The Bible—among many things—is a book of symbols. But they are not empty symbols, they are symbols that speak and direct us to a reality. Baptism does just that! It is a sign and symbol of the reality that God’s promises are true to you and your children. Baptism sets you apart to be a member of Christ so that, as the Heidelberg Catechism states, “you will be more and more dead to sin and increasingly live a holy and blameless life.”[1]
Baptism is the marking of a God who loves you and who promises to be with you all the days of your life.
But baptism is not a ticket to heaven, it is a ticket to enter into an earthly community that is heaven-shaped. And this is what Kole Downey is doing today. He is entering by profession into a heavenly-shaped community. He is going to continue to—by the grace and mercy of His God—to live unto righteousness and die unto sin. And we as a congregation have this profound responsibility to come longside and encourage his parents as they continue to nurture Kole in godliness and wisdom.
Harrell and Tammy, keep loving this great God we serve, and the more you love, so too, will Kole hunger to love that same God. As parents, look around and know that we have entered into that same covenant with our children. Be encouraged and filled with joy on this day.
Kole Barrington Downey: to be baptized is to love Jesus sincerely; to honor him daily, and to follow him all your days. This promise is for you! Cherish, remember, and live it!
[1] Question 70.
