paedobaptism

The Spirit Over the Water

by Ben Zornes · Jun 16, 2025

At creation, the Spirit hovered over the waters of the unformed world, and thus began the six days of creation. By the Father’s will, the Son’s Word, and the Spirit’s light the heavens and earth and all things visible and invisible were called into being.

The Spirit still hovers over the water, but now His work is that of a New Creation. That which is dark will be brightened. That which is unformed will be shaped in accordance with His will. We ought not to think of baptism as merely the possibility of the Spirit working. As our confession explains, the Spirit not only offers the grace of God in baptism, but He really exhibits and confers it. The Spirit moves as He sees fit. So we shouldn’t tell Him that He can work mightily elsewhere, but not here at the baptismal font. Why would we think that the Spirit who worked so mightily at the creation of the world would work less vibrantly here?

So welcome our sister to Jesus Christ…

The Imagery of Baptism

by Ben Zornes · Oct 7, 2024

The action of baptism is a common action: uncleanness washed away with water. A boy coming inside for dinner after a summer day needs a thorough scrubbing with clean water. To remove dirt and grime, you need some water.

Indeed, this common use of water for washing is the primary imagery which Scripture teaches us to think of when we think about baptism. Sin defiled and contaminated every aspect of man; heart, soul, mind, and body. The entire arc of the redemption story leads to the truth that the filthy, black stains of sin were to be washed away by the crimson blood of Christ. Man was entirely defiled. So, a potent cleansing agent must be used in order to make us entirely clean. This cleansing is found in Christ alone. Cleansing of the whole man is something only the Living Water can effect. Baptism is the promise of that cleansing.

So welcome our brother to Jesus Christ…

With and For

by Ben Zornes · Sep 16, 2024

These vows contain a commitment from parents to pray with & for their child.With & for. This is a “1-2 punch” of God’s glorious grace. With because by praying together with their child, parents acknowledge their child as a mutual partaker of the promise of the justifying grace of God. For because the prayers of a righteous man availeth much; by praying for their child, parents ask in faith for the God of grace to be gracious unto their child. A prayer He delights to answer. With & for.

A Christian child grows up in the prayer circle not outside it. She is welcome to offer up prayers in Jesus name. Such prayers, when asked in faith, come with assurance that God answers the prayers of His people, even of the smallest saint. And what is the central prayer which these parents should pray with and for their daughter? That Christ would be glorified in all the earth. Once again, a prayer God delights to answer.

So welcome our sister to Jesus Christ…

The Holy Spirit Before and After

by Ben Zornes · May 28, 2024

Gregory Nazianzen once said “The Holy Spirit goes before baptism and follows after it.” This should come as an immense comfort to us as we consider the life of temptation and trial which not only lies before this little one, but before each one of us. Your justification isn’t left to you to try to procure. Nor is your sanctification a meandering search for what does or doesn’t work.

Rather, before you sought after God, He, by His Spirit, sought after you, which is in part what this sign declares. But now, after your baptism that same Spirit continues the good work He began to do. You rest between the great pillars of the Spirit’s work to bind You to Christ in the first place, and the keep you in Christ forevermore.

So welcome our brother to Jesus Christ…

Why Water?

by Ben Zornes · May 7, 2024

Look upon these waters of baptism and see salvation. Not because this water has had a magic spell spoken over it, or was drawn from a sacred river. No. This is tap water from the City of Moscow’s pipes. Jesus graciously gave to His disciples a way to visibly mark them out as His. He appointed that the element used for this sign be remarkably abundant. Water fills the air surrounding us. It falls in showers upon us. It courses through our landscapes. It encircles our continents. It stands as glacial sentinels upon earth’s poles.

Jesus didn’t command the application of Mongolian dust or Patagonian moss. He gave us a sign which would never be far off. He gave water upon our brow, for His glory shall soon cover the whole earth like water covers the sea. And like water, His salvation is ever near at hand, for salvation is in Him.

So welcome our brothers to Jesus Christ…

The Gospel in Sum

by Ben Zornes · Dec 11, 2023

Jesus commissioned His church with a clear task. We’re to go forth and preach the Gospel to every creature. As messengers, we should be clear about what that Gospel is that we are to proclaim.

Gospel simply means Good News. This news centers upon three things. The fullness of the person of Jesus Christ, the completeness of His work, and the greatness of His glory.

The person of Jesus is “true God in order to conquer death by his power, and truly human that he might die for us in the weakness of his flesh.” His work was to live righteously by obedience to God’s Law and then present Himself as a ransom for fallen man; having fully done all this He was vindicated in His resurrection & ascension to the Father’s right hand. Lastly, His glory is seen here in baptism. Through no deserving of our own Christ deigns to call & mark us as His own. He unites us unto Himself, promising that all those who believe and are baptized shall be saved. This is Good News.

So welcome our sister to Jesus Christ…

A Public Execution

by Ben Zornes · Nov 28, 2023

Every baptism is a public execution. By this ordinance, this little one is joined to the death of Christ for her. When Christ died, she died. That is what baptism means. The charge to these parents and the congregation as we walk alongside this child, is to labor together to assist her in daily dying, daily putting to death the desires of the flesh, daily reckoning that as those who are united with Christ we are crucified with Christ.

But Christ’s public execution was followed by a public resurrection & ascension. There’s life on the far side of the cross. That life is described as a Christ-filled life: it is no longer I who live, but Christ. So this baptism both symbolizes the flesh’s mortification as well as the surpassing glory of the Spirit’s power at work in this child, to cause her to walk in His ways all the days of her life.

So welcome, our sister, to Jesus Christ…