Baptism is never divorced from a life of repentance. Baptism is not cheap grace given as a guarantee of heaven but a promise of a heavenly life by faith. It is not sacerdotal, expecting the consecrated hands of priests to function ex opere operato. It is not ex nihilo (out of nothing) appearing as a magical manifestation. Instead, baptism is a costly grace. It is a gift of community that comes from the power of the Spirit through the baptized Messiah from whose sides flowed living waters. It is incorporation into the holy ones.
Baptism is not a rationale for sin to abound but for the forgiveness of sins to abound and grace to abound in a life of repentance.
Baptism is an act of God in the life of these little ones as it is an act of God to direct these little ones all their days. They are baptized this day into the very death of Christ and raised in the very resurrection of Jesus, their King.
These recipients of baptism come because these believing parents affirm the covenant promises of God. They affirm that the nurture of God begins in this baptismal act.
Baptism is an introduction to a new life–a life of faith, a life of holiness, a life of baptismal obligations from their earliest days to their last days; a life of grace upon grace.
So, far from cheap grace, baptism is a costly grace; a grace that cost our Lord his very life and a grace that is now given to these children of the holy covenant.
May their days be filled with awe at the coming of Jesus, and may they live by faith from their earliest days to the end of their lives so that grace may abound.
“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
