised in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men, but with a circumcision done by Christ. That circumcision of the heart, that new life in Christ Jesus, points to the fulfillment of God's promise for those who believe. And he says that in verse 12, picking up again, verse 11, with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him through your faith in the power of God who raised Him from the dead. It may be difficult to see, but it seems that Paul is clearly saying that baptism is in a place of circumcision. He is not saying here that they were baptized because of their faith. But he is saying by faith, the believer has that which God promises those who believe, and they have that which baptism points to and guarantees. Therefore, baptism is the sign of the new covenant in the blood of Christ, And like circumcision, baptism is proof of God's promise of the forgiveness of sins to all who repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore, beloved, in a sense to withdraw from our children the sacrament of baptism is in a sense to say to them as their parents, You're outside. You don't belong yet. I, as your father or as your mother, have the promise. But you don't have the promise yet until you do your part. But baptism is a powerful sign also for children of believers that then is to be taught by parents. Again, we see this clearly in the Old Testament. We read it in chapter 17 of Genesis, but also Genesis 18, verse 19. The Lord says, For I have chosen him that is Abraham, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised. It was a responsibility on the part of the parents, but also on the part of the children. The parents were to teach, the children were to learn and respond. in the Old Testament, circumcision was to remind the people that they had been set apart. The children were to be taught of God's promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They too were called, like Abraham, to walk before God and be blameless. But of course we know that not all who received the sign of God's covenant promise believe. The Lord says, Jacob I have loved, Esau I have hated. Esau was circumcised as a young child. Jacob, I have loved Esau, I have hated. He rejected. He was a covenant breaker. And today we know, too, that not all who receive baptism embrace Jesus Christ by faith. But that doesn't mean, congregation, that there's something wrong, something faulty with God's promise. Like it's defective. Not at all. There's nothing wrong with God's promise. God's promise is sure. It is certain. It is good. Whoever believes will be saved. But the problem is in the one who rejects it. Because that one rejects that promise because of unbelief. Yet children of believers are privileged. They are privileged. Not because if they are baptized, that means that they are automatically saved. As answer 74 says again, And therefore, by baptism, the mark of the covenant, infants should be received into the Christian church and should be distinguished from children of unbelievers. They are privileged because they are set apart. In the baptism form, it makes it very clear that Christian parents are to understand what an awesome promise God gives to our children. And it makes it clear that parents are to understand how important it is for children to believe. Of course, we know sometimes to our frustration parents, we know that we cannot make our children believe it. But as the form so richly says, as they grow up, the parents shall be bound to give them further instruction in these things of what Christ has done. And that which can only be received by faith. So parents, how are we doing? If we take a moment to examine ourselves as parents and our families and analyze things, how are we doing? And the truth is we devote so much time and expense and energy on our children for the things of this life, on their education, on athletics, on music, on hobbies, on so many temporary things of life, things that are not necessarily bad, mind you. That's not what I'm saying at all. But we devote so much time and effort and expense on these things. How are we doing with our children when it comes to eternal things? Are we faithfully teaching them about their baptism and what it means? Remember, you and I made a promise too in response to God's promise given to our children. We made a promise to God. We made a vow to God. Are we, as parents, fulfilling the baptismal vow that we made to the Lord with regard to our children? And boys and girls and young people, you are privileged. Do you believe it? Do you believe it? You are privileged. You see, many children do not grow up with parents who love the Lord. Parents aren't perfect, that's not what I'm saying. But many children do not grow up with parents who love the Lord and understand salvation in Jesus Christ and who desire that their children be saved. Many children do not grow up having that. They do not grow up in that covenant of faith, that community of faith. They do not grow up being taught from the time that they can begin to understand that they are sinners, that there is a whole other life after this life and that we need a Savior desperately and that there is one, Jesus Christ. And we are called to serve Him. Oh, they may hear it later, we hope and pray, as the Gospel is to go forth to the ends of the earth and they may be brought into that covenant community in their adult life. And if they believe and they confess their faith, they will be baptized not because they believe, but as a sign of what they believed, of God's promise. And again, their baptism is then a visible certainty for them that God's promise is true for them too. That just as that water washes away dirt, their sins have all been washed away. Boys and girls and young people, you have grown up and you are growing up having the visible mark of God's promise. You are growing up in a covenant community of faith where the truth of Jesus Christ is being taught. Think about it. The children of Sodom and Gomorrah did not have the Bible. But you have been taught the Word of God. And the promise that God gave to you when you were baptized, He says in that promise to each and every one of you individually, He says, you are part of my visible covenant people. I have given you parents who love me. And I promise you that if you turn away from yourself and turn to Jesus and confess your sins and believe in Him alone, then yes, just as the water washes away dirt, Jesus' blood washes away all of your sins. You see, God desires your salvation. He desires that you understand how serious he is about this. And if you want to know how serious he is, just think about the cross of Jesus. He sent his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Your baptism is a call to Christ by God himself. And God expects those who received his promise and the sign of that promise to show that they are set apart from children of unbelievers. He expects us to be distinctive. If you are joyless, if you don't care whether you sin or not, if you are not grateful for your Christian instruction at home in the church and that which is being provided for you in the local Christian schools, if you can't stand coming to church or singing praise to God or attending Sunday school or catechism, if you have no interest in Christianity and what it means, then you are showing a disregard and a disinterest for God. You are spitting upon God's promise and therefore upon God Himself. And you must understand that the promise, His promise is equally sure for those who reject Him. That there is no washing away of sins. Beloved, you and I are called to respond to His promise by faith, to claim by faith God's promise given to you. We are called to see in Christ's shed blood both God's hatred against our sin and His desire for our salvation. Only then can you and I confidently confess I belong body and soul in life and in death unto my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. Beloved, baptism is a visible picture of the riches of God's grace. It's a sign of God's promise of the forgiveness of sins and salvation for all who believe. It is a sign of belonging to Him. And there is no greater security for this life or the life to come than belonging to Him. And this promise of God is without a doubt for believers. and for their children. Amen. Let's pray together. Oh, Heavenly Father, as we bow before You at the close of this message from Your Word, indeed, we do confess that there are some things that are at times difficult to understand because there isn't the agreement among believers as there ought to be, as we would like there to be. But we do thank You for the understanding that You have given to us as Reformed believers. We praise Your name for that precious covenant relationship that You have brought us into with Yourself and our children. We thank You for Your precious promise that whoever believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, they will be saved and that beautiful sign of that promise and seal of it, Holy Baptism. We pray, too, for our children, those who have received that sign, for those who have not yet looked to You in faith, that You would be faithful and You would work in their hearts powerfully and effectively. Draw them to Yourself without fail, that they too one day might claim that precious promise, that they might know too that just as the water washes away dirt from the body, that if they believe, all their sins are washed completely away by the blood of Jesus. Oh, we thank You, Lord, for that precious truth, for that gift of salvation. May that be the joy which carries us throughout this week and every day of our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray these things. Amen.