Confession of Faith: Article XXXIV (2)

The sign of baptism

The sign of baptism must be water, pure clean water; nothing but water; nothing mixed with it. The water must be only pure, clear water as an illustration of the pure cleansing blood of Christ. Do you know why this sign is so applicable, so suitable? It is because the characteristics of water give clear indication of what the blood of Christ accomplishes for sinners. In speaking of this, Arnoldus of Rotterdam mentioned a few of these characteristics:

a. Water is softening, and if that grace which is signified in baptism is applied to us, then the Lord takes away the stony heart and gives a heart of flesh. Softening! One’s heart may be as hard as a rock, but the blood of Jesus Christ, the application of that blood by the work of the Holy Spirit, makes the hardest rebel soft and melting away under the love, goodness, mercy, and holiness of God — a heart of flesh.

b. Water has its cooling and refreshing effect. The work of grace and the blood of Jesus Christ refresh the weary, the heavy-laden sinner. This refreshing is so much that one, as it were, may experience what we read in Song of Solomon 2:5, “Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.” The bride is saying, as it were, that her body cannot bear it, and that she is full of the love of God by that refreshing work.

c. Water may have a healing power. It may heal one who is sinking, one who cannot go on anymore. It may heal and restore health. We read of the blood and of the work of the Lamb; He was wounded for our transgressions, and with His stripes we are healed.

d. Water also makes things fruitful. The Spirit whom Christ has merited will be poured upon all flesh so that they shall spring up, Isaiah says, as among the grass, as willows by the watercourses. Then even the most barren desert of the heart will be as a fruitful field.

e. Water is also cleansing. By the blood of Christ we are washed and we are sanctified.

The time of baptism

We must also say something about the time of baptism. Must we first make confession? Must we be baptized as adults, or may we be baptized as children? Not only the Anabaptists, in the time when the Confession was written in the days of the Reformation, but also the Baptists, originally from England, appealed to the practice of the early Christian church and said that then only adults were baptized, and not children. However, in early church writings we read of the practice of infant baptism in the testimonies of such church fathers as Tertullian. Origen, from the second century, said he himself was baptized as an infant. Ambrose said that baptism of children had been practiced from the time of the apostles. Augustine stated that he could not believe that there would be any Christian or any church that did not believe that infant baptism was according to the truth, and he maintained it had always been practiced. The Council of 256 also spoke about baptizing children as early as possible.

Infant baptism is scriptural, although we do not find a literal command. We read that the Lord says, “Go to all nations, baptizing them.” Would that be just adults, baptizing just the parents? “Baptizing them.” Is a distinction made there? When we go a bit further in Scripture, we read about households. Lydia was baptized with her household, the jailer “and all his,” and also Stephenas and his household (1 Corinthians 1).

The third reason for infant baptism is that children are also in the covenant. Genesis 17:7 says that the Lord will establish a covenant which shall be with “thee and thy seed after thee,” thus also with their children. If children as well as the parents are in the covenant, why may they not receive the sign of the covenant? Children also may be members of God’s Church, with a capital “C.” We read in Joel 2:16 that every one should be assembled, also “the children, and those that suck the breasts.” Baptism is also for children, because circumcision was performed on children; and baptism undoubtedly came instead of circumcision. Read Colossians 2:11-12. We may believe, as was mentioned already, that baptism of infants was practiced in the old Christian church from its early beginning.

When should infants be baptized? As soon as possible, our fathers said. It is not right to postpone it if we have the opportunity for baptism. Our fathers, although they were not Roman Catholics and did not give a magic power to the water of baptism, saw the importance and the significance of the sacrament, and they emphasized it so much that they said, “As soon as possible.” In the beginning it was done so early that often the mothers could not be present. We can hardly imagine this, but it was because they insisted that it should be done as early as possible.

The marks of grace signified

What are the marks of grace signified by baptism? Most of us have been baptized. We have spoken about the blood of Christ and the washing away of sins signified by it, but how can we know whether we are inwardly baptized, whether we have something of the matter signified? Then the same forefather, Arnoldus of Rotterdam, mentioned a few marks that I would like to share with you.

a. There is the mark of grieving over sin and being concerned about what I have done against God; being pained about what I have committed against a holy God. This causes a godly sorrow, which the Lord works in the heart of an awakened sinner. He points to Ezekiel 36:31, which says, “Then shall ye remember your own evil ways.” Have you ever done that? “And your doings that were not good.” And then this, “And shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.” I do not want you to stay there, for we have to come to that which the water signifies — the blood of Jesus Christ. But I believe that if we do not know this loathing of ourselves and yet think that we have that blood applied to us, we deceive ourselves. May the Lord work this godly sorrow in us.

b. It is necessary that we become a willing people in the day of His power. We must surrender to the Lord, bow under His easy yoke and light burden, and wholeheartedly want to live before Him. We must know something of Psalm 119:106, “I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep Thy righteous judgments.”

c. He mentions that we are then seekers of the internal washing of the heart. We will not be satisfied with the outward washing, but we will say, “O Lord, Thy blood I need in my heart.” “Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:2).

d. Those people will be very desirous and longing for assurance, for certainty. They cannot rest in perhaps having experienced something of there being room for them in the blood of Christ and of the preciousness of this blood. They need not only the seal of baptism, but also the testimony of the Spirit, who seals that washing to their heart. “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”

e. Finally, he urges a seeking and asking much for the sovereign light to know your uncleanness and spiritual leprosy also more and more. Then seek to receive that cleansing like a dying sinner humbled to the dust. Repent; seek to know that mourning about sin, not to be satisfied with it, but seek to take refuge in the blood of Jesus Christ. And if you may know something of it, continue to pray for the daily cleansing by His blood.

We conclude the discussion of this article of our Confession with some further instructions from Arnoldus of Rotterdam:

a. That true believers should render thanks unto God for such a precious means of cleansing, for such a divine provision in the blood of His own Son.

b. That believers must seek to have close fellowship with Him and love for all those who may know the same longing and need of this love.

c. That we should also faithfully confess and defend this doctrine. It should not be something marginal, but we should stand for it, as something very essential to us.

d. That the two ordinances should not be separated. If this baptism may be known in truth, we should not think that the Lord’s Supper is not so important. We should then not only receive that washing, but also seek nourishment in the other sacrament, the Lord’s Supper. Then we should go to the Lord’s table if we truly have been raised from that death, from the grave of our sins, and should show the fruits of that new life.

Finally, we should also trust in the covenant-keeping God. In Psalm 71:17-18, we read those precious verses: “O God, Thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared Thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grey-headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed Thy strength unto this generation, and Thy power to every one that is to come.”

Holy baptism speaks of His covenant faithfulness unto all generations. May we supplicate Him to remember His covenant. That is the only hope, also in our days, for our families and our dear children.

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