steadfast7
Puritan Board Junior
Hi folks, the recent kindle free book offer, Sproul's A Taste of Heaven: worship in the light of eternity devotes a couple of chapters on baptism (basic stuff that've covered here). I always get tripped up the paedo view of baptism as a promise. Here's his quote that states it plainly:
As I see it, his logic is:
1. God promises salvation in baptism
2. We believe and are saved
Therefore: God has kept his promise
You see the gaping question this leaves: suppose person A doesn't believe, then?
1. God has not kept his promise
2. God has kept his promise, but it doesn't mean anything
3. The idea of Baptism as a promise is misleading and unhelpful
4. ?
thoughts?
When we are baptized the first time, we receive an outward sign of the promise of God, and when we come to faith, God has kept His promise. We are now born again. We are now members of the new covenant. We now enjoy in the sight of God personal identification with Jesus Christ. We now participate in His humiliation and the exaltation. What part of the promise has God failed to keep? None. (loc: 747)
As I see it, his logic is:
1. God promises salvation in baptism
2. We believe and are saved
Therefore: God has kept his promise
You see the gaping question this leaves: suppose person A doesn't believe, then?
1. God has not kept his promise
2. God has kept his promise, but it doesn't mean anything
3. The idea of Baptism as a promise is misleading and unhelpful
4. ?
thoughts?