Baptism sketches out for us what the entire architecture of the Christian life should be: faith accompanied by ready obedience. Baptism isn’t a word which man speaks, but is a visible word which God speaks. In this sign He promises to unite us to all the grace found in the person and work of Christ. God extends this sign in grace, and the one baptized receives it in passive faith.
But since faith without works is dead, baptism summons the one baptized to put off the old man, mortify the flesh, and strive by the power of the Spirit to imitate Christ. Corporately, we see then that baptism is the Church acting in faith (trusting in all of God’s covenant promises) and an act of obedience (doing according to all our King has commanded). Believe and be baptized really is the shape of the Christian life. Or as the hymn writer put it: trust and obey.
So welcome our brother to Jesus Christ…
Leave a Reply