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| Q: | I have been baptized as a child, and I tried to read more about it, but is not so easy. What worries me is that God made an "everlasting covenant" with Abraham. In other words, this will not come to an end. In the New Testament it says that anyone who is "PART OF CHRIST IS ALSO NOW PART OF THE CONVENANT OF ABRAHAM". The Bible states because of Jesus, there is even more Grace. So what you stating is: a boy was circumcise today, and part of the EVERLASTING CONVENANT, but after the Crucifixion of Jesus, he found him outside of it. How does this work? Does Adam have more power than God?. He caused us all to be born in sin, but Jesus is not able to do change all of that, but we must try and deserve Baptism, how does the grace of God. God elected us even before we are born, he is giving us his grace, and we must now except it or discard of it, but how me must deserve this I cannot understand. The word deserve for one probably displace with "work for". It seems to me, the way in "Adult Baptism" works, one can live like you want to and then you can one day choose, but with "Infant Baptism" you made aware at a early stage of the "Grace Of God" because you Baptized your baby. The unbelievers will not baptized their babies because it is the child's problem when he grows up (I do not mean parents that do not baptize infants, are unbelievers, I mean in real sense of the word) to except God. I notice that Churches "bless babies", I God never gave an instruction to let this happen, for then we can just as well say that "Water must be changed to Wine" at certain occasions. The reasoning of this I understand is when Jesus said do not hinder the >babies from me, to them the Kingdom belongs, and he blessed them. This happened while He was on his way to someplace and has not given a instruction how to incorporate children in the Grace of God as in the case with the CONVENANT WITH ABRAHAM. If and adult asks to be Baptized, one has to take his word for it that he believes in God. What happens if his life changes again for the worse. As in Circumcision and Baptizing it does not mean you will be saved. Families was Baptized in the Bible. One family was baptized because the parent believed, and it did not state that the family believed and was Baptized. Why was the firstborn saved at the Passover? The parents that believed n God, their children was saved, but firstborn of the unbelievers died. Will one say that is very wrong from God? My big questions are:
My statement I want to make is: The bottomline is, you and me believe everything being written in the Bible, but will see something's differently. It is important that you see that I try to look at thing logically, and from my point of view, more important it should not hinder loving each other for we love the same God. | ||||||
| A: | We believe that the essence of the everlasting covenant God made with Abraham is the forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation through the promised Savior, Jesus Christ. That is a gracious, one-sided covenant or promise that God supplies for us poor sinners. When he brings people to faith in Christ and his saving work, all the benefits promised become theirs -- freely and fully. Circumcision was the God-appointed instrument that allowed Abraham and his descendants to be brought to and preserved in saving faith. Circumcision was not a "work" that displaced faith, but a God-given rite that God chose to use to create faith in human hearts. Anyone who was physically circumcised but despised the gift of faith later in life forfeited all blessings once given to him. As with other Old Testament gifts from God, it is called "eternal" in the sense that it is "perpetual, ongoing" until or unless God Himself ends it. He clearly limited circumcision (as a religious rite) to the Old Testament people prior to the completion of Christ's redeeming work. The gift of Baptism is parallel to that of circumcision. It is not a meritorious work that we perform, nor is it a substitute for saving faith in Christ. It is a God-given instrument that He uses to create or strengthen faith in Christ. As with circumcision, baptism is also designed for children and conveys blessings to them. So neither the promises of the covenant of Abraham (forgiveness, salvation) nor the ability to be brought into a covenant relationship with God have in any way been taken away from children. I do not understand why you feel God has made things "more difficult" for people. If someone at the time of Christ had been circumcised and trusted the Savior, the blessings were not taken from him when circumcision was discontinued and displaced by Baptism. The promises attached to both remain in effect as long as God declares. The first generation of Jewish Christians in the first century AD were likely circumcised and then baptized, but I doubt if they considered this too complicated or "more difficult" in their religious lives. It is a matter of rejoicing in, using, and benefiting from God's chosen instruments to create and strengthen saving faith. You mention that people might question the justice of the Lord in preserving the firstborn of the believing families and bring death to the firstborn of the unbelieving families in Egypt at the time of the Exodus (Exodus 12). Yes, some may say this. We believe we have no right to impose our limited concepts of justice on God, who does all things right. The amazing thing to us is that some are preserved and ultimately saved! We all deserve death, including eternal death. Yet God graciously gives to us and others life through the gospel. We agree with you that those who "bless babies" do so without divine command and promise. Jesus did indeed bless the children, but gave no command and attached no promise to lead us to do the same in anticipation of spiritual blessings. He has commanded baptism and attached clear promises to it, and we therefore thankfully expect blessings through that. We keep the covenant of Abraham in essentially the same way Abraham did and all believers have throughout history: by receiving the gift of saving faith from our gracious God through his chosen instruments (for us, baptism rather than circumcision is one of these) and trusting the Savior for the full and free forgiveness of sins. The external instruments or rites may have changed, but the heart and core of God's promises have not. By faith in Christ Jesus we are true children of Abraham and part of the "Israel of God" (Romans 4:1-17, 9:6-8, Galatians 3:26-29, Colossians 2:9-15). | ||||||
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