“The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” (Rom. 13:12-14)
The Bible teaches that baptism is a clothing ceremony. In Galatians Paul says that as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Some people object to baptizing babies because how can we know if they want to put on Christ? Shouldn’t we let them decide for themselves? But what family does this in any other respect? Do you wait to call them by their name until they can affirm that they want that name? Do you wait to see if they want to be part of your family before telling them that they are? Do you wait to see if they even want to live before you feed them and care for them? Of course not. They really will have to grow up and come to understand what it all means, but the way they grow up to understand what it means is precisely by naming them, clothing them, feeding them, and welcoming them into the family. And it’s the same way in God’s family. But it’s equally important that we affirm that the clothing that God gives at baptism is a clothing that must be put on by faith in Jesus every day of our lives. And it turns out this clothing is actually an armor; it’s the armor of light. And to be clothed in armor is to be called to war. Of course there are many who are baptized and many in the Church who have been given this armor but who refuse to fight, and in this sense, we are right to say that they do not know the Lord Jesus and the power of His salvation. John says: If we say that we have fellowship with God but walk in the darkness, we are liars and the truth is not in us.
So Brad and Sarah, remember this day, and remind your son of this day. Today, God calls him by name and enlists him in His army. He is called to be a man of war, casting off all the works of darkness. Teach him to love the light because the Light of God has first shone on him.
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