Davidius
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
I'm still somewhat new to the practice of covenant baptism (have only seen two of them so far). Sometimes I find the terminology confusing. Could someone answer the following question for me?
We say that we should baptize our children because they are "covenant children," and there are some kind of promises made to them by God. However, what is this promise, exactly? That they will receive the realities of the baptism if the believe? If so, how is this any different from the promise that is made to everyone else? Anyone who exercises faith will receive the realities signified in baptism. What then, makes "covenant children" different from the children of the world? Is there some kind of statistically higher chance the the children of believers are elect?
I found this response in another thread from Bruce:
But how does this make our children special? The children of believers are pouring out of the Church. How can we call them Christians without assuming an ontological difference between them and other children? How can God own them, how can he be their God if they don't have the relationship that David speaks of? He said in Psalm 22 "From the womb you have been my God." What does that mean? And does "being our God" mean the same thing in Psalm 22 as it does when God promises to be a God to us and our children? If so, in what way is God's relationship to us different from his relationship to our children, considering He says that He is our God and our children's God side by side?
We say that we should baptize our children because they are "covenant children," and there are some kind of promises made to them by God. However, what is this promise, exactly? That they will receive the realities of the baptism if the believe? If so, how is this any different from the promise that is made to everyone else? Anyone who exercises faith will receive the realities signified in baptism. What then, makes "covenant children" different from the children of the world? Is there some kind of statistically higher chance the the children of believers are elect?
I found this response in another thread from Bruce:
I tell my children "we" are Christians. I "command" my children to keep the way of the Lord (Gen. 18:19). We discipline them in the fear and admonishon of the Lord. I inform them of Christ the only way of salvation, of the necessity of the Holy Spirit, and of the Father's forgiveness. We pray with and for them, directing their attention to the God of the Scriptures. We tell them they have God's sign of ownership upon them (baptism). This is a great privilege: being counted in the church, but also an awful responsibility.
But how does this make our children special? The children of believers are pouring out of the Church. How can we call them Christians without assuming an ontological difference between them and other children? How can God own them, how can he be their God if they don't have the relationship that David speaks of? He said in Psalm 22 "From the womb you have been my God." What does that mean? And does "being our God" mean the same thing in Psalm 22 as it does when God promises to be a God to us and our children? If so, in what way is God's relationship to us different from his relationship to our children, considering He says that He is our God and our children's God side by side?