Strong families are not built out of the brick and mortar of mere earthly love. It is a good thing to have affection for your earthly family. On its own, natural affection is like that straw-house in that old fairy tale. When the tempest blows, it falls apart.
However, when the straw of natural affection is mixed in with the clay of covenant grace, it is raised up into something more glorious. The bonds of earthly love die in the kiln of crucifixion, and are hardened into the impenetrable bricks of the agape love of our Heavenly Father. A household that is baptized into Christ is a household that can stand. The lesser love is not dissolved, it is sanctified and thus strengthened. Baptism into Christ is not the termination of our earthly loves, it’s the only means of saving them. By marking a child with the sign of Christ’s free grace, we hear God’s promise to fill this child with all the virtues of grace. And thus we also hear Christ’s promise that such house, built on such a solid promise, will stand fast in every storm.
So welcome our sister to Jesus Christ…
Leave a Reply