I am a reader of your beloved Present Truth for some years now, and am always interested in its pages. I have just been reading in No. 50 about the christening of infants. (See article 77, "Shall Children Be Christened?")
I think some passages of Scripture are very hard to understand. Our blessed Saviour said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Again He said, "Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you."
Surely those two passages are as significant as any other part of the Bible; and yet I would not like to say that infants who are apt to die before they are baptized are lost.
And suppose a man leading a reckless life turns to Christ at the last without baptism or sacrament it is hard to say whether he is saved or not; and if an infant or grown-up person can be received into God's kingdom without these two sacraments, why were they ordained?
I do not wish to argue on the subject, as I am not a learned man. I know Christ says, "Him that comes to me, I will in no wise cast out;" and yet we cannot go to Him but by the means He has provided, namely, baptism and the Lord's Supper.
I have been taught that I am born in sin, and that Christ cleanses that sin through baptism; and that seems to make out that a child cannot go to heaven without baptism, since sin cannot enter there.
I am only stating just what I have read in the Bible. I should like a little more light on the subject. The words of Christ in this matter must be of the greatest importance: "You must be born again." The thief on the cross was promised company with Christ in Paradise, and I don't think he ever was baptized; and that makes the Bible harder to understand.
I can see that you are in real perplexity, earnestly seeking for light, and it is a pleasure to talk with you, especially since the Word of God sheds such clear light on the question. First, however, let me say that the one for whose special benefit the article on the christening of infants was written, was abundantly satisfied, and has expressed his hearty appreciation of the help afforded. Now to the subject.
It is true that there some passages of Scripture that are hard to understand; but we are far on the way to a solution of all difficulties when we have once and forever settled it in our own minds, beyond the possibility of a shadow of doubt, that the Bible is perfectly consistent throughout, containing nothing like contradiction. Then when we find an obscure passage, we shall know that it is not in the slightest degree contrary to some other that is perfectly clear.
Further: we must be careful to distinguish between what we "have been taught" and what the Bible actually says; for often the two things are widely different. Take, for example, your statement: "I have been taught that I am born in sin, and that Christ cleanses that sin through baptism; and that seems to make out that a child cannot go to heaven without baptism."
Here we have a blending of Divine and human teaching, without distinction between the two. It is true that all are born in sin; but the Scripture does not teach that sin is cleansed by the act of baptism, nor that it is impossible to come to Christ except by baptism and the Lord's Supper. In fact, these are but the emblems by which we show that we have already come to Him.
What is Baptism?
This is the question first to be settled. So to begin with, we may say that it is not the putting of a few drops of water upon a person, or even the pouring of a basinful upon him. No infant is ever baptized, at least not in this country. The word "baptize" is a pure Greek word and its meaning is to dip, plunge, or immerse. The word has not lost its original meaning by being adopted into our language; for a Greek word has the same meaning whether pronounced by a Greek or an Englishman. To talk about baptizing a baby or a man by sprinkling a few drops of water upon him is as absurd as to say that a man is dead and buried when he is walking about with handful of earth on his head. This is a simple matter of the right use of words. If people insist on sprinkling infants or adults, they must seek some other authority for it than Christ's commandment concerning baptism.
When we understand what baptism really means, there can be no further thought of the baptism of infants, or of calling sprinkling baptism. So let us read some statements from the Bible. "What shall we say, then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." (Romans 6:1-6)
Can you not see that this applies to those who have been living a life of sin, and who consciously come to Christ for salvation from sin, that they may not live any longer therein: and that therefore it can by no means apply to infants? The same apostle who wrote this, said of the Jewish ceremonies that they could never make the comers thereunto perfect, and that if they could do so, they would not be offered year by year, "because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sin." (Hebrews 10:2)
Now an infant has no conscience of sin, neither is it living in sin. It needs no exhortation not to continue in sin, nor to "live any longer therein," (Romans 6:2) for it is as completely dead to sin as it is possible for anybody to be. Indeed, it has never yet been alive to sin. Therefore baptism would be for it wholly a work of supererogation.
Baptism that Saves
Speaking of how Noah and his family were brought safely through water by the ark, the Apostle Peter says: "The like figure whereunto even baptism does now save us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), by the resurrection of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 3:21)
Here it is said that true baptism saves us; yet we know that we are not saved by any human act or agency whatever, but solely by the blood of Christ. "By grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8)
This is perfectly consistent, because we are baptized into Christ's death, thus putting on Christ; and "By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body." (1 Corinthians 12:13)
Bear in mind that we are to be baptized "into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," (Matthew 28:19,RV) that is into Christ himself. A person is technically baptized whenever he is plunged into water; but a man may be buried in water every day of his life without ever having been baptized into Christ. Baptism is not a magic charm, but "the answer of a good conscience," (Peter 3:21) and this, by the way, no infant can have, since it has no conscience at all. But the point before us is that it is baptism into Christ that saves, and this can be done only by the Spirit. The visible act of burial in the water is simply the public profession of faith in the efficacy of Christ's life to save from sin, and the sign that we accept it.
In the prophets we read of a fountain opened "for sin and for uncleanness." (Zechariah 12:1)
This fountain is the pierced side of Christ, whence flowed out, and are still flowing, blood and water. (John 19:34) "There are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and the three agree in one." (1 John 5:8,RV)
All are expressions of the one Spirit; for each one is life, and "the Spirit is life." (Romans 8:10)
There is water that is invisible, as Jesus indicated to the woman of Samaria at Jacob's well (John 4:10, 13-14); and this "living water" is the Holy Spirit. (John 7:37-39) Water that we can see can cleanse the outside of the body; but only the "pure river of water of life" (Revelation 22:1) can cleanse the heart and conscience. Let us read another text or two. "When the kindness of God our Saviour, and His love toward man appeared, Not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, Which He poured out upon us richly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour." (Titus 3:4-6,RV)
Again: "Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it; That He might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the Word." (Ephesians 5:25-26,RV)
Here the living Word is presented as the water that cleanses, as in: "Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you," (John 15:3) and the text in Ephesians is correctly rendered in the Norwegian, as "a water bath in the Word." Baptism, immersion in water that we see, is but the sign that we accept Christ, and are baptized into Him, completely swallowed up in His life, to live and walk in the Spirit.
Now can you not see that salvation does not in any way whatever depend on any human act, either that we do for ourselves, or that others do for us; but that it depends wholly on the perfect life and work of Christ? God, for His own sake, and without our aid, creates us, and re-creates us. Our part is but to consent, to yield, to cease resistance; but the tender infant, that has never resisted the grace and goodness of God, has nothing to yield. It is already passive and submissive. It is reconciled to God by the death of Christ, who, by the shedding of His blood, "made purification of sins," (Hebrews 1:3,RV) even the sins of the whole world. Whether the child will acknowledge God when it comes to an age when it can understand, is another matter; but he must do so for himself, for no person can accept Christ for another, any more than one can eat and breathe for another.
So we need be in no doubt about the thief on the cross, or about infants who die unbaptized, or about repentant sinners who die without an opportunity for a public confession of their faith. Neither need we be puzzled over the words of Scripture, that one must be born of water and the Spirit. There are in the Gospel no "sacraments," in the sense that any act or ceremony can sanctify anybody; that term is ecclesiastical, and not from the Bible.
This does not by any means depreciate the importance of baptism or the Lord's Supper; they have their place, but it is not to usurp that of the finished life and work of Christ. And to hold that some act of man is necessary in order to convey to any soul the fullness of the blessings of that life, is idolatry, and not Christianity.
Dedicating Children to the Lord
Another friend comes to us in quite a different strain. There is not space for the whole letter, but the following extract from it contains the substance of the whole:
"I disagree with the whole of your article on infant baptism. You say that infants should be dedicated; why should they be dedicated? or what benefit do they receive by being dedicated? If they receive no benefit by being dedicated, the whole ceremony is vain, and pure mockery in the sight of God. And if they do receive benefit, they must be regenerated by the Spirit, because there are no half-measures with God. The child has either been regenerated, or the whole service has not been accepted by God, and therefore is vain."
We have already considered the question sufficiently for the present. So we have only to say that our friend is laboring under the mistaken idea that the article in question advocated a ceremony of dedication.
A more careful reading would show the impossibility of this, since we said that the child ought to be dedicated to God before it is born. That means that the prospective parents should themselves be so wholly dedicated to God that they will wish nothing else for their offspring than that it shall be a child of God, and will so conduct themselves both before and after its birth that this may be the case.
The prospective parents simply recognize that children are the gift of God, and belong to Him, and therefore they covenant with God to bring their child up "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4)
This is the whole of the matter, and so nothing further need be said about the impossibility of regeneration being effected by any outward form or ceremony.
Christ's Death Not Forced, But Voluntary
Jesus said: "Therefore does my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man takes it from me, but I lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." (John 10:17-18)
It was as impossible that anybody should forcibly take Christ's life as it was for the grave to hold Him. His was a willing sacrifice. Likewise when we are crucified with Him, not to remain dead, but to live with Him, it must be wholly voluntary. In being baptized into Christ, we are crucified with Him, being baptized into His death, that we may have His life; and baptism in water is the sign of this. Therefore baptism must be wholly a voluntary act, or else it misrepresents the offering of Christ.
Apply this now to the case of an infant. It is very evident that it is impossible really to baptize an infant, that is, to bury it completely in water, without strangling it, and the act might cause its death. The babe does not know enough to close its mouth and hold its breath. Consequently if it were to be baptized, the one who performed the ceremony would have to put his hand over both its nose and its mouth, and hold them shut. That is, he would have to go through the form of choking it to death before burying it; and this without the consent of the child, and in spite its vigorous protest. What a caricature of the death of Christ! This serves to show again how utterly contrary to the Gospel it is to assume to baptize infants.
In the baptism of true believers, in which case alone there can be true baptism, there is the perfect likeness of voluntary death. The candidate voluntarily suspends the action of breathing, and with closed eyes and mouth commits himself absolutely into the hands of the administrator. Like a dead man, he does not breathe, and like a dead man he makes no effort to assist in his own burial. The most timid woman feels no fear of the water, and makes no struggle; because perfect faith works by love, and perfect love casts out fear. She knows that the life that is to sustain her through her whole life, and even over death, is amply able to keep her safely in this experience so new to her.
No more beautiful, solemn, or joyful sight can be witnessed than the burial of an intelligent believer into Christ by baptism; and the beholders, as well as the candidates, must involuntarily recall the words of Scripture, "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord." (Revelation 14:13)--Present Truth, January 9, 1902.