Living Theology #42 – The Purity and Unity of the Church

by Garrett Glende

In chapter 45 of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, he explains two characteristics of the church, namely its purity and unity. These are two distinct markers of the church when it is held up against the backdrop of the world’s culture. Specifically, “the purity of the church is its degree of freedom from wrong doctrine and conduct, and its degree of conformity to God’s revealed will.” As the above definition reflects, the church is to be pure in both its beliefs and practices, setting it apart from a world that adheres to numerous false teachings and sinful actions. Grudem also defines the unity of the church as “its degree of freedom from divisions among true Christians.” Where the world will divide over any difference it can think of, Christians are to be brought together by a common love for God and faith in Christ.

Although there will never be a perfectly pure church, the New Testament is clear that we are to strive together towards maturity and Christ-likeness. This generally comes to bear in two areas: doctrine and living. When each individual member of the church is growing in their knowledge of God and is coming to understand the truths of His Word, then holy living results. The foundation of such purity is faithfulness to preaching the whole counsel of God on Sunday mornings. Feeding the sheep with the richness of God’s word will build their understanding of God and inform them of the proper applications. Christ himself makes the purity of the church a priority. We read in Ephesians 5 that “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” This process of sanctification is the gradual ascent towards holiness in our daily lives. The goal of the church is to exterminate any and all sins which may harm the body and dishonor God. In this way, it sets itself apart from a world that has absolutely no concern for sin and no fear of God before its eyes.

Grudem couples this idea of the purity of the church with that of church unity. The authors of the New Testament command that believers be unified. In Philippians 2:2 Paul exhorts the church to “be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” Elsewhere, he explains that God has gifted people in different ways so that we would be built up “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (Eph. 4:13). Jesus also desires that we are one so that the world would see that He was sent from the Father (John 17:20-21). Yet there is also a substantial amount of verses that speak about the necessity of separation. These portions of Scripture often deal with someone who is preaching a false doctrine about the person or work of Christ. It is the heretic or the unbeliever whom we are not to be united with. This is the principle of being unequally yoked that Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians 6:14. This is not to say that the church is to have absolutely no interaction with the world, but only that they should not have the same type of intimate bond as they do with fellow believers. The issue of church discipline would be appropriate to bring up here, as it relates both to unity and purity, but it will be dealt with more deeply in a future chapter. However, for now it is enough to say that the church is not to have fellowship with any individual or group that does not share the same belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When we consider this idea of the purity of the church, it should become quite clear that Jesus is intent on making His bride spotless and without blemish. This process towards holiness begins at the cross when He secured not only the salvation of the church, but also the sanctification of the church. It is something that is sure to take place, but it is not something that is fully left to Him. Sanctification is worked out both by God and man, but wholly under the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus, every church member plays a vital role in the purity of the body as a whole. If we continue to look at the body metaphor, then we can think of every member of the church as a different part of the body. We would not call someone with a stomach virus healthy, even if the rest of the body is in tip top shape. If a part of your body is sick, then you work hard to make it healthy. Similarly, each part of the church body must be healthy for the whole body to be truly healthy. So when we are concerned about the purity of the church, every member must take their own walks with God seriously. This means that sin must be dealt with in a serious manner. Often times it’s difficult to confess our struggles with sin to others and it is sometimes even harder to rebuke a brother or sister. But we should all be upfront about our sin in such a way that leads to more holy living. The Christian life is not meant to be lived alone. We have been baptized into a church body that is meant to watch out for the spiritual health of its members. But it takes the efforts of every member in order to truly accomplish this goal. The pastors and elders cannot be the only ones doing the work. It is everyone’s responsibility to sharpen and encourage one another so that the church would begin to look more and more like Christ.

Opportunities

by Elder Peter Lim

In the last few years, the word “opportunity” has become one of my favorite words. This is a result of meditating on the various choices that we face each day. What makes certain choices in life better than others? Depending on one’s worldview, circumstances in life are perceived and dealt with in different ways. For example, one can respond to a tragic event, say the death of a loved one, by grieving uncontrollably or by recognizing that a sovereign God has accomplished His work in that individual’s life. Of course it’s understandable to grieve because we will miss them, but it should be noted by a different kind of grief than the world’s grief, knowing that nothing is out of the control of a loving and sovereign God’s hands. A correct understanding of the doctrine of sovereignty of God is the primary determining factor in shaping our worldviews. An unbalanced and unbiblical view will lead to one extreme or the other. If one has a weak view of God’s sovereignty, then we will be more likely to think less about God and more about ourselves and our ability to avoid or otherwise deal with difficult circumstances. We will also give ourselves more credit for the “wise” choices that we were able to make since a weak view suggests that God isn’t all that interested nor sovereign over the details of our life. A strong view of God’s sovereignty leads us to giving less credit to ourselves and more glory to God. The obvious danger here is that a hyper-sovereign view will lead to an unbiblical view of a deterministic God whose interaction with His creation is limited to a robotic existence. The Bible is clear that while God is sovereign and in control of all things, He cares deeply for His people. This love manifested is basically the theme of the entire Bible. Since God is sovereign, we don’t have anything to worry about when unpleasant events happen. Let me illustrate with a couple of examples which highlights physically and emotionally difficult situations.

Example 1: Diagnosed with a Terminal Illness

For a Christian, death is never something to fear. It’s more like the end of running a marathon and the finish line is within sight. It is a welcome relief from not only the pains of this world, but more importantly it is an escape from the sinful flesh that we struggle against (Rom. 7:23) and the fulfillment of God’s work in us as we are given glorified bodies which are not stained with sin. (Rom. 8:23-25) Facing death is an opportunity to share the gospel to others who don’t understand your perspective. It is an opportunity for the remaining family members and friends to share the gospel with non-Christians.

Example 2: Being Hurt by Someone Whom You Thought was a Friend

Betrayal by a friend is one of the most emotionally devastating things a person can experience. Jesus came to Earth and experienced both extreme physical pain through the cross and emotional pain because of betrayal by a friend. Most of you are probably thinking that I’m referring to Judas. Actually I am referring to the fact that His creation, people, collectively rebel against Him and shake their fist in defiance. That means you and me, not just Judas. Why the present tense? Because you and I exemplify this every time we sin. When a friend hurts us, it should be a reminder to us that we do the same thing to God. Therefore, this is an opportunity for us to be like Jesus and pursue peace and forgiveness. The deeper the hurt, the better the analogy. The one who does not graciously seek peace is demonstrating that he knows nothing about God’s grace and has ample cause for questioning whether he is truly a believer or not. When the betrayer is forgiven by the one he hurt, it is an opportunity to relive the joy of receiving forgiveness from God. It is an opportunity to deepen our commitment to fight against our sinful flesh and sin no more. Finally, it is an opportunity for the world to see that Christians can live together in peace although there has been deep hurt.

Are you currently going through some difficult times? No matter what the circumstances are, it is an opportunity to glorify God.

Baptism – Hub Post

by Stephen Rodgers

This is the hub post for Richard Shin’s seven-part series on baptism.  From this page, you can easily find and refer to all posts in this series.

All posts in the Baptism series:

In addition to Richard’s series, we have gath­ered a num­ber of resources together in order to make it eas­ier for peo­ple to begin to think Biblically about this subject. Not wishing to divide these into too many categories, (and wanting to keep this as open and transparent as possible) I’ve broken them up by position. In case it wasn’t clear, LBC holds to the credo-baptist position, as outlined in section D of our Statement of Faith.

For the time-being, I’m keeping these resources at a high level, and not diving down into some of the more particular debates and discussions (the idiosyncrasies of Lutheran baptism, the credo-baptist age debates, the situation and grounding of baptism in either ecclesiology or triune theology proper, etc.).

Credo-Baptist (“Believer’s Baptism”)

Allegedly Neutral, Mixed, or Reference

Paedo-Baptist (“Infant Baptism”)

Conclusion (part 7)

by Richard Shin

The importance of baptism in a believer’s life cannot be over-emphasized. While the ordinance itself does not effect salvation, the depth of meaning behind it is paramount. Beginning with John the Baptist’s baptism of repentance, we looked at Jesus’ ministry and how His full obedience to the Father’s will included His own baptism. We also saw how highly the early church apostles regarded and practiced baptism. And then we delved deeper into two highly influential leaders in the early church and how their teachings spoke highly of believer’s baptism. Then we topped off our discussion with a quick look at the Reformed Presbyterian position of infant baptism.

The topic is weighty. People’s views on baptism range all over the spectrum, and we as Christians should not let this topic go easily. The significance of the ordinance of baptism in the life of a Christian is vital. We have to study it from the Bible (as with anything else) and grasp the full meaning behind it, not only because we have to understand it, but so that we can teach others, especially new believers, why it’s so important. However, we must never lose sight of what baptism is supposed to point us towards, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Like Paul, “Christ did not send [us] to baptize but to preach the gospel” (1 Cor. 1:17). And like Paul, we ought to hold the doctrine of the gospel at the center of all our other doctrines; it has and always will be the focus of all our preaching (1 Cor. 2:2). Therefore, the doctrine and practice of baptism has and always will represent the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And much like in the study of the Lord’s Supper, our continual preaching of the gospel will inevitably bring us to worship God in a deeper way, both in spirit and in truth.

All posts in this series:

The Iron Did Swim

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From 2 Kings 6:6

The axe-head seemed hopelessly lost, and as it was borrowed, the honour of the prophetic band was likely to be imperilled, and so the name of their God to be compromised. Contrary to all expectation, the iron was made to mount from the depth of the stream and to swim; for things impossible with man are possible with God.

I knew a man in Christ but a few years ago who was called to undertake a work far exceeding his strength. It appeared so difficult as to involve absurdity in the bare idea of attempting it. Yet he was called thereto, and his faith rose with the occasion; God honoured his faith, unlooked-for aid was sent, and the iron did swim. Another of the Lord’s family was in grievous financial straits, he was able to meet all claims, and much more if he could have realized a certain portion of his estate, but he was overtaken with a sudden pressure; he sought for friends in vain, but faith led him to the unfailing Helper, and lo, the trouble was averted, his footsteps were enlarged, and the iron did swim. A third had a sorrowful case of depravity to deal with. He had taught, reproved, warned, invited, and interceded, but all in vain. Old Adam was too strong for young Melancthon, the stubborn spirit would not relent. Then came an agony of prayer, and before long a blessed answer was sent from heaven. The hard heart was broken, the iron did swim.

Beloved reader, what is thy desperate case? What heavy matter hast thou in hand this evening? Bring it hither. The God of the prophets lives, and lives to help His saints. He will not suffer thee to lack any good thing. Believe thou in the Lord of hosts! Approach Him pleading the name of Jesus, and the iron shall swim; thou too shalt see the finger of God working marvels for His people. According to thy faith be it unto thee, and yet again the iron shall swim.

Weekly Links (10/15/2010)

by Stephen Rodgers

Well, it’s Friday once again, and that means that we’ve got some new links for you to enjoy!

  • First up, for those of you looking for some new audio/video to enjoy, the Desiring God 2010 National Conference material is now all online.  The topic had to do with the role of the mind in Christian living, so I think that you’ll find it valuable. (AUDIO/VIDEO)
  • And if you STILL want more audio to listen to, the folks over at Peacemaker Ministries had their annual conference as well on the theme of “Forgiveness.”  There were a number of great speakers and messages that you could benefit from as well. (AUDIO)
  • And since it’s a new month, the new edition of Tabletalk is out as well!  This month, the theme is “The Marks of the Christian.” (WEB)
  • That brings us to a couple of interesting articles that I thought went well together.  First, the folks over at the Resurgence put out an article on “How to Fight Clean Over Doctrine.” Meanwhile over at the Between the Times blog, Ken Keathley has an article about what to do “When Writing About Those with Whom You Disagree.” Both of these are great articles on how to conduct yourself in the midst of a disagreement. (WEB)
  • Desiring God also has another article by Paul Tripp on the subject of “Broken Bone Hymns.” He discusses Psalm 51 in particular, which has always held some special significance for me; I hope you’ll benefit from it as well. (WEB)
  • Over at Tim Challies blog, he had a couple of articles about what is right and what is wrong with Wikipedia.  I thought it was interesting. (WEB)
  • And considering some of the articles we’ve had recently on what is a church, I thought it was very timely that Mars Hill Church published their definition of church as well.
  • And last but not least, if you needed a bit of encouragement today, then this is for you.

All right, that wraps this up.  See you all on Sunday!

Pro Rege

Growth and Change in Lumos

by Roger Alcaraz

It’s sobering to think about Lighthouse without her youth members. Sobering because a year and a half ago, I couldn’t recall many interactions with them, but now it’s hard to walk throughout church without seeing each of their faces and reflecting on how they’re growing. The youth ministry is very active but is often tucked away in its own Bible studies, Sunday schools, and activities. This summer was a time of transition with our beloved youth pastor JR Cuevas moving with the church plant, but as he has said, “All who know me well can attest that I am the furthest thing from an indispensable minister. I have always been aware that the growth of the youth depended not on my strengths and talents but rather on God’s sovereignty and love for them – and He is more than capable of raising up another leader to accomplish whatever purpose He has for them.” So by the strength and grace of God, we’ve continued studying His Word with our studies of Jesus’ “I am” statements in the home of one of our staff leaders. We also developed a proper view of salvation and angels through our continued systematic theology series.

But these only describe various programs we have in Lumos, and as Pastor Patrick shared, people come before programs and so it is with Lumos. Perhaps you’ve seen their bright and young faces around church and have wanted to get to know them but have asked, “What do I, a collegian or single adult have in common to such an energetic youngling?” You’re asking the wrong question. It’s easy to worry that you’ll have nothing to talk about with this new generation and veer toward people you’re more familiar with. However, I can attest that these youth members treasure the friendships they have with older men and women. Also, what better way is there to apply the Titus 2 principle then with the youth at Lighthouse? I was once intimidated by the youth but after getting to know the Lumos bunch, I realized the tremendous opportunity to welcome them and represent Christ to them.

The dynamics of Lumos have changed. No longer are we a group entirely made up Lighthouse members’ children or even believing parents. Some have started attending because their Lighthouse friends invited them and they are discovering the message of the gospel. Some have been in Lighthouse their whole lives and are committed and baptized Christians. Still, some lie in between, having recently become Christians and want to take the gospel to their families. Each youth member is unique, and at times they’re all that the youth staff talks about when speaking together. It’s invigorating to be part of a ministry that takes so much joy in the people we serve and witness to. Since we take so much joy in our youthies, we want let you join the fun despite your business schedule. That is why we’ll be starting a Beacon series dedicated to better knowing them. We want you to see their goofy and fun side but we also want you to see how each one is growing and being challenged by the gospel.

Living Theology #41 – The Nature and Purpose of the Church

by Garrett Glende

This week marks the beginning of a new section of our trek through Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, namely the doctrine of the church. The next ten articles will deal with various issues related to the church, its nature, function, power, and giftedness. I’m particularly excited to begin this chunk of the book due to our current circumstances at Lighthouse (both San Diego and San Jose), as the church faces many new and challenging roads ahead. I believe that now, as much as ever, is the perfect time to dive into some important aspects of ecclesiology so that the local body might be strengthened and encouraged to support and invest in God’s kingdom. One note that is necessary to add here at the beginning: some of the content in this section of Grudem’s theology is contrary to what Lighthouse affirms as being true of Christ’s church. For this reason, I will let you all read those portions for yourselves and make informed decisions. As for me, I’ll be following Grudem’s structure, but I will present a view that lines up closer to that of Lighthouse Bible Church.

The first chapter in this section deals with the nature and purposes of the church. We can say first that the nature of the church is that it is made up of all true believers in Christ. Since its inauguration in Acts chapter 2, every single person who has repented of their sins and trusted in Christ for salvation is considered part of the church, at least on a universal level. Grudem speaks of the church both invisible and visible. It is invisible in that only God can see who is truly a part of the body. As mere humans, we are unable to accurately assess the spiritual condition of all those who profess to believe, thus what we see is called the visible church. So when we walk into church on Sundays, what we see there would constitute as part of the visible church. There is also a difference in the use of the word church in the New Testament with regards to its scope. There are times when it is implied to mean all the believers in the world and there are times when only a local gathering of believers is addressed. These have been known as the universal church and the local church.

Grudem discusses the marks of a church, those things which he calls the “distinguishing characteristics” so that we might not confuse the claims of many groups to be a true church. The first main issue that he brings up is the presence of true gospel preaching and the ministry of the Word of God. Any group that does not adhere to and proclaim the gospel as the Bible teaches it would not classify as a genuine church. Moreover, its ministry must include the preaching of God’s Word. Now, there are many places that teach the Bible, but it must be taught in such a way that is faithful to the way that God has intended. This is not to say that the preacher must never make a mistake in teaching, but the essential elements of orthodox Christianity must be present. The only other mark of the church that Grudem points out is the proper administration of the sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper). These are both ordinances that have been committed to the church by Christ so that it might be set apart from the world. It is through baptism where an individual makes a public declaration of his or her own personal relationship with Christ, signaling a dying to the world and a new life in Christ as part of His body, the church. Communion is the remembrance and proclamation of Christ’s death on our behalf (1 Corinthians 11:26) and is a continuing sign of membership in the church. For more on what constitutes a healthy church, see Mark Dever’s book, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church.

Finally, Grudem explores what he sees as the three purposes of the church: worship, nurture, and evangelism.

  1. The fundamental responsibility of the church is to worship God. This is what He has created us to do (Eph. 1:12), and this is what we will be doing for all of eternity (Rev. 5:11-14). Our worship is not something that is just done on Sundays, but it is a lifelong pursuit of God’s glory in our lives.
  2. Secondly, the church is to build up the body into maturity. This happens as each member comes along side another and encourages them to love Christ and grow in the knowledge of Him. Paul writes that his purpose in preaching was so he “may present everyone mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28). The purpose of the church is not merely to grow in numbers and structure, but rather that each individual member would experience gospel centered growth. This should challenge our thinking as we look at our priorities in church. Are they centered around practicality and ministry form? Or is our main goal to see people grow spiritually?
  3. Lastly, it is the purpose of the church to preach the gospel to the lost and to demonstrate God’s mercy to the world. God has commissioned his church to make disciples of all nations, necessitating that churches be planted across the globe and the gospel be shared with unbelievers. Although this is the thrust of the church’s ministry toward the world, it must still extend grace and mercy to the lost in practical ways. In this way, we reflect the grace of God which we have received to a lost and dying world.

This article serves as an introduction to much of the foundational concepts that will be tackled in the coming weeks. In order to truly understand the more secondary issues, we must first grasp the core truths of the Bible’s teaching on the church. If you are planning on following along with us, I highly recommend picking up trustworthy resources to aid in your study. If you don’t know what’s trustworthy or not just ask me (or preferably a pastor)!

Why Membership?

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Over the years, we have been able to address some fairly controversial issues at Lighthouse. There is no way of avoiding this if we are committed to preaching verse by verse through the Bible. It’s not like we could just skip the passages that are more difficult or might offend someone. We’ve dealt with the cessation of miraculous sign gifts, biblical masculinity and femininity, believer’s baptism, lordship salvation, and many of issues that have been debated in Christian circles. What is baffling to me is that the topic that stirred the most response and opposition is the importance of church membership.

A few years ago, Pastor John addressed the topic of church membership from the pulpit and many people found it to be offensive. Some wrongfully accused John of telling people to quit their jobs and drop out of school in order to be more committed to the church. Others just dismissed the teaching as unbiblical and unnecessary. It was just confusing because we had previously addressed what I thought were much more “controversial” issues with very little response. Why would a call to church membership cause such a commotion?

I think one reason why people are so opposed to church membership is that they simply haven’t been taught properly about it. They might think it’s a cultish sort of commitment with secret ceremonies complete with dark robes and candles. Or maybe they grew up in church and knew that membership was something their parents got involved with because their family had numbered offering envelopes. Without an understanding of the biblical reasons for membership, I can imagine how some of these negative ideas might have been conjured up.

Another reason why people might be opposed to church membership is that they have had some negative church experience in the past. Perhaps they grew up in a church that eventually experienced an ugly conflict and split. Maybe they were part of a church that didn’t practice biblical love, but instead was backbiting and gossipy. It is true that some people have been significantly hurt by their previous churches, and that is not something I would quickly dismiss.

For most people, though, I feel as though it comes down to a fear of commitment and accountability. They don’t want to become members because they like the freedom to be able to up and leave whenever they feel it would be best. Perhaps they are ignorant of just how self-serving this attitude really is. Church is not about how they might be a blessing to others, but it is simply about what suits them and what is most comfortable to them. Especially when the leaders of the church might one day address some sin issue in their life, rather than go through the difficulties of that, they would rather hang on to their ability to find a new church that wouldn’t be as invasive.

As good or bad as these reasons might be, they still do not address the major concern that God desires His people to be committed to the church. In our membership packet, we list ten reasons why church membership is biblical and should be pursued (and desired!). Certainly, you will not find a specific Bible verse commanding church membership. There is no verse that reads, “Thou shalt become a church member.” Still, the general principles laid throughout the New Testament make a strong case for church membership. Of course, aside from the responsibility of each member to be committed to a local church, there should also be a strong desire to live a life that is in conformity with God’s will that is motivated by a genuine love for Him. Here are those reasons for considering church membership:

  1. One of the responsibilities of the local church is to hold its members accountable in their spiritual walks. If someone is serious about personal holiness then they will become a member at a church (Matt. 18:15-20).
  2. Most, if not all, of the commands in the New Testament are found in the context of the local church and are to find their application primarily in the local church (e.g. the “one another” commands).
  3. The New Testament indicates that when individuals are saved, they are baptized into the church (Acts 2:41; Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:12-13).
  4. Scripture calls believers to submit to the authority of the leaders of the church (Heb. 13:17). This can realistically only be practiced in the context of a commitment to the local church especially since there are no longer any leaders of the universal church.
  5. The instructions about spiritual giftedness imply church membership. In order for the body to function properly, each member must fulfill its part (1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4). God has gifted each member for loving service in His church (1 Cor. 12-14).
  6. Commitment to the church is an obedience issue and obedience brings glory to God (Heb. 10:23-25).
  7. The early church practiced a form of membership in that they kept a record of those who were part of their local assemblies (Acts 2; Rom. 16:1).
  8. Christ Himself keeps a list of true believers (Rev. 20:12-15).
  9. Paul uses specific metaphors to describe the church, such as a body or a building (cf. 1 Cor. 3:9; Eph. 2:21; and 1 Cor. 12:12-27). The metaphors used to describe the church only make sense in the context of church membership.
  10. Christ was committed to building His church (Matt. 16:18). Church membership shows true commitment to that which Christ was committed.

Though we would not teach that failure to become a member is necessarily a sin, we recognize that the reasons that people give against membership are oftentimes sinful and self-centered. Many people do not want to commit to the local church because they do not want to be held accountable in their walk of faith. Again, for these people, church is all about them. As soon as things got uncomfortable, they would leave and find someplace else to worship. They would make excuses like, “It’s just time to move on,” or “We just didn’t think this was a good fit,” or “We’re looking for something that would suit us better.” When there is no commitment to the church, poor excuses for leaving a church family are expected.

This is particularly sad because people would gladly and proudly show their allegiance to other less important things like local sports teams and favorite pastimes. It is unfortunate that many Christians would be willing to sign up for membership to a gym or video store but not to church. Some of these other forms of membership even charge membership fees and enforce strict contracts! Even if someone is afraid of church membership because of some bad past experience, if a church strives to operate under biblical principles and for God’s glory, there is no reason why a believer should not commit to it.

Baptism in Covenant Theology (part 6)

by Richard Shin

Before we close off this series, I thought it would be important for us to understand a little why so many Reformed Christians choose to baptize infants (versus believers) and sprinkle (versus full immersion).

To understand the theology behind paedobaptism (infant baptism), we have to understand the connection the adherents make between circumcision in the Old Testament and baptism in the New. Circumcision was a seal of the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 15 & 17). We learn more clearly from Romans 2:25-29 that the circumcision of the flesh always meant to correspond with the circumcision of the heart. Furthermore, the reading of Romans 4:11-12 seems to indicate that circumcision meant more than a symbol for the nation of Israel.

The crux of the connection between circumcision and baptism comes from Colossians 2:11-13. Paedobaptists see the transition from circumcision of the OT to baptism in the NT a natural conversion that carries equal weight. We see from Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians that some Christians were practicing both, but because circumcision lost its meaning for the Christians, it lost its place in tradition. The significance of circumcision as a physical sign of the Abrahamic Covenant reached all children of national Israel, not just the OT saints. This fact is shown through Abraham’s circumcising Ishmael (Gen. 17:22-27), even though Abraham knew that Isaac would be the one with whom God would establish His covenant (Gen. 17:21). So, there were clearly children who received the blessings of the covenant and those that didn’t, but all of them went through the act of circumcision. Similarly, there are those today who would undergo the physical act of baptism who would never reap the benefits of it.

As such, paedobaptists see no reason to exclude children (whose genuine repentance and faith are yet to be determined) from the ordinance of baptism. Because Abraham and his offspring were commanded to be circumcised regardless of age, it seems appropriate that the same principle would apply for baptism today as long as the parents are part of the covenant. The practice of sprinkling (as opposed to immersion) seems to have risen as a substitute practice for infants and toddlers who wouldn’t be able to hold their breath for the brief moment they are immersed. And one can imagine baptism candidates being sprinkled for lack of a body of water big enough to be immersed as well.

Of course, we at Lighthouse hold to credobaptism. I hope the articles preceding this one provided you sufficient Scriptural background and analysis for the defense of our position. But regardless of one’s stance on baptism—its qualification or mode—the most important fact is that all true Christians are brought together by repentance of our sins and our complete faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross. Only those who have lost sight of the bigger picture of the gospel would choose to break fellowship (treat as unbelievers) with those whose views on baptism differ. That isn’t to say we wouldn’t break fellowship with those who believe baptism actually does effect salvation in a sinner’s life. Whether elements of repentance and faith are present or not, if someone were to advocate a baptismal regenerative view of salvation, we would not accommodate such heresy into our fellowship.