Covenant Baptism
Now it begins to get sticky. If water baptism is a symbol of Holy Spirit baptism and both are symbols of regeneration then that would lend support to the Covenant theology doctrine that equates Old Testament circumcision with New Testament Baptism. The Old Testament was the shadow, the New Testament the fulfillment. Circumcision foreshadowed the penalty of sin (i.e., being cut off, death) and the willingness of the Messiah to bear that penalty for us. Now that the Messiah has come and has borne that penalty, it is no longer appropriate for us to bear the sign of the old covenant.
For example, the Old Testament obliges God’s people to celebrate Passover in remembrance of the Lord’s deliverance from the tyranny of Egypt. Yet Passover itself is but a shadow of the Lord’s own first-born Lamb suffering and dying for His people. Now that Christ has come, we no longer celebrate Passover but the Lord’s Supper instead. The simple meal of wine and bread is the new symbol of the Lord’s deliverance of His people.
Thus in the same way, now that the Messiah has come, it is no longer proper to use circumcision as a symbol of entrance into the covenant. We have a new symbol, baptism. In the Old Testament, the promise of the fullness of the Spirit was yet future. Now it is a reality. When the Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, He entered into human hearts, converting dead fleshly beings into spiritually alive new creations (2 Cor 5:17). Thus, water baptism is a replacement for circumcision.
Now if this is true, then the question arises, to whom then should this symbol be applied? Covenant theology insists that God deals with peoples, not just individuals. Covenantal theology teaches that God is pleased to work within families. Peter said on the day of Pentecost that the promise of regeneration and participation in God’s divine family were “for you and your children and for… as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself… (Acts 2:39).”
In the Old Covenant, the symbol of participation in the covenant (i.e., circumcision) was applied to every male child on the eighth day. This did not mean that every individual Hebrew child was saved, only that the child was included in the covenant community. If the child grew up and rejected the covenant, he was “cut off” and the symbol of blessing became a symbol of cursing. Jesus said, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” The Jews paid a heavy price for their apostasy and rebellion. The mark of the Covenant could either be a blessing or a curse depending upon whether it was followed up by faith.
Thus, I came to see that in the same way, Baptism as a symbol should be applied to the children of believing members of the church. God’s covenant is not just for individuals, but for families as well. The sign of the covenant is a promise by God that He will remain faithful to His Word. No, it does not mean that every baptized infant is saved (just as no Baptist would ever say that every person who professes faith and is baptized is necessarily saved).
The significance of this came home to me when I was pastoring a Baptist church some years ago. When Baptist children hit their early teen years, usually some sort of “revival” breaks out in the youth group and most of the teens will get “saved” in a fairly short period of time. They then come forward for baptism. In this case, as a number of young people were baptized, one teenage girl from a believing family also came forward. The girl though sweet in spirit suffered from emotional and learning difficulties. We worked with her for weeks, catechizing and instructing and going over the plan of salvation. No matter how hard we tried, she was never able to verbalize an unprompted, coherent confession of faith. Without that confession, though, as a conscientious Baptist Pastor, I was unable to baptize her, which caused her, her family and a number of others in the church a great deal of heartburn. Couldn’t I just bend the rules a little bit?
Now though I see that God works in families. That young girl did have a portion in the Covenant and should have been baptized as a child. It is good, right and proper that the children of believing parents be given the sign of blessing. Now 1 Corinthians 7:14 makes sense: “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.” This verse is very hard to understand from a Baptist’s perspective, but makes perfect sense to those who hold to Covenant baptism. The children of even one believing parent are holy; not that they are not sinners by nature, but rather holy in the sense of being under the blessings of the Covenant. Covenant children have believing parents who teach them God’s law and commandments and provide models of Christ-like love and character. They are under the care of a Christian church that helps nurture and encourage them. They grow up hearing the gospel as a normal part of their lives.
Does this mean that all Covenant children are saved? Not necessarily, their baptism is to be a constant reminder that they have been given great blessings. But God must still work in their hearts, granting repentance, regenerating their hearts and giving them saving faith. If they turn away and reject these blessings, their condemnation, if possible, is worse than that of a heathen child.
“For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace. For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.’ And, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God… (Hebs 10:26ff)”
These verses were very difficult to understand to one steeped in the doctrines of eternal security. But when I realized that they probably refer to Covenant children who reject their Lord, they make perfect sense. Now this is both a promise and a dire warning of taking the blessings of the Covenant too lightly.
Thus, baptism replaces circumcision as the sign of participation in the New Covenant and my children have a portion in God’s great and wondrous salvation! I have a responsibility to teach, train, disciple and nurture my children. By God’s grace, I can expect my children to come to saving faith at a very young age. I can expect to see the results of a regenerate heart even in toddlers. While all children are conceived in iniquity and have a sinful nature, I expect our gracious Lord to remember His covenant, grant them repentance and give them saving faith. Thus I treat my children as believers who need to be loved and taught our holy religion, not as pagan interlopers in my home. And, as each of my children has come to the age of reason, each has been able to give a credible testimony of saving faith in Christ and evidence of a regenerate heart. God keeps His Covenant!
Of course, there is much more to Covenant baptism than what this one essay can detail. But it lays down the foundation for learning to see things in Scripture that our experiences have blinded us to. God is sovereign. He has made a covenant with His people. Baptism is the sign of that covenant and replaces circumcision. Our children have a portion in that covenant. And therefore, they have the right of baptism.