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\u201dThe Promise Is for Your Children\u201d
(Acts2:38- 39)

Introduction: This morning the Lord has granted to us the privilege of receiving into the New Testament covenant community two children by way of baptism.I t is always a joyful occasion when the Lord adds His

blessing to our individual families by granting them children. Buti t
is also a blessing to His church for we all rejoice together with one
another as the body of Christ for His blessings bestowed on any one part
of that body. And we especially rejoice when we see those infants
receiving the covenant sign of baptism, which, althoughi t does not save
them, yeti t seals to them the promises of God, and may become, with
God\u2019s blessing, a means to their salvation. This morning, we will look
specifically at baptism, whati t is, and who the Bible says are to be
the recipients.
poured out upon His church the promised blessing of the Spirit. In
response to the events of that day, many of the Jews gathered to hear
what the apostle Peter had to say concerning them. Peter drew upon
Old Testament prophecies to explain what was then happening, who this
Jesus was who had walked among them for three years, and then how

Jesus was exalted after His ascension. He said, \u201dTHEREFORE LET ALL THE HOUSEOF ISRAEL KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT GOD HAS MADE HIM BOTH LORD AND CHRIST--THIS JESUS WHOM YOU CRUCIFIED\u201d

(2 :3 6 ).
When they heard
this, they were pierced through with conviction, and cried out,
\u201dBRETHREN, WHAT SHALL WE DO?\u201d
(v. 3 7 ).
Peter responded, \u201dREPENT, AND
LET EACH OF YOU BE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE
FORGIVENESSOF YOUR SINS; AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT\u201d
(v. 3 8 ).
He told them to turn from their sins of having

crucified the Lord of glory, and from all of their sins which are an
affront to the holy God, and to turn unto Jesus in faith. Faith and
repentance are simultaneous acts: Repentance the turning from sin,
and faith the turning towards Christ. But there was yet more that
they must do. They must be baptized for the forgiveness of their
sins. This does not mean that baptism washes away their sins, as some
churches teach, but that baptism signifies the washing away of sins,

it symbolizes that which is promised to all who will embrace the Lord
Jesus Christ by faith. In reality,i t is accomplished by the Spirit
as He applies the merits of Christ to them, as He unites them to
Christ, and all that is Christ\u2019s becomes their\u2019s.
But next, the verse goes on to tell us to whom this promise
pertains, namely, \u201dFOR THE PROMISEIS FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN,
AND FOR ALL WHO ARE FAR OFF,A SMANY A S THE LORD OUR GOD SHALL CALL
TO HIMSELF\u201d
(v. 3 9 ).
This promise of the cleansing of sin is not

only for those who heard the words of Peter and responded to them,
but also for their children. And yet, now the promise of the
Gospel is not only for the Jewish people and their descendants, as

it had been under the Old Covenant, but now it is going to be sent
to the furthest parts of the earth, going out to every nation,
tribe, tongue and kindred, to\u201dASMANY A S THE LORD OUR GOD SHALL
CALL TO HIMSELF.\u201d What we will want to look at in this passage
this morning is specifically what baptism is, and to whomi t is to
be administered. And whatI want you to see is,
In Acts2, we read of the events of Pentecost, when the Lord Jesus
2
Baptism is the sign and seal of the blessings of God\u2019s
covenant grace, andi t is to be administered to all professing
Christians along with their children.
havea different view of baptism,I can only ask that you try
and follow the biblical reasoning presented, andat least try to
understand why your Christian brethren believe that infant
baptism is mandatedbyScripture.
For the sake of those visiting with us this morning who may
I.First,I Want You to See What Baptism Is, the Sign and Seal of
God\u2019s Covenant Grace, and of Inclusionin the New Covenant.
\u201dLET EACH OF YOU BE BAPTIZEDI N THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE
HOLY SPIRIT.
\u201d
A.
In the Old Covenant, God Gave to the People of Israel
FORGIVENESSOF YOURSINS,
AND
YOU SHALLRECEIVE THE GIFTOF THE
Circumcision as the Sign and Seal of His Covenant Grace.
1.
It was given as the sign of the covenant.
a.
The Lord said to Abraham, in Genesis
1 7 :1 0 ,
1 1 ,
\u201dTHIS IS MY COVENANT, WHICHYOU SHALL KEEP, BETWEEN
ME AND YOU AND YOUR DESCENDANTS AFTERYOU:EVERY
MALE AMONGYOU SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED. AND YOUSHALL
BE CIRCUMCISEDI N THE FLESH OF YOUR FORESKIN; AND IT
YOU.
was pointing to was the spiritual reality of the
circumcision of the heart, or the new birth. Moses
told the people of Israel, \u201dMOREOVER, THE LORD YOUR
YOUR DESCENDANTS, TO LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH
SHALLBE THE SIGNOF THE COVENANTBETWEENME
AND
b.A sign points to something, and what circumcision
GOD
WILLCIRCUMCISEYOURHEART
AND
THE HEARTOF
ALLYOURHEART
AND
WITH ALLYOURSOUL,IN ORDER
THAT YOU MAY LIVE\u201d
(Deu.3 0 : 6 ) .
invisible realities of the grace promised by God.
faithin the things we cannot see.
c. The purpose of the sign is visibly to point to the
d. God gives to us things we may see to strengthen our
2. Circumcision was also the seal of the covenant.
a.
We are told by Paul in Romans
4 : 1 1 >
concerning
Abraham, \u201dAND HE RECEIVED THE SIGN OF CIRCUMCISION,
A SEAL OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE FAITH WHICH HE
HAD WHILE UNCIRCUMCISED.\u201d
b. Circumcision was not onlya sign of the invisible
grace of God,buti t was alsoa seal of that grace.
c.A seal guarantees to its recipient the earnestness
on the part of the one who seals to give what is
promisedif the requirement is met.

d.I t is like the act ofa king, who, desiring to show his commitment to some matter, writesa document and sealsi t with his signet ring, thus putting uponi t his guarantee.

e. Circumcision guaranteed the giving of the invisible
grace of God to circumcise their heartsif they
would repent andbelieve.

B.In the New Covenant, Baptism Replaces Circumcision as the
3
Sign and Seal of God\u2019s Covenant.
1.
Itis plainin Scripture that we are no longer to
circumcise those who profess the true faith.
a.

To circumcise would be to turn back again to the Old Covenant, back to the shadows which had been fulfilledin Christ.

with the Jewish church have been fulfilled. We are not therefore, as the author to the Hebrews warned, to turn back to the things that were merely types and shadows of the reality.

b.
In Christ,all of God\u2019s gracious covenants made
2. Rather,in the New Testament, when the reality appears,
the Lord Jesus gives to us the covenant sign of baptism
to replace that of circumcision.
a.
The Lord Jesus gave to His disciples the command to
baptizeallwho profess the true religion.\u201dGO
THEREFORE ANDM A K E DISCIPLES OF ALL THE NATIONS,
BAPTIZINGTHEMIN THEN
AME OF THE FATHER
AND
THE
SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT\u201d( M a t t .
28:19).
b.
In the New Testament, we learn that baptism
signifies the same thing that circumcision did,
only nowina non-bloody manner.
( i )
Before the shedding of Christ\u2019s blood, the new

birth was signifiedbycircumcision,a bloody sign which signified the circumcision of the heart.

the same thing, the washing away of guilt and
the pollution of sin, which is the new heart,
but withouta n y blood being shed.
( i i i )
A s Paul says to Titus, \u201dHE SAVEDUS
.
.
.
ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY, BY THE WASHING OF
( i i )
But now He gives to us baptism which signifies
REGENERATION
AND
RENEWING BY THE HOLYSPIRIT,
WHOM HE
POURED
OUTUPONus RICHLYTHROUGH
JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOR\u201d(3:5-6).
C .
d.
e.
II.Secondly,
Paul,in the New Testament, links the two together,
showing that they signify the same thingand
function the same way, \u201dANDI NH I MYOU WERE ALSO
CIRCUMCISED WITHA CIRCUMCISION MADE WITHOUT HANDS,
IN THE REMOVAL OF THE BODY OF THE FLESH BY THE
CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST; HAVING BEEN BURIED WITHH I M
INBAPTISM\u201d
(Col.
2: 11-12).
That which circumcision is pointing to. is here said
to be fulfilled when that which baptism points to
is fulfilled as well.
Andso we see that baptism replaces circumcisionin
the New Covenant asa signand seal of God\u2019s
covenant.
I Want You to See WhoI t Is That Is to Receive the
Covenant Signof Baptism. \u201dFOR THE PROMISE IS FORYOU AND
YOUR CHILDREN, AND FORALL WHOARE FAR OFF, ASMANY AS THE
A. Historically, God Has Always Dealt With Families, Rather
LORDOUR
GOD
SHALLCALLTOHIM
SELF.\u201d
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