This month, we celebrated God's promises to us in Jesus through having our littlest boy baptized. I grew up in a church that does Believer baptisms so this always goes again the grain a little for me.
Here are the three questions that are asked of us:
1- Do you acknowledge your child's need of the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, and the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit?
2- Do you claim God's covenant promises in his behalf, and do you look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ for his salvation, as you do for your own?
3- Do you now unreservedly dedicate your child to God, and promise, in humble reliance upon divine grace, that you will endeavor to set before him a godly example, that you will pray with and for him, that you will teach him the doctrines of our holy religion, and that you will strive, by all the means of God's appointment to bring him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?
I love the way it was put in a letter to us:
"You promised to communicate to your child the gospel. The first two questions answered affirmatively, state plainly that your child is a sinner just like you and that the only way your child is saved is through saving faith in Jesus Christ. The act of baptism did not save your child. It shows that this child is part of our community of faith and that he is blessed through your faith and your teaching."
"So how do you practically follow through on your answer to question three?
...the word translated as 'bring them up' can also be rendered 'nourish'- we are, after all, offering our children the very 'bread of life' when we teach them the gospel."
This quote, included in our letter, is a good & needed reminder for me.
"It is the duty of a godly (parent), in order to confirm disciples in faith, to extol as much as possible the grace of Christ, so that being satisfied with that, we may seek nothing else."
- John Calvin in his commentary on 1 John 5:13
Last night, as we prayed at bedtime, Lily asked to pray for something. And she repeated the prayer that Mike has prayed with them so often, and is prayed so often at our church.
"We pray that there would be a day that Ben stands up and says that he believes in Jesus."
Peter was squirming and said he didn't hear. Lily repeated her prayer,
"We pray that there would be a day that Peter, Lily, and Ben would stand up and say that they believe in Jesus."
It is not an "automatic" thing. It is personal. And it is a known need- we sin, we are sinners. We aren't "good". We need Jesus to forgive us. And that comes only through him. Because he was the only person who was perfectly righteous and doesn't have to pay for his own sin.
We had an "after party".
Hannah + Ben (June 2036)
Our parents and faux sibling family joined us for lunch- our first feast for 8 at our table for 8.
Our precious sweet gift- this boy.
I also think that I am officially done blogging.
It was felt like too much since having 3 and more to keep up with.
It has been so good for the season of my older two being "little".
But it's a different season now. Praise God!
He has been so good to us in so many ways.
