There are many beautiful things about baptizing a baby -- besides the baby herself!
For one thing, in an infant baptism we get to see God's covenant promise come to fulfillment before our very eyes. God's promise to Christian parents is "I will be God to you and to your children” (Gen. 17:7; Acts 2:39). In this case, God is saying, "Brad and Rachel, I am your God and I will also be God to Campbell Grace.” In the baptism of a baby, we get to see the child grafted into God’s covenant family. That’s truly beautiful.
Another beautiful thing about an infant baptism is that we can see in the infant a picture of ourselves before God. We are all just as helpless and dependent as that little baby. No matter what age you were when you were baptized, you came into the kingdom as a newborn. All baptism is infant baptism. We all enter the kingdom as little children, as Jesus taught (Matt. 18:3-4).
But still another beautiful thing about an infant baptism is that we get to see a core kingdom principle at work. We see the strong acting on behalf of the weak. We see the strong serving the weak, for the good of the weak. In an infant baptism, the parents must bring the child. They must act for the child. They must speak for the child. That’s what Brad and Rachel are doing today — they are using their strength to serve their weak baby girl. Proverbs 31:8 commands, “Open your mouth for the dumb, for the rights of the poor.” That’s what these parents are doing today — they are opening their mouths on behalf of one who cannot speak for herself, and thus they are claiming for her what rightfully belongs to her. There is beauty in that.
We have every reason to think that Campbell Grace has faith in God, even as David described his own trusting relationship with God from infancy (Psalm 22:8-9). But Campbell cannot speak her faith, she cannot articulate it, she cannot confess it. And so her parents will speak and confess on her behalf. Brad and Rachel will open their mouths for the dumb, as Proverbs commands.
With that in view, as Christian parents, you will now make these vows on behalf of your child….
1. Do you bring this child for baptism in faith, trusting in God's covenant promises to be your child's God (Gen. 17:7) and Savior from sin (Acts 16:31;1 Pt. 3:21), persuaded that God desires to receive your child into his family and flock (Mt. 18:1-14), and speaking on his behalf as his representative and sponsor (Mt. 15:22)?
2. Do you bring this child for baptism in faith, trusting God to unite him to Christ in his death and resurrection (Rom. 6:1-14); to clothe him with Christ (Gal. 3:27); to make him a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13); and to make this baptism his entrance into the new creation in Christ Jesus (Tit. 3:5)?
3. Do you promise in faith and in reliance upon the grace of God to disciple this child by teaching him all of Christ's commandments (Mt. 28:18-20); directing him to fear and obey God (Gen. 18:19; Ecc. 12:13) and to love the Lord his God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength (Dt. 6:1-25); and to bring him up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4), that he might walk worthy of the calling he has received in the gospel all throughout his life (Eph. 4:1)?
4. In the name of your child, and on his behalf: Do you renounce the devil and all his works; the vain pomp and false glory of the world, with all its covetous desires; and the sinful inclinations of the flesh, so that you will not follow, nor be led by them?
5. In the name of your child, and on his behalf: Do you believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; in the Lord Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered and was crucified for us; who then rose again from the dead on the third day and now reigns at the right hand of his Father; and who will return in glory to judge the living and the dead; and do you believe in the Holy Spirit; the one holy catholic and apostolic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and life everlasting?