Old Testament Reading: Proverbs 16:16-20

“How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud. Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.” (Proverbs 16:16–20, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 22:24-34

“A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves. You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. [Verse 31] ‘Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.’ Peter said to him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.’ Jesus said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.’” (Luke 22:24–34, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church, but without the benefit of proofreading.

Sermon

The Christian life begins when God, by his grace, and by his Word and Spirit, humbles a sinner, convinces them of their sin and misery, opens their eyes to their great need for a Savior, and enables them to see that Jesus Christ is the Savior God has provided. In other words, true conversion always involves being humbled. It involves being brought low, such that we abandon any sense of self-sufficiency as it pertains to our right standing before God. In other words, when Christ converts a sinner, there is a kind of death and resurrection that takes place. The sinner dies to self and is raised unto life in Christ. We who have been converted do not hope in ourselves, or think of ourselves as worthy or sufficient. We hope in Christ alone and think of him as worthy and sufficient, and so we confess that he is Savior and Lord.

It should be clear to all that the heart sins of pride, self-conceit, and selfish ambition are opposed to everything that happens in conversion. When a sinner is converted, it is particularly the heart’s sins of pride, self-conceit, and selfish ambition that are defeated in the mind and heart of the sinner. If these heart sins were not defeated by God’s word and Spirit, then no one could ever truly repent, believe in Jesus, and confess him as Lord!  Pride, self-conceit, and selfish ambition are contrary to the Christian life, therefore. The two things are like oil and water – they do not mix. And whenever there is pride and selfish ambition in the heart of a Christian, it will produce “disorder and every vile practice.” (James 3:16, ESV).

We see this in the text that is open before us today. Were these men who followed after Jesus converted persons? Had they been humbled and subdued by God’s word and Spirit, such they had turned from their sins to confess Jesus as Lord? Yes, eleven of the twelve were true converts. And yet we see that they were still plagued by pride and selfish ambition. In the time of Jesus’ greatest need, when he was about to accomplish their redemption and inaugurate the kingdom they were longing to see, they were arguing with one another about which of them was the greatest. 

I do believe there is a powerful warning found in this text, brothers and sisters. Beware of the heart sins of pride and selfish ambition. It may be that the Lord has genuinely converted you. It may be that he truly humbled you, by his word and Spirit, and enabled you, by his grace, to abandon all hope in yourself and to place your trust in Christ. But this does not mean that heart sins of pride, self-conceit, and selfish ambition will never rise up within you again. They certainly will, for throughout the Christian life the corruptions that remain in our flesh will war against the Spirit (Galatians 5:17) and temptations are sure to come (Luke 17:1). And when these temptation do come, either from the world, the flesh, or Devil, they must be mortified, that is to say, put to death (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5).  

We considered Luke 22:24-30 in a previous sermon. Today, we turn our attention to verses 31-34. As we consider this text, we will learn, 1) to beware of the sin of pride and selfish ambition, 2) to be sober concerning the schemes of the Evil One, 3) to find our comfort and confidence in Christ alone, 4) to draw strength from his body, the church, and 5) to not despise the discipline of the Lord. 

 Beware Of The Sins Of Pride And Selfish Ambition

First, this passage teaches us that we should always beware of the sins of pride and selfish ambition in the heart. I see this principle in words, “Simon, Simon.”

In the previous passage, Luke tells us that a dispute arose among the disciples as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. No doubt, all of the disciples were embroiled in this dispute. But, as was said in a previous sermon, the voices of Peter, James, and John were likely the loudest. These three were clearly leaders amongst the twelve, and Peter was the leader of these three.  

Notice that Jesus addresses Peter directly in our text. Did Jesus single Peter out because his voice was the loudest in the dispute about greatness?  Or did he single him out because he was the leader of the band of disciples? I’d say it was for both of these reasons that Jesus singled him out. Peter, having been puffed up with pride and selfish ambition, needed to be humbled. And Peter would need to lead his fellow disciples in the way of humility in the future.

As you may know, Peter goes by different names. He is sometimes called Cephas, which is the Aramaic equivalent of the  Greek name, Peter. Peter means “rock” (John 1:42). This is the special name that Jesus gave to him. After he confessed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God, Christ said, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter [Cephas], and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:17–19, ESV). Again, the name Peter, or Cephas, means rock, and it was given to Simon after he confessed that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. 

It is interesting that Jesus here refers to Peter using his old name, Simon. The last time Peter was called Simon in Luke’s gospel was in Luke 7:44. He has been Peter, the rock, ever since. But here Christ calls him Simon, and it is not difficult to see why. Peter was wavering. He was, in this moment, consumed with pride and selfish ambition. He was making things about himself and forgetting that he was but a servant of Jesus, the Messiah. I cannot help but think that when Peter, and the rest of the disciples with him, heard Jesus speak to him, saying, “Simon, Simon”, they would have understood the meaning. He had been called Peter for some time now. But he was not behaving like a man worthy of the name Peter in this moment, for he had begun to slip off his rock-solid foundation, namely, his devotion to Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. Being puffed up with pride and selfish ambition, Peter began to waver. 

It is also interesting that the name Simon is related to the Hebrew word that means to hear. Perhaps Jesus called Peter “Simon” to indicate that he had heard Peter disputing about his greatness, and was now urging him to hear his words of warning. Or perhaps Jesus wanted Simon to remember the Shamah and to apply it to his sinful heart: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4, ESV).

No doubt, this passage is a warning to all of us concerning the dangers of pride and selfish ambition in the heart. No one is immune to this heart sin. In fact, it is a very common disease of the heart, and something that the Lord hates. As Proverbs 6:16-19 says, “There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” (Proverbs 6:16–19, ESV). There is a connection to made between the first and the last sins on this list. Haughty eyes, that is to say, pride in the heart, will always lead to discord amongst the brethren. 

And what is the remedy to the heart-sin of pride? It is the Shamah: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4, ESV). We must be ever mindful of God and his Christ and their authority over us. “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand” (Psalm 95:6–7, ESV).

Be Sober Concerning The Schemes Of The Evil One

Not only does this text teach us to beware of the sins of pride and selfish ambition, it also teaches us to be sober concerning the schemes of the Evil One. This warning is found in verse 31, wherein we hear Christ say, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat…”

When Christ mentioned Satan, it was to remind his disciples of the invisible, spiritual world and the battle that has raged in that realm for the souls of men ever since Satan entered the garden to bring temptation to Adam through Eve. Jesus’ disciples were fighting with one another over who was the greatest, and Jesus immediately reminded them that Satan was trying to destroy them. 

You should know that in verse 31 and in its first two occurrences in verse 32, the word translated as “you” and “your” is plural in the Greek.  “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you [all], that he might sift you [all] like wheat, but I have prayed for you [all] that [the] faith of [you all] may not fail. And when you [Peter] have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31–32, ESV). 

It was not only Peter who was being tempted by the Evil One, but all of the disciples of Jesus. Satan knew that this was a crucial moment. He had entered Judas’ heart to lead him to betray Jesus. The time for Jesus to be crucified was drawing near. And so Satan brought a strong assault against the disciples of Jesus. He demanded to have them. This must mean that he, as the accuser of the brethren, came before God to do the very thing he had done in the days of Job. He brought his accusations against them and requested to have them so that he might destroy them. He wished to sift them like wheat. This means, he wished to shake them up, disturb them, divide them, and even to distroy them. 

Yes, when the disciples of Jesus were assembled in that upper room, after they had observed the last Passover, and after the Lord’s Supper was instituted, Satan attacked them. And pay careful attention to his tactic. He tempted their hearts with pride and selfish ambition and sought to divide them one from another.

Dear brothers and sisters, do not be ignorant of the schemes of the Evil One. Study the Holy Scriptures to know how he operates. His tactics are the same as they were in the Garden of Eden. Satan will tempt you to think little of God and much of yourself. He will tempt you to forget, twist, or doubt God’s word. He will tempt you to think much of yourself and little of others. He would love it if you would forget Christ and despise him. He will attempt to divide and conquer Christ’s people. This he will do by attempting to stir up the fleshly and sinful desires within us, especially pride and selfish ambition.

The Apostle Paul warns us not to be outwitted by Satan. He insists that we forgive those who are repentant after they are disciplined, “so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs” (2 Corinthians 2:11, ESV). The Apostle Peter wrote his letters under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but he also wrote from experience: “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8, ESV). No doubt, the experiences Peter had on the night before Christ’s crucifixion had a profound impact upon him. He learned to be humble. He learned to be sober-minded and watchful. And so he exhorts us to do the same.  

Find Your Comfort And Confidence In The Mediation Christ

Thirdly, this passage teaches us to take comfort and confidence in Jesus Christ, our mediator and great High Priest. This encouragement is found in verse 32: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you [all], that he might sift you [all] like wheat, but I have prayed for you [all] that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:31–32, ESV).

Christ has promised to uphold his people. “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day” (John 6:39, ESV).

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:27–30, ESV)

And how does Christ preserve his people? One of the things he does is intercede for them.

“Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34, ESV)

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1, ESV)

Though Christ had not yet died, risen, and ascended to the Father’s right hand, he was already interceding for his disciples in prayer. “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you [all], that he might sift you [all] like wheat, but I have prayed for you [all] that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:31–32, ESV). Think of how much greater his intercession is now that he is risen and ascended. The writer of the book of Hebrews reflects on this, saying, “Consequently, [Jesus] is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25, ESV).

Dear friends, when I say, find your comfort and confidence in the mediation of Christ, I mean, do not find your comfort or confidence in yourself or in any other created thing. Take comfort in God and in his Christ. Make him your only confidence, for he alone can save you and sustain you. 

Draw Strength From Christ’s Body, The Church 

Fourthly, this passage teaches us to draw strength from Christ’s body, the church. How so, you ask? I see this principle in the words that Christ spoke to Peter: “And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32, ESV).

Here in verse 32, the Greek word translated as “you” is singular. Jesus is speaking directly to Peter here. “And when you [Peter] have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32, ESV).

Of course, when Christ spoke of Peter turning again, he implied that Peter had begun to wander off in the wrong direction, would need to repent, and eventually would. 

Peter understood what Jesus was implying. That is why he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33, ESV). In fact, Peter was not ready to do this. Men who are puffed up with pride and selfish ambition are not prepared to lay down their lives in the service of others. Jesus knew this about Peter. Peter probably knew this about himself. And so he doubled down and boldly expressed his devotion to Christ. “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33, ESV). “Jesus said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me’” (Luke 22:34, ESV). This, as you may know, would happen. 

But our attention here is on the words, “And when you [Peter] have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32, ESV). Peter, as the leader of the band, was to use this experience to strengthen his fellow disciples once he was restored. 

The Christian life, dear friends, is not to be lived in isolation. We are to encourage and strengthen one another in the Lord.

Do Not Despise The Discipline Of The Lord  

Fifthly, this passage teaches us not to despise the discipline of the Lord. 

No doubt, it was Peter who willfully decided to deny Jesus three times on the night before his crucifixion, but we must also confess that it was the will of the Lord to permit it. And why did the Lord permit it? It is safe to say that the Lord allowed this to discipline Peter so that he might walk humbly before him in the future and teach us others to do the same.    

Consider the good effect this experience had on Peter. He must have reflected upon this humbling experience in his life when he wrote these words: “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:5–8, ESV).

Do not despise the discipline of the Lord, brothers and sisters.

“And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:4–14, ESV).

Conclusion

Baptist Catechism 98-99

Q. 98. To whom is baptism to be administered?

A. Baptism is to be administered to all those who actually profess repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ; and to none other. (Acts 2:38; Matt. 3:6; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12,36; Acts 10:47,48)

Q. 99. Are the infants of such as are professing believers to be baptized?

A. The infants of such as are professing believers are not to be baptized; because there is neither command nor example in the Holy Scriptures, or certain consequence from them, to baptize such. (Proverbs 30:6; Luke 3:7,8)

Scripture Reading: Acts 2:36–41

“‘Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.’ Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:36–41, ESV).

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

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As I’m sure you know, the Baptist Catechism and the Westminster Shorter Catechism (the Catechism used by many who are Reformed Presbyterians) are very, very similar. The same thing can be said of our confessions of faith. The Second London Confession and the Westminster Confession are very similar documents. The similarities are important and encouraging. They remind us that we have a lot in common with our Reformed, Presbyterian brothers and sisters. This should encourage Christian unity and love.  

Now obviously, there are differences between these standards. The primary difference is our answer to the question, to whom is baptism to be administered? 

On the one hand, I do not want to over-emphasize the importance of this question. Indeed, there are other doctrines more foundational to the faith than the doctrine of baptism. To be a Christian, one must hold to orthodox views regarding God, Scripture, the fall of man into sin, and salvation through faith in Christ, for these doctrines are foundational to the faith. They carry much greater weight, therefore, than questions about baptism. Stated differently, I do believe that it is possible for Christians to differ over the question of who should be baptized and to regard one another as true and dear brothers and sisters in Christ, their unity being rooted in Christ, and in their agreement on the foundational doctrines just mentioned. There is something to be said for the approach of majoring in the majors and minoring in the minors. 

But on the other hand, I do not think it is wise to dismiss this question as unimportant. Baptism is very important, brothers and sisters, for Christ has ordained it. He has commanded that disciples be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Furthermore, baptism is connected to other things. Maybe you have heard me say that all theology hangs together. The meaning is that errors in one area will lead to errors in other areas. Errors in foundational doctrines (like the doctrines of God, Scripture, Man, Sin, and Salvation in Christ) are potentially catastrophic. And errors made in less foundational points of doctrine, though they might not disturb the foundation of the faith, will have a ripple effect on other doctrines, too. Our understanding of baptism will impact, in some way, our understanding of the church. It will impact our understanding of the nature of the New Covenant. Who are members of the New Covenant? Is the New Covenant breakable? These are a few related questions that come quickly to mind. 

Question 95 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, “To whom is Baptism to be administered?” Their answer is, “Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; but the infants of such as are members of the

visible church are to be baptized.”

Contrast this with question 98 of the Baptist Catechism: To whom is baptism to be administered? Answer: Baptism is to be administered to all those who actually profess repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ; and to none other. (Acts 2:38; Matt. 3:6; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12,36; Acts 10:47,48)

This is the clear teaching of the New Testament. 

Firstly, we should remember what the NT says that Baptism signifies. We considered the symbolism of baptism last week with the help of Baptist Catechism 97: What is Baptism? Answer. Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament instituted by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party baptized a sign of his fellowship with Him, in His death, burial, and resurrection; of his being engrafted into Him; of remissions of sins; and of his giving up himself unto God through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life.” If it is true that baptism signifies union with Christ in his death and resurrection, new birth, cleansing from sin, and a resolve to walk in a new way, then it is most reasonable to think that this sign is for those of whom these things are true! Baptism is for those who have been united to Christ by faith, cleansed by his blood, who have died to their old self, and raised to new life.  

Secondly, we should remember what we say through the waters of baptism. It is through baptism that we profess our faith. It is through baptism that we say, Jesus is Lord! Yes, we say that Jesus is Lord with our lips. But that profession is to be made through baptism. To be baptized is to say, I believe. To be baptized is to say, I have been forgiven. To be baptized is to say, I have died to my old self and raised to a newness of life. Through baptism, we make a profession and a commitment. Baptism is for those of whom this is true. 

Thirdly, we should remember what God says to us in baptism. In baptism, God’s name is placed on his people (we are to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit). In baptism, God says, through Christ you are forgiven and adopted as my own. Again I say, baptism is for those of whom this is true. 

In fact, a careful study of the New Testament Scriptures reveals that it is only those who make a credible profession of repentance and faith who are to be baptized. 

Perhaps the most important text is the one we call the Great Commission: “And Jesus came and said [to his disciples], ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV, emphasis added). 

When baptisms are described in the New Testament, we see that it is those who believe who are baptized. Sometimes those who believe in infant baptism will point to the household baptisms found in the Book of Acts and say, there must have been infants in these households! Two things can be said in response. One, it is not wise to build doctrines on the foundation of assumptions and speculations. Two, most of these passages where “households” are mentioned teach that those in these households heard the word and believed, something infants and small children cannot do (i.e.  Acts 11:13-18,  16:29-32).

I think it is very safe to say that not one text in the New Testament clearly teaches us to baptize infants. But we are not biblicists. We reject the idea that for something to be believed as true there must be a verse that says it. No, we are not biblicists. We agree that some doctrines are to be believed because they are taught by way of necessary consequence. This means that the whole of what the Bible says on a subject is to be taken into consideration when forming our doctrines. The most famous example of this is the doctrine of the Trinity. The Bible in some places teaches that God is one. In other places, the Bible teaches that God is three. No one verse can be found that teaches that God is three in one, but when all is carefully considered, we are moved by the testimony of the totality of Scripture to confess that God is Triune. 

Never does the New Testament command infant baptism – only the baptism of those who profess faith and repentance.

Never does the New Testament describe infant baptism – only the baptism of those who profess faith and repentance.

But do the Scriptures require us to believe in infant baptism by way of necessary or certain consequence? In other words, does a theological reading of Scripture require us to baptize the children of believers? Stated one more way, is infant baptism taught in a similar way to how the Trinity is taught in the Scriptures – no one verse of Scripture teaches it, but when the whole Bible is considered on the subject, we are bound to believe that babies are to be baptized? 

If we are to be consistent in our interpretation of the Scriptures, we must be open to the possibility (for we are not biblicists!), but the answer is no.

Listen to Baptist Catechism 99 after that, I will explain why.  Question 99: Are the infants of such as are professing believers to be baptized? Answer: The infants of such as are professing believers are not to be baptized; because there is neither command nor example in the Holy Scriptures, or certain consequence from them, to baptize such.

So why are we to baptize those who make a credible profession of repentance and faith in Christ only, and not the infants of those who make such a profession?  

1. The Scriptures nowhere command infant baptism. 
2. The Scriptures nowhere describe infant baptism. 
3. A careful, theological, covenantal, redemptive-historical study of the totality of the Scriptures – Old Testament and New – does not necessitate the practice of infant baptism. To the contrary, a careful examination of the Old Testament Scriptures agrees with the teaching of the New Testament that baptism is for those who profess faith in Christ alone. 

Those familiar with the debate between Reformed paedobaptists (paedo means child) and Reformed credobaptists (credo refers to a profession of faith) will know that the Reformed paedobaptists do not argue for their practice of infant baptism from the New Testament but from the Old. 

They argue like this:

1. The sign of circumcision was applied to infants under the Old Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants. 
2. The Old Covenant was a particular external administration of the Covenant of Grace, and the New Covenant is a particular external administration of the Covenant of Grace.
3. Given that the sign of admission into the Old Covenant (circumcision) was applied to the infants of covenant members, it must necessarily be that the sign of admission into the New Covenant (baptism) be applied to the infants of covenant members, namely, of those who believe. 

So you can see that the Reformed paedobaptists do not typically argue for their position by pointing to this verse or that in the New Testament. They argue from the Old Testament by reasoning that if circumcision was applied to infants under the Old Covenant, then it must necessarily be that baptism is to be given to infants under the New Covenant, even though the New Testament never says so.  

With all due respect to our Reformed paedobaptist brethren (many of whom we esteem very highly), we reject this reasoning. 

One, we do not agree that the Old Covenant was a particular external administration of the Covenant of Grace. The Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants were mixed. They were covenants of works that could be broken (and they were). But they carried within them promises, prophesies,  types, and shadows that pointed forward to Christ, his kingdom, and the covenant that he mediates – the New Covenant. The New Covenant alone is the Covenant of Grace. The Abrahamic and Mosaic anticipated and pointed forward to the Covenant of Grace, but they were not the Covenant of Grace, properly speaking, for they did not have Christ as head and mediator. We could talk about this for hours. And we have before in other studies. For now, let me say that our particular articulation of covenant theology, which differs from the typical paedobaptists’ articulation of that doctrine in important respects, leaves no room for the argument from infant circumcision to infant baptism that the paedobaptists are so fond of making. Do circumcision and baptism share something in common? Yes! They are both signs of their respective covenants, Old and New. But it does not necessarily follow that because one was applied to infants, then the other must be applied to infants also. The two covenants, though certainly interrelated, differ substantially from each other. It should be no surprise, therefore, that the signs of the covenants also differ substantially.   

Two, (and this point deserves much more time and attention than what we can give to it today) while we agree that it is appropriate to argue from necessary consequence in many matters of theology, it is not an appropriate thing to do with the positive laws which God added to the various covenants that he has entered into with man. The signs that God attached to the various covenants he made with man – trees, the rainbow, circumcision, and baptism – are arbitrary. By that I mean, they are simply based on God’s choice. We cannot necessarily reason from one to the other to figure out what they are and how they are to be applied. With positive laws, we are completely dependent on God’s express command. And this is why we look to Christ, his words, and to the New Testament to know what baptism is, what it signifies, how and to whom it is to be given. We are not biblicists. We acknowledge the validity of the interpretive principle of necessary consequence (Trinity). But we deny that it is appropriate to use this principle when it comes to positive laws and sacramental things, for it is impossible to reason from one sign to the other.

Now,  I suppose we are right to expect that signs will be attached to the Covenants God makes, for this is God’s established way. And of course, we should expect that the sign of a covenant will agree in its symbolism with the substance of the given covenant. It makes perfect sense that the sign of the Covenant of Works made with Adam in the garden would be two trees representing two choices, and two paths,  but God could have chosen a different sign. And it makes sense that the sign given to Abraham in the covenant that he made with him and all his physical descendants would be applied to the male reproductive organ, that it would involve the removal of something, thus symbolizing the threat of being cut off from the covenant (a covenant of works!) through disobedience, and that it would be bloody, signifying the crosswork of Christ who would be cut off for his people. This Christ was promised to Abraham and his children. He is the promised seed of the woman, the offspring of Abraham and David. Circumcision fit the Old Abrahamic Covenant, and it made perfect sense that it was to be applied to all of the male children of Abraham at eight days old irrespective of faith, for the Old Abrahamic covenant was made with them by virtue of the birth. For what it’s worth, it seems to me that circumcision was an excellent choice for the sign of the Old Abrahamic covenant, for it agreed with the substance of that covenant.

But the sign of circumcision does not fit the substance of the New Covenant, which is the Covenant of Grace. Think of it. The New Covenant is not made with an ethnic group. It is made with God’s elect. It is made with all who are born again and believe. It is those who have the faith of Abraham, not the DNA of Abraham, who are members of the New Covenant. And there is no threat of being cut off from the New Covenant. All who are true members of it will be preserved. And Christ, the seed of Abraham and David has come. He was cut off for us on the cross. He shed his blood to atone for sin. For all of these reasons, circumcision has been fulfilled and taken away, and baptism has been given as the sign of the New Covenant instead.

And baptism agrees with the substance of the New Covenant and thus serves as a fitting sign. Baptism signifies many things – union with Christ in his death and resurrection, the washing away of our sin, death to our old self, and new birth. This sign is to be given to those of whom these things are true.

The point is this: our Reformed and paedobaptist brethren error when they look to the sign of the Old Covenant to figure out to whom the sign of the New Covenant is to be applied. These are two different covenants made with two different groups of people (though there is some overlap, thanks be to God). We cannot reason from the one to the other, therefore. To know the answer to the question, to whom is baptism to be administered? To Christ and the New Testament we must go, for there this positive law is revealed. 

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Conclusion

Q. 98. To whom is baptism to be administered?

A. Baptism is to be administered to all those who actually profess repentance towards God, faith in, and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ; and to none other. (Acts 2:38; Matt. 3:6; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12,36; Acts 10:47,48)

Q. 99. Are the infants of such as are professing believers to be baptized?

A. The infants of such as are professing believers are not to be baptized; because there is neither command nor example in the Holy Scriptures, or certain consequence from them, to baptize such. (Proverbs 30:6; Luke 3:7,8)

Baptist Catechism 95

 Q. 95. How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effectual to salvation?

A. That the Word may become effectual to salvation we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation and prayer, receive it in faith and love, lay it up in our hearts and practice it in our lives. (Prov. 8:34; 1 Peter 2:1,2; 1 Tim. 4:13; Heb. 2:1,3; Heb. 4:2; 2 Thess. 2:10; Ps. 119:11; James 1:21,25)

Scripture Reading: James 1:19–25

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:19–25, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

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When we talk about the ordinary means of grace, two things must be remembered. On the one hand, we confess that these are the things that God ordinarily uses to work within the lives of his people: the Word of God read and preached, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer. On the other hand, we must guard against the error of thinking that these things work in an automatic fashion irrespective of the condition of the mind and heart of the one who partakes. No, brothers and sisters, we do have the responsibility to partake of these means of grace in a worthy manner and with hearts prepared.

Does that sound like a strange thing for a Calvinistic minister to say?  I’ll say it again, we do have the responsibility to partake of these means of grace in a worthy manner and with faith in our hearts. It is a common misunderstanding, but a very serious one, that the Reformed only believe in the sovereignty of God over salvation and deny all human responsibility. Have you encountered that misconception before? Or perhaps you have actually held such a view. It simply is not true. 

Is God sovereign over our salvation and our sanctification? Yes, he is. Do we come to be saved and to be sanctified by his grace alone? Yes, we do. But are we also responsible to repent and believe in Christ, to turn away from evil and to cling to what is good, and to persevere in Christ, making use of the means of grace that God has provided? Yes, we are. And this is why the Scriptures call us to do these things. They are things that we must do. But we can do them only by the free grace of God. 

All of this does connect to what we are learning about the means of grace, doesn’t it? God works through these means; that is true. But we are called by God to partake of these means thoughtfully and prayerfully with faith in our hearts.  

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Baptist Catechism 95

So then, the Word of God is a means of grace. People are brought to salvation through the Word, and they are sanctified in Christ by the Word. The Spirit of God works through the Scriptures as they are read and preached. 

Now we ask, “How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effectual to salvation?’ In other words, how are we to approach the Scriptures?

Let us consider the answer: “That the Word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence…” This means that we are to give our undivided attention to the Word regularly. ​​In Proverbs 8:34 we read, “Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors” (Proverbs 8:34, ESV). The one who is wise will run daily to God for wisdom and nourishment. We must diligently partake of the Word of God as it is read and preached.

Next, we find the words, “preparation and prayer”. ”That the Word may become effectual to salvation we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation and prayer…”  The prayer of the Psalmist in Psalm 119:18 should be our prayer: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” I’ll ask you this, do you pray on Saturday night, or as you come to church on Sunday morning that the Lord would speak to you through his Word as it is read and preached. Do you pray for those who minister the Word that they would speak with clarity and that God’s Spirit would move upon you and others? Do you come to hear the Word eagerly, expecting to hear from the Lord? We should, brothers and sisters. We should expect God to work through the ministry of the Word every Lord’s Day, and we should come to the assembly with our hearts and minds prepared to receive. James says, “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21, ESV).

You know, we live in an age where Christians may scour the internet and find audio recordings of the most gifted preachers delivering the very best sermons. Beware of this, friends. Those resources are a blessing, but do not forget that God has determined to work through the ordinary — ordinary preachers reading and preaching God’s Word in an ordinary way. Come expecting to hear from the Lord, and come prepared. 

Next, we are instructed to receive the Word “in faith and love”. To receive God’s Word in faith is to receive it, believing that it is, in fact, God’s word to us, that he inspired the composition of it, and has preserved it so that when we read the Scriptures, we are, in fact, reading the Words of God. To receive God’s Word by faith is also to receive it believing that God will surely keep all of the promises that are found within. One should not expect to be blessed by the Word, nourished and strengthened, if he comes doubting, “for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:6–7, ESV). To receive God’s word with love is to receive it, being reassured of God’s love for us in Christ, and with love in our hearts for God. 

Next, we are to lay God’s Word up in our hearts, brothers and sisters. This means that we are to hear God’s Word, meditate upon it, cherish it, and even devote it to memory. This is what Psalm 119:11 so beautifully describes, saying, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11, ESV).

This leads nicely to the last phrase of our catechism, which is “practice it in our lives.” We are to approach God’s Word with the intention of putting it into practice. We must be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. 

Listen again to James: “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:21–25, ESV)

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Conclusion

The one who diligently hears God’s Word read and preached, with their heart prepared, in faith and with love towards God, with the resolve to obey what God commands, will be blessed. To approach God’s Word in this way is a very good thing. It is a means of grace for the people of God. I am afraid it is a very dangerous thing, however, to approach God’s Word in a careless manner. To come to it casually and unprepared, with unbelief and a lack of love for God, with no intention to obey what is said. Both the Scriptures and experience testify that to approach God’s Word in this careless way leads not to a blessing but a curse. The one who approaches God’s Word in this careless way will find their heart growing harder and harder with the passing of time, and not softer to God and the things of God. Let us approach God’s Word with reverence, brothers and sisters.  

Q. 95. How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effectual to salvation?

A. That the Word may become effectual to salvation we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation and prayer, receive it in faith and love, lay it up in our hearts and practice it in our lives. (Prov. 8:34; 1 Peter 2:1,2; 1 Tim. 4:13; Heb. 2:1,3; Heb. 4:2; 2 Thess. 2:10; Ps. 119:11; James 1:21,25)