Let us then turn to the back of our hymnals to read together our confession of faith as we continue looking at baptism. We come to question answer 72 and following, Lord's Day 27. As we look at the identity which sadly many people make between outward baptism and the washing away of sins, And we look at the question of infants. Why do we baptize infants when there are many that say, no, no, no, we should only baptize believers? So let us read together our confession of faith, beginning with question answer 72. Is then the outward washing with water itself the washing away of sins? No. for only the blood of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit cleanse us from all sin. Why then does the Holy Ghost call baptism the washing of regeneration and the washing away of sins? God speaks thus with great cause, namely, not only to teach us thereby that just as the filthiness of the body is taken away by water, so our sins are taken away by the blood and spirit of Christ. but much more, that by this divine pledge and token he may assure us that we are as really washed from our sins spiritually as our bodies are washed with water. Are infants also to be baptized? Yes, for since they, as well as their parents, belong to the covenant and people of God, And through the blood of Christ, both redemption from sin and the Holy Ghost, who works faith, are promised to them no less than to their parents. They are also, by baptism, as a sign of the covenant, to be engrafted into the Christian church and distinguished from the children of unbelievers, as was done in the Old Testament by circumcision. in place of which, in the New Testament, baptism was appointed. And so, brothers and sisters, in our Lord Jesus Christ, sadly and unbiblically, many churches identify the sacraments with the things that they represent. And so when we have baptism, There are those who would say and believe that that baby then no longer has original sin. And indeed, some would argue that all of their sins for all of their lives are forgiven. That the outward symbol somehow carries along with it the fact of the washing of the blood of Christ. We have to understand that what washes away our sins is not water. It is the blood of Christ. And the Bible is clear that the outward washing with baptism does not do that. Peter writes, 1 Peter 3.21, there is also now an anti-type which saves us. Baptism. Not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So what's being said there? Not the outward washing, not the baptism physically that's removing filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience. How do we have an answer of a good conscience before God? being washed by Christ's blood. Only the blood of Jesus Christ washes us, not the sacraments. And so, we have to understand, and that's what the catechism says, only the blood of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit cleanse us from all sins. So as we continue then, why then does the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost call baptism the washing of regeneration and the washing away of sins? It says God speaks with great cause to teach us that just as the filthiness of the body is taken away by water, So our sins are taken away, are washed away by the blood and spirit of Christ. And we have this as a pledge and a token, as a sacrament, demonstrating that fact to us. Just as our bodies are washed with water, so our sins are washed away by Christ's blood. That it's not just out there, but that it is for me, that I am washed if I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And as we said last Lord's Day, the sacrament of baptism can also be a curse. One of the things we as parents promise when we baptize our child is that we promise to pray with and for our child, to teach them the things of God. That's why when we read in, In Romans, what is the advantage of circumcision? Which circumcision and baptism are the same sign, just with outward accidents. Different is one way one reformer referred to it. But, what's the advantage of circumcision? Much in every way. Chiefly because to them were committed the very words of God. But if we're not teaching our children the very words of God, then it's not an advantage. We have to understand that. So God speaks very carefully. And He says that baptism is, for all intents and purposes, the washing of regeneration and the washing away of sins. Why? Because this is the reality that we are truly washed by Christ's blood. Revelation 7.14, And I said to him, Sir, you know. So he said to me, These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, who washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Those who are washed are those who are called by God. And we are called by God. We are washed in Christ's blood. Mark says in Mark 16, 16, who who believes and is baptized shall be saved but he who does not believe will be condemned. So we have to understand the certainty is there not only of the positive promise of baptism but also of the negative condemnation that is carried as well in it. Jesus said that. So then are infants also to be baptized? Yes, for since they as well as their parents belong to the covenant and people of God. I made a statement that baptism is circumcision. And I want to read from Colossians 2. Now sadly, There's a difficulty there. One of the verses was put in the wrong place. We, of course, remember that the verses in the Bible, and even the chapters, were put in... The chapters were before the Reformation. The verses were after the Reformation. And once in a while, the verse gets in the wrong place, or the chapter even gets in the wrong place. And we have to understand that. And this is one of those places. And so, the verse-ification there causes trouble, because we often translate from verse to verse. And so Colossians 2 verses 9 through 12, the verses start with the word in him in Greek. In him Christ dwells. In him, that is Christ, dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And in him who is the head of all principality and power, you are complete. In Him, you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands and the putting off of the sins of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism. In Him, you were also raised through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. So that's all under that idea of being circumcised in the circumcision of Christ. In that spiritual circumcision buried with Him in baptism. So the idea is that baptism and circumcision are the same. That we receive baptism in the New Testament. No one argues. That children in the New Testament for any spiritual reason should be circumcised. There may be other reasons that young men should be circumcised, but not because of any requirement. That's understood actually by the Acts, the Jerusalem Council. But we have to understand that we receive circumcision, the circumcision of Christ in baptism. So, baptism has that symbolism. Well, what is the symbolism? What are the requirements, by the way? Let's reverse back to Genesis. How old were babies to be circumcised in the Old Testament? The child that is eight days old and has not been circumcised is a covenant breaker according to what we're told, Genesis 17, 14. What? How can that child be a covenant breaker? Because his parents did not seek after the covenant sign to them, to that child. And so as we think about infants to be baptized, they belong to the covenant and people of God. Those who baptize believers always still seem to think, well, there has to be something. And so they dedicate their children or they do something else. They have some sort of ceremony saying, this is a child of the church. This is a child that is supposed to be growing up in Christianity. If they followed their theology, they would have to say that the children are not Christians until they finally make a profession of faith at some point. But they're not willing to do that, rightly so. Because the covenant is with you. What does God say to Abraham, Genesis 17, 7? I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you and their generations for an everlasting covenant. to be God to you and to your descendants after you. And the sign of the covenant, yes, in the Old Testament was circumcision. The sign of the covenant in the New Testament is baptism. And notice two major things going on in the New Testament with baptism. And they're really one, the expansion. First of all, to be circumcised, you had to become, if you were from outside of Israel, you had to become a proselyte. That means you had to go through all of the teaching and become just like one of the kids, essentially, in Israel. And then you could be allowed to be a part of the church, of the Old Testament church. In the New Testament, God opens up the covenant so that people of all nations can be baptized. We see that with Cornelius, when he is in his household, that they received the Holy Spirit, and Peter then saw fit to baptize them. Baptism goes open that direction. Also, we understand that in the Old Testament, circumcision was only for men. And I want you to understand that that was inclusive, by the way. That was not, that as heads of household, that was why they were circumcised. But that included the whole household. And then, by the way, all of the household was circumcised. By the way, as we think of Abraham's circumcision, his servant Eleazar was circumcised. His son Ishmael was circumcised. All of Abraham's servants were circumcised. Indeed, we have the parallel to that. Household baptisms in the New Testament. Now, when Lydia believed as the leader of her household, all of her household was baptized. And so, the men and women are baptized in the New Testament. But then there's the argument, oh, but the sign of the covenant, we're going to cut off all the kids under the age of believing. I'm sorry, the opening up of the covenant indicates that infants are not to be included. And so they belong to the covenant and people of God. People often quote to us, Acts 2.38, Peter said to them, repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And they stopped reading there. Listen to Acts 2.39 that follows that. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are far off as many as the Lord our God will call. Doesn't that parallel so closely what God said to Abraham in Genesis 17.7? I will establish my covenant between you and your descendants after you and their generations for an everlasting covenant. So, the promises to you and to your children, through the blood of Christ, both redemption from sin and the Holy Spirit who works faith, are promised to them, no less than to their parents. It's a promise, of course, we talked about that last Lord's Day, the promise of baptism. It's not us speaking to God, it is God speaking to us with His promise. Believe and you will be saved, don't believe and you will receive judgment. They are also, by baptism, as a sign of the covenant, to be engrafted into the Christian church and distinguished from the children of unbelievers. We're told in 1 Corinthians 7, as it's talking about the situations in the world at the time where perhaps one person from a marriage would become a believer. And the question then was, well, what should we do with these children? And God says, else were they unclean, that speaks of children outside of Christian households, but now they are holy. So if even one parent is a believer, that child is set apart to God. and therefore should receive the sign of the covenant, there to be engrafted into the Christian church and distinguished from the children of unbelievers, as was done in the Old Testament by circumcision, in the place of which in the New Testament baptism is appointed." And I'm sure I've gone too long, but there's a lot going on there that we really should be familiar with. Amen.