The faithful God of you and your descendants
(Raimo Survo's sermon at a baptismal service on August 31, 2025)
Do we share the same assumptions as the writers of the New Testament?
There isn’t a single verse in the Bible that says, “Verily, verily, baptize your babies.”
What we do see in Scripture is clear: those who were baptized had first professed their faith.
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So why on earth are we here today baptizing little children—Joshua and Noah—who may not yet know how to do that themselves? They can’t cry out to Jesus for help on their own.
To answer that, we need to remember something important: the New Testament was written in a world very different from ours. The people who wrote it had assumptions—ways of thinking—that may not match how we think today.
That’s a key word I want you to hold onto: assumption.
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We all bring assumptions when we read the Bible. That’s true for all kinds of learning. And it’s important to recognize those assumptions, because they’re not always accurate.
Here’s an example: The U.S. Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in American history. But it says nothing about slavery or the enslavement of human beings. In fact, if you read it today, you might assume the authors were completely opposed to slavery. After all, it says: “All men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
But the common assumption of the authors—something they never spelled out—was that slavery was acceptable. That wasn’t unusual in their time. And because it was so “normal” to them, it didn’t seem necessary to mention explicitly.
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That’s how assumptions work: the things that feel obvious to us don’t always get written down. And what’s assumed in one century might need to be explained clearly in another.
Here’s a lighter example: most Finns know what a sauna stove is. But someone from another culture might see it for the first time and think, “Oh, this is for boiling potatoes!” After all, it creates fire and heat. The same object, in a different context, can lead to a completely different use—or interpretation.
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So what happens when we bring our modern assumptions to the Bible, especially when we ask questions like:
“What does the Bible teach about baptism? And should entire families—children included—be baptized?”
To answer that, we need the whole Bible’s testimony—everything it says about how God relates to believers and their descendants. What does the Bible say about families and their connection to God's covenant?
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Now, I’m not going to solve a 500-year-old theological debate about baptism in a single 30-minute sermon. But I do hope you’ll come away with a deeper understanding of why we baptize the children of believers.
So today’s message will be a bit more like a sermon and a Bible study at the same time. If you’re the kind of person who studies Scripture—and especially if you like to take notes—this is your moment. Grab a pen if you’ve got one.
Let’s now hear the Word of God from Romans chapter 3:
“But now the righteousness of God has been revealed apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our Lord stands forever.
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A Justified Monk Freed from Burdens
"If ever a monk could enter heaven by being a monk, it would be me!”
Some of you may recognize these words. They were spoken by a deeply devout Augustinian monk—a man who lived with unwavering religious discipline. He fasted for days, prayed constantly, endured sleepless nights, and punished his body. He went on pilgrimages and confessed his sins endlessly, always trying to be acceptable to God. And yet, despite all this effort, he still could not find peace.
That monk was Martin Luther.
He later wrote:
“Even though I was an irreproachable monk, I stood before God as a troubled sinner. I did not trust that my merits or deeds would appease Him.”
After all his striving, Luther remained restless—until one day, in his study in Wittenberg, he came across a verse that changed everything. Romans 1:17:
“The righteous shall live by faith.”
Luther said:
“I pondered this day and night, until I finally saw the connection between God's righteousness and this statement, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’ Then I understood that the righteousness of God is the righteousness by which God, through grace and sheer mercy, justifies us by faith.”
And what, you might ask, is this monstrous-sounding word “justification”?
Simply put: it means that God declares a person acceptable—innocent—before His holy presence.
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Abraham: Justified and Freed from Debt
But that verse—“the righteous shall live by faith”—which so profoundly transformed Luther's heart, wasn’t a brand-new idea in the New Testament. In fact, salvation by faith alone is found from the earliest pages of Scripture.
God said to Abraham, “Look at the stars—so shall your descendants be.” And then we read:
“Abraham believed the Lord, and the Lord counted it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)
So Abraham was justified—made right with God—not because of religious rituals or lifelong devotion in solitude. Not because he was a monk tucked away in the wilderness, eating only vegetables, or because his knees were worn raw from constant prayer, or his eyes baggy from sleepless nights. No. Abraham was declared righteous simply because he trusted in God's promise.
Abraham grasped—thousands of years before Luther—what that German monk came to see in his study:
“The righteous shall live by faith.” ...Faith alone... No merit... No works.
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The Heart of Christianity
This truth lies at the very heart of Christianity. The third chapter of Romans—which we heard earlier—is perhaps the summit of Christian theology.
It begins with darkness: a night where all are equal in their lostness. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” You and I. Everyone. No one stands righteous before God on their own.
But then comes a single, powerful word: “But.”
A preacher once said, “Thank God for all the ‘buts’ in the Bible.”
“But now the righteousness of God has been revealed…”
But God, in His mercy, did something we could never do.
He sent His Son. Jesus lived the perfect life you and I should have lived, and He died the death we deserved. He took our place.
And here’s the beautiful and important truth for today: by faith, He gives us His pure white garments.
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Abraham Clothed in Christ—Before Christ Came
And here is perhaps one of the most important things I want to share with you today about this topic:
Abraham was clothed in the white garments of Christ—even before Christ came.
Because before the foundation of the world, Jesus had already accepted His mission to die fo Abraham. And Abraham, by faith, received the righteousness that Jesus would one day secure for all believers.
So when you read further in Romans, past chapter 3 into chapter 4, Abraham becomes the model of faith.
Jeremiah writes:
“Circumcise yourselves to the Lord; remove the foreskin of your hearts…” (Jer. 4:4)
Circumcision, then, was a sign of something deeper—an inner reality.
Isaac and Ishmael: Marked by a Sign
You may have heard the phrase that baptism is an outward sign of an inward reality. It symbolizes something that has already taken place in a person’s heart.
For Abraham, circumcision was just that. His heart had already been changed. Circumcision was a visible sign that he had been justified by faith.
And Romans 4:11 tells us:
“[Abraham] received circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith.”
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Let’s unpack that.
It means Abraham was given a visible seal that he had already been made right with God—solely through faith. But remember: faith itself doesn’t save. Faith is not the Savior—Jesus is. Faith is only the means by which we receive Him.
So, if Jesus is the only Savior, then Abraham was justified the same way we are today—by being clothed in Jesus.
Circumcision wasn’t merely a physical marker to distinguish Jews from non-Jews. It pointed to something far deeper. It was a sign of the gospel, a sign of faith.
And a seal—like the seal of a king—doesn’t change based on feelings, opinions, or age. If the King presses His ring into wax, the seal carries His authority—no matter what the recipient thinks or how old they are. If the King has promised something, it stands.
“Let God be true, and every man a liar.” (Romans 3:4)
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The Children Shared in the Sign
Abraham received this seal because of his faith. But God didn’t stop there. He didn’t just say, “I will be your God.” He also promised: “I will be the God of your descendants.”
As a sign of this covenant, Isaac and Ishmael—his children—were also circumcised.
Isaac, just a baby, could not yet speak or confess his faith as Abraham did. And yet, he received the same sign. The same seal. A seal that meant:
“The righteous shall live by faith.”
Even as an infant, Isaac bore the sign of his father’s faith. He had an ourward sign of his father's inward reality!—the visible mark of God's promise to Abraham and to his household.
“This is my covenant,” said the Lord, “between me and you and your descendants.”
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Why do we baptize the children of believers?
Some may wonder what on earth the pastor is explaining about circumcision and how circumcision is related to baptism?
Paul says in his letter to the Colossians 2:11-12:
“In him you were also circumcised, not with a physical circumcision but with the circumcision done by the Spirit, by putting off the body of the flesh, that is, with the circumcision of Christ. You were buried with him in baptism, and in baptism you were also raised with him through faith.”
Paul connects the same inner reality that Abraham had to baptism. He does not connect visible circumcision to visible baptism, but he connects inner reality (the circumcision of Christ) to inward or outward baptism. So there is a connecation. An organic one!
In the Old Testament, the outward sign of belonging to God's people was circumcision, and in the New Testament it is baptism. For thousands of years, children were part of God's chosen people. God saved an entire family during Noah's time through water, even though only Noah was a man after God's own heart. Entire families were saved during the time of Moses when the blood of the Passover lamb was a sign on the doorposts of their homes. The lives of the firstborn were threatened. Was it the case that all firstborn had to paint the doorposts? There were certainly children of the same age as Nooa and Joosua today. They probably couldn't reach the doorposts to put the lamb's blood there. God blessed the families. God protected the family when the blood of the Passover lamb was put on the doorposts of their homes. The children were part of it and the children came along because the children belonged to God's people.
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So what is the common presupposistion underlying the Bible? Although the New Testament does not directly mention the baptism of small children, we can clearly see what the New Testament's view of families continues to be. If you remember what Jesus said to Zacchaeus when Jesus went to his house. Zacchaeus repented of his greed and began to give back the money he had stolen. Jesus said, "Today salvation has come to this household..." And when Lydia, the seller of purple cloth, came to faith, her entire household was baptized, and no further mention was made of their ages.
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And just as Moses commanded the people to teach their children, so too in the New Testament children are taught. The letters to the Ephesians and Colossians begin with "to the saints," the saints of Jesus. And then there are instructions for families. "Children, obey your parents in everything." Paul does not distinguish between "believing children," but simply says "children." And when the Philippian jailer asked, "What must I do to be saved?" Peter and Silas said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, YOU AND YOUR HOUSEHOLD." And the story continues: "And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God." (Acts 16:34-35).
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When I did a little research on the original text, which I will spare you now, I noticed that the Finnish translation and some English translations render this text better. “He believed in God.” When the jailer became a Christian, his whole family was baptized. Could it be that this is just an exception? Or could it be that this reflects the same assumption that has always existed? That children are also part of God's promises. And we also see evidence outside the Bible that when pagans converted to Judaism, if the father converted to Judaism, the whole family came with him. It was a completely foreign idea that the father would convert to Judaism and the other children under the same roof would not.
If suddenly, at the time of the Acts of the Apostles, children were not to receive any sign of the covenant, nor anything visible by which God showed who belonged to his people, then why is there no mention of any debate on the matter in the texts of that time or in the decades that followed? Why does no one ask, "Why are children, even newborn boys (eight days old), no longer entitled to God's seal, when they had been entitled to it for over a thousand years since Abraham?"
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But the history of the early church and the history of the Church Fathers is completely silent of any visible dispute on this matter.
Could it be that the writers of the New Testament really had the same assumption as Jesus when he said, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these"? Jesus does not say adults, even though there are adults in heaven, but he says children. He turns the adult world upside down.
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The apostles lived in the adult world. They thought that perhaps Jesus did not have enough time to bless all these children, as there were so many of them, or perhaps they had such childish questions for Jesus that we did not want them to come, as Jesus had much more important things to do, much more profound things for adults. So don't bring the children. And Jesus got angry... let the children be and don't stop them.
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In the Acts of the Apostles, there are nine baptisms, and five of them are family baptisms. Is it really the case that these are just exceptions? Or does the author want to show that God continues to be merciful, gracious, and long-suffering, not only to believers, but also to their children? Even today, God promises to be merciful, gracious, and long-suffering, not only to Saul and Laura, but also to Joshua and Noah. Because God is the God of families. He loves families. If the family breaks down in society, the whole society is in decline. The family is extremely important. And this is seen in the Word.
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After his Pentecost sermon, Peter responded to his listeners: “Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
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FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN! This phrase, “you and your children,” does not appear in the New Testament as something completely new and fresh. It is a very powerful term, “you and your children,” which people understood in the same way as Abraham: “I am your God and the God of your descendants.” There is something familiar in these words, even though there is much that is new when the Holy Spirit comes into the world in a whole new way, but there is something familiar here.
How can you be justified and freed from your sins?
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We are here today to witness God proclaiming this covenant love to these little boys through baptism. And if you have been baptized in the name of the Triune God, it also reminds you of your own baptism. Even if you don't remember anything about it. But without faith, baptism does not save.
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So you can turn to Christ today and believe in Him. If Jesus really rose from the dead, then He is who He says He is. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then he is a liar, and everything we are doing here today is completely pointless according to the Bible and according to Paul. But we have a large group of witnesses in history who testify that Jesus rose from the dead.
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Who would think that such a movement could grow, believing that their king rides on a donkey, is born in a smelly stable, and ultimately dies on a Roman cross, which was intended for the worst murderers?
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How can such a movement grow and rise if its king remains in the grave? JESUS TRULY ROSE FROM THE DEAD! And when Jesus rose from the dead, he is who he says he is, and he does what he says he will do. The true God became a man. He suffered for your sins and mine. In 1947, one of the seven Qumran scrolls was found, which was the Book of Isaiah. And the Book of Isaiah was written 700 years before the birth of Christ, and it says this:
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"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth."
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And this came true. A 700-year-old text was found in 1947. A historical text from the Qumran community. It is an archaeological find. It is not just something someone made up. And it came true. He was buried in the tomb of the rich man and rose again. So today you can turn to him and remember your baptism, because in it God shows that he loved you before you loved him. He takes your sins upon himself. And whether you were baptized or not, believe in Christ. That is simply enough today. If you have never been baptized, go and be baptized in your home church.
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Christianity is a pretty radical faith, because you can't make up for your own actions, your own past, by being a good firefighter, a good doctor, or a good researcher, like in those pictures. The fact that I glorify God doesn't make up for anything. If I were a former criminal, I could not make up for my life before God by spending the rest of my life building an orphanage, loving those children, and doing good deeds. That is not enough. Someone else has to make up for your deeds. We can't give our five-dollar bill to the gift giver. When someone brings a gift, do I offer them a few coins, saying, "Take a little bit of this, so we can cover some of the cost of the gift." No. When you receive a gift, you receive it without any action on your part. That is grace. That is a gift.
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Luther once said, "God does not need your good works, but your neighbor does." What you, my dear friend, need today are the good works of Jesus Christ. You need His white clothes. Only by trusting and believing in Him is this possible today. We do not yet know about tomorrow. But we know about today. And Jesus promises to be not only your God, but also the God of your descendants. Amen.