What Baptism Does and Doesn’t Do

Sermon Follow Up

Summary

1 Corinthians 10 teaches us that membership in the covenant people of God does not guarantee final salvation. True participation in, even belonging to God’s people is not a purely internal or spiritual phenomenon left to the subjective experience of the individual. It is an objective, communal identity that is conferred in much the same way as our other objective, communal identity markers (e.g. national citizenship). It is a gracious gift that our children are born into God’s family and can immediately receive baptism on the basis of God’s promise that He would be God to us and to our children. He welcomes them in among His people and calls them His own. This does not relieve them of the responsibility of embracing that identity and abiding in the faith family into which they were born; rather the obligations placed upon what many call “covenant children” are greater than the obligations placed upon those who have been given less. It is the responsibility of Christian parents to help our children love the family into which they’ve graciously been born—God’s family.

Discussion/Reflection Material

-Read 1 Corinthians 10:1–12 again. What things does Paul say were true of ‘all’ Israel? What happened to many of those same people? Why does Paul say their story was written down for us?

-How does the distinction between being a part of God’s people and possessing final/ultimate salvation land on you?

-What do you think about the idea that a baptism service is as effective as a wedding service?

-Is it new for you to think about baptism as doing something as opposed to just symbolizing something that’s already happened? What’s your assessment of that reading of the baptismal passages?

-At one point during the sermon I said, “baptism isn’t just a sign of connection to Christ, it actually connects you to Christ.” Does that sentence imply that baptism is the only way that someone can be connected to Christ?

-The understanding that baptism truly places someone into Christ’s body simplifies Jesus’ command to “abide” in Him. If by “Him,” He means His body, the Church, then the command to “abide in Christ” isn’t a mysterious assignment. It just means sticking with His people: worshipping with them, confessing your sins with them, repenting with them, loving and serving them, and reaching the world with them. No one who continues faithfully abiding in Christ and His people in these ways needs to hear those warning passages and panic about whether they really belong to Him. But does that somehow make salvation mechanical or based upon works? How would you know if you’ve done those things enough? How might the difference between receiving God’s gifts in faith and earning God’s gifts through works help us answer those questions?

Family Friendly Version

Big Idea: Christian children have been given a wonderful gift: God has placed you among His people and called you His own. But God’s gifts also give us responsibilities.

Talk about it: If you are growing up in a Christian family, think about everything God has already given you. You’ve been taught about Jesus since you were little. You get to worship with God’s people, hear His Word, sing His songs, pray to Him, and receive His forgiveness. In baptism, God even puts His name on you and welcomes you into His family.

That is an incredible blessing. You didn’t earn it. God gave it to you.

But God wants you to love the gifts He has given you. In 1 Corinthians 10, Israel received wonderful gifts from God, but many of them eventually turned away from Him. Paul tells us their story so that we will learn from it.

So you don’t need to wonder whether God wants you around. He has placed you among His people. You belong here. Your responsibility is to stay where God has planted you. Learn to love Jesus. Listen to His Word. Confess your sins. Receive His forgiveness. Love His people. And as you grow bigger, grow in faith too. God has given you the great blessing of growing up among His people. Receive that gift with joy, and abide in Christ.