Why Do We Dedicate Children And Baptize Adults?

WHY DO WE DEDICATE CHILDREN AND BAPTIZE ADULTS?

Various Scriptures

INTRODUCTION: I would hazard to think that we all have stories about why we do some of the things we do. Sometimes we do things because this was the way others in our family did them, or perhaps we tried multiple ways ourselves and stumbled across the way that is best for us. Often there is no rhyme or reason for doing things the way we do, except for habit and personal preference.

Within the confines of the church though, there is a reason behind many of the things we do. There is a reason for membership – the Scriptures speak about the authority of the local church and evidence over and over how believers were baptized and then brought/added to the church. There is a reason for serving Christ through the church – The Great Commission. There is a reason for giving – God declares that a portion of all he has given us is to be returned to him, in fact when we do not, the book of Malachi says that we have stolen from God!

Child Dedication and Baptism also have their reasons. We dedicate children because Jesus blessed them and encouraged them to come to Him. Dedication is more than a promise between church and parent; it is a blessing on the life of the one being dedicated. Likewise Baptism is not done without reason. Both its timing and mode are important. In a Baptist Church, baptism is done after salvation. That is the biblical pattern. No where in Scripture do we see baptism occurring before salvation. The mode is also important. We baptize by immersion because that is the meaning of the word, and only immersion fulfills the meaning an imagery of baptism.

Today though is a special day. As a church we will be celebrating both of these events; we have already dedicated two children, and at the conclusion of this message, will baptize three in the pool. So, with this in mind, I believe it would be reasonable to look a little more in depth at these two activities of the church.

I WHY DO WE DEDICATE INFANTS

Psalms 139:13-16 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

A God is the Author of life

1 God knows each child before we do

2 God knows each child from the moment of conception

3 God is involved in our creation

B Dedication follows a Biblical Pattern

1 Hannah dedicated Samuel to the Lord

1 Samuel 1:11 11 And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."

2 Children are a heritage given to us from the Lord

Psalms 127:3 3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.

a Literally they are the RECEPTION of God’s Property

b Children become a permanent possession of the receiver

C God has parental instincts

1 God wants to gather His children under His protection

Matthew 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.

2 God is the one who waits patiently for us.

Luke 15:11-32 11 Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons.

12 The younger one said to his father, ’Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. … 20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21 "The son said to him, ’Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’