“The Promise of Baptism”

The Appomattox Court House Presbyterian Church Pulpit
Rev. Cameron S. Smith
The Lord's Day, April 8, 2007
An Easter Sermon, Baptism to Resurrection!
Hebrews 10:19-25

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."
Deuteronomy 29:29

This is a brief word to those who will join us today by receiving and going forth in the promise of baptism; and for those who will affirm (or confirm) the promise they received as infants in baptism; and finally to those who will re-affirm the promise they received in baptism in the fellowship of another Christian communion. This message precedes the joy of the Lord's Table for these new members!

     In his book, Actions Speak Louder Than Verbs, Herb Miller recalls the horrifying story of 900,000 people who perished in the long siege of Leningrad during World War II. He says, "At one point [the citizens of Leningrad] were trying to save their children from both the Nazis and starvation---so they placed them on trucks to cross a frozen lake to safer locations. Many of the mothers, sure that they would never see their children again, yelled to them as they got on the trucks, 'Remember your name. Remember your name.'" Miller goes on to say that, "by our baptism, we commit ourselves to faithfully remember who we are." [Herb Miller. Actions Speak Louder Than Verbs. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1989, p. 103]
     This is a good thought for us to think about this morning as we prepare to receive six new members into our membership this morning. This language of "promise" is growing in importance to me as my understanding of baptism comes clearer and sweeter. The passage that helps us to get into that thought this morning comes from Acts 2:39. It is here that Peter concludes his first sermon at Pentecost with these beautiful words that have been fascinating and warming Presbyterian hearts for centuries: "The promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."
     In this instance, Peter is talking about the gift of the Holy Spirit, who marks us, and our children, as now belonging to God. He washes our sin away and joins us to Jesus Christ so that we enjoy union with him in his fellowship as well as his sufferings.
     Most important in this respect, the Spirit makes of us a new creation and supplies the grace and the strength for growth and service. As we gather on this Easter morning, recognize as well that this baptismal "promise" of new life points to the hope of our own eventual resurrection from the dead and eternal life in the presence and joy of God.
     The early Church recognized and cherished this close relationship between baptism and the resurrection. This is why baptisms took place in large numbers on Easter Sunday.
     Our reading from Hebrews 10 this morning focuses on baptism. The heart of the passage is in verse 22) "Let us draw near [to God] with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
     The only way that we can "draw near" to God "in full assurance" is if God makes the first move in our lives to clean us up. Baptism is the sacramental sign of that cleansing. This language of sprinkling and washing, which is plentiful in the Scriptures, both New and Old, is why we Presbyterians are not dogmatic on the mode of baptism.
     This drawing near to God is what is happening this morning as Lucy and Rose come forward for baptism. They will be baptized with the subsequent expectation; the confident, joyful expectation that they will begin to draw nearer and nearer their God in Jesus Christ!
     I have some words of counsel for those two before they come up here to the baptismal font. But I want the rest of you to listen to these words as well, because you are ever encouraged to be improving and growing in your own baptisms!
     But, first things first-- the reason that we are able to speak so boldly about baptism and improving our baptisms is because of what took place on our behalf on the cross. The writer to the Hebrews alludes to the crucifixion and the resurrection in his lead up to being "sprinkled" and "washed" in the waters of baptism (verses 19-21):

Therefore, brothers [and sisters!], since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God...."

Let me paraphrase those verses for you to bring out the meaning:

By the blood of Jesus on Calvary, in that eventful death, we have the opportunity to confidently approach God with the expectation of a relationship with him. This is possible solely because Christ rose from the grave to sit at the right hand of God, ever to make intercession for us. He is the resurrected and living "great priest over the house of God."

Because of this; because of this, we can draw near to God to be "washed" and "sprinkled clean."

Here are some ways in which we can do just that:

1. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful." (Heb. 10:23)
     Throughout history right up to the present, the faithful have encountered various degrees of persecution. Of course, in our own present context, the difficulty in "hold[ing] fast" to our confession of Christ is largely due to competing world views. The Faith gets watered down so much; demands are placed on the Faithful to capitulate to the reigning ideologies and movements of the moment.
     I would be remiss if I didn't mention the personal temptations and fears that seem to bedevil us quite frequently. These personal demons make it very difficult to maintain any shape of consistency.
     But you must not. You must not. The hope of growing new life; the hope of resurrection is intact because the God who promises is faithful! Don't ever give up! The wait is worth it and there is so much to do along the way.

2. "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works…." (Heb. 10:24)
You might call this the fruit of baptism. You have not been washed and given new life to sit on the shelf. In the Reformed tradition, we have a cherished saying: We have not been saved by works; it is all about God's grace. This much is true, but there is a corollary truth to this statement: You have not been saved by works; but you have by no means been saved from works! Our baptism calls us to love and good works. That is what we have been marked to do.

3. "Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Heb. 10:25)
Finally, you draw your strength from your place in the body of Christ. Please bear in mind that your baptism calls you to faithfulness as a disciple. You are not called to be a shopping consumer of religious experiences, wandering around looking for something interesting or even entertaining.
You are called to a particular group of people, called the local church; a people who have flaws, warts and every other imaginable short-coming. But you know what? You're a part of that problem too! You need them and they need you! We need to be "encouraging one another" all the more in these days as The Day draws closer. It is now one day closer than it was yesterday!

I close with the advice from the illustration at the top of the message:

Remember your name - Child of God!
Remember who you are - A New Creation in Christ!
Remember your baptism - Sprinkled and Washed clean!
Remember the promise of baptism - Resurrection Life!

"He who promised is faithful." He will do it. Glory to God!

Amen.