Tag Archives | regeneration

On Infant Baptism

Today, I completed reading John Stott and J. Alec Motyer’s The Anglican Evangelical Doctrine of Infant Baptism, published by Latimer Trust. This book is a compilation of two papers written in defense of infant baptism from the position of Anglican tradition with biblical and theological support.

First, this book provides a thorough theological reflection on the sacrament of baptism within the Anglican tradition. It emphasizes that baptism, like all sacraments of the gospel, is fundamentally a sacrament of divine grace and initiative rather than human action. New Testament examples show that baptism is always administered by another, emphasizing the recipient’s passive reception of God’s grace. Furthermore, the Articles of Religion within the Anglican tradition affirm this understanding by defining sacraments as signs of God’s actions rather than human merit.

Saavedra, Antonio del Castillo y. “Baptism of St. Francis of Assisi.” 1660s.

The theological significance of baptism is explored in three interconnected ways: union with Christ, the forgiveness of sins, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Baptism symbolizes a profound union with Jesus in His death and resurrection, marking the death of the old self and the birth of a new life grounded in righteousness. This union also signifies the washing away of sins, as reflected in scriptural passages like Acts 2:38 and 1 Corinthians 6:11. The imagery of water cleansing impurities highlights baptism as a transformative act of spiritual renewal and moral purification.

Finally, baptism signifies the reception of the Holy Spirit, aligning the believer with the promises of the New Covenant. This spiritual endowment, foretold by the prophets and fulfilled in Christ, incorporates the baptized individual into the body of Christ—the Church. The Book of Common Prayer supports this interpretation by reinforcing themes of unity with Christ, forgiveness of sins, and regeneration through the Holy Spirit. The sacrament of baptism thus stands as an eschatological sign, marking the believer’s entrance into the new age of God’s redemptive grace and the communal life of the Church.

The effect of baptism explores three primary theological interpretations concerning how the sacrament conveys grace:

  • ex opere operato
  • the bare token view
  • covenant sign view

The first interpretation, ex opere operato, posits that baptism inherently conveys grace simply by being performed, regardless of the faith or disposition of the recipient. This view implies that all baptized individuals, including infants, are automatically regenerated. However, the narrative challenges this belief, highlighting scriptural distinctions between the visible Church (those outwardly baptized) and the invisible Church (those truly regenerated in heart and spirit). Biblical examples, like Simon Magus and the Israelites baptized into Moses but later condemned, illustrate that baptism alone does not guarantee salvation or genuine regeneration without faith.

The second interpretation, the bare token view, argues that baptism serves solely as a symbolic gesture without imparting any grace or spiritual effect. While this understanding reduces baptism to a mere external sign, the narrative dismisses this view as inconsistent with biblical teachings. Verses such as Acts 2:38, Galatians 3:27, and 1 Peter 3:21 suggest that baptism carries a spiritual significance that goes beyond mere symbolism. These passages imply that baptism is intricately connected with the forgiveness of sins, union with Christ, and salvation, indicating that it holds a more profound theological role than being a simple ritual marker.

The covenant sign view—the evangelical or Reformed perspective—offers a more nuanced understanding, aligning baptism with God’s covenant of grace. This view suggests that baptism is both a sign and a seal of the blessings of the New Covenant, granting recipients a title to spiritual gifts rather than conferring the gifts themselves. The grace signified by baptism, such as justification and regeneration, becomes accessible through faith, which may arise before, during, or after the sacrament. Drawing from covenant theology, this understanding parallels baptism with Old Testament circumcision, which signified God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants without being contingent on the recipient’s immediate faith.

The narrative further explains how the timing of grace reception varies between believers. Infants baptized under the covenant sign receive a symbolic promise of grace that matures when they later profess personal faith. For adults, baptism may signify an acknowledgment of grace already received through faith. This approach respects the sacrament’s significance without implying that grace is mechanically conferred, as argued in the ex opere operato view. Historical church practices, such as refraining from rebaptizing those who come to faith after being baptized in unbelief, reflect this understanding by recognizing the validity of the initial baptism as a covenantal sign.

Lastly, the narrative emphasizes that baptism does not operate independently of faith but serves as a divine pledge of grace that believers must actively embrace. Scripture and liturgical traditions assume that the baptized will possess or eventually come to faith, thereby fulfilling the sacrament’s promises. The Church’s liturgical language often assumes the presence of faith, even in cases where it is only anticipated. This raises our awareness that baptism is a means of grace, not by automatic effect, but through a relationship with God’s covenant, awaiting the believer’s faith to fully live its transformative power.

Review and Impressions

Infant baptism within the Evangelical Anglican Church represents a significant theological and liturgical practice, grounded in covenant theology and interpreted through a Reformed evangelical lens. While Evangelical Anglicans maintain a high view of Scripture and emphasize personal faith in Jesus Christ as essential for salvation, they also uphold infant baptism as a legitimate expression of God’s covenantal promises. Theologically, this practice finds its foundation in both the biblical narrative of God’s dealings with His people and the Church’s historical understanding of sacraments as outward signs of inward grace.

Theological Foundation

In the Evangelical Anglican tradition, infant baptism is rooted in the covenant sign view of sacraments, which reflects a continuity between the Old and New Covenants. Just as circumcision was the covenant sign for Jewish infants in the Old Testament (Genesis 17:9-14), baptism now functions as the equivalent sign under the New Covenant, as explained by the Apostle Paul (Colossians 2:11-12). Evangelical Anglicans view the child of believing parents as a member of the covenant community (1 Corinthians 7:14) and, therefore, eligible to receive the outward sign of God’s grace through baptism.

Theologically, this does not imply that baptism automatically regenerates the infant (ex opere operato), nor that the child is immediately justified apart from personal faith. Rather, baptism signifies God’s promises to the child within the context of the covenant of grace and pledges the gift of salvation, which the child must later confirm through personal faith in Christ. In other words, baptism grants the child a title to covenant blessings that must be appropriated through faith when they come of age. This view harmonizes with the Reformation emphasis on salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Of Faith and Regeneration

While infants cannot exercise personal faith at the time of baptism, Evangelical Anglicans believe that baptism anticipates the faith that the child is expected to embrace later in life. Theologically, this resonates with the potential nature of grace conveyed through baptism—it is not a guarantee of regeneration but a sign of inclusion in the covenant community.

The liturgical language of the Book of Common Prayer (1662) reflects this anticipatory faith: the service assumes the child will grow into the promises made on their behalf by parents and godparents. These sponsors, acting on behalf of the infant, vow to raise the child in the Christian faith, ensuring they are nurtured spiritually until they are capable of personally affirming their faith, typically through confirmation. This process mirrors the biblical model seen in Acts 2:38-39, where the promise of salvation is extended not only to individuals who believe but also to their children.

The Covenant Community

Infant baptism in the Evangelical Anglican tradition reflects a corporate understanding of salvation and the Church’s identity as the Body of Christ. Baptism initiates the child into the visible Church, marking them as a member of the Christian community. This mirrors the Old Testament model, where infants were considered part of the covenant people of God by virtue of their parents’ faith. The visible Church, however, contains both regenerate, and unregenerate members and baptism into this community does not guarantee salvation—true membership in the invisible Church (the community of the truly regenerate) requires personal faith and regeneration by the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-8).

This distinction clarifies that while infant baptism places a child within the sphere of God’s covenantal grace and ecclesial fellowship, it does not substitute for a personal conversion experience. Evangelical Anglicans emphasize the need for the baptized child to later respond in faith, typically marked by public profession during confirmation.

The Liturgy of Infant Baptism

In practice, infant baptism within the Evangelical Anglican Church follows the traditional structure outlined in the Book of Common Prayer but with a distinct evangelical emphasis on personal faith. The rite involves parents and godparents making vows on behalf of the child, committing to raise them within the faith, and encouraging their eventual profession of personal belief in Christ. The baptismal formula (“I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”) signifies both inclusion in the covenant community and the expectation of future regeneration.

The service itself reflects theological clarity about the nature of baptism as a pledge rather than an automatic conveyance of grace. The prayers focus on asking God to bestow grace upon the child in His time, trusting in the promises of Scripture while avoiding any mechanical or superstitious interpretation of the sacrament. Many evangelical parishes also encourage post-baptismal catechesis to ensure the child’s understanding of their baptismal vows as they grow in maturity.

Implications and Practice

Infant baptism in the Evangelical Anglican Church highlights the balance between God’s sovereign grace and human responsibility. It affirms that salvation is entirely by God’s grace, extended to the covenant community, while also insisting on the necessity of personal faith for the realization of the sacrament’s spiritual benefits. The practice serves as both a reminder of God’s covenantal faithfulness and a call to personal conversion.

In this framework, baptism remains a meaningful and necessary sign of the Church’s mission to nurture faith across generations. It reflects the Church’s responsibility to instruct and guide baptized children toward personal belief while honoring God’s promises to the covenant community. Ultimately, infant baptism is a visible testament to the hope that children will one day embrace the faith their parents and godparents have professed on their behalf, fulfilling the spiritual potential signified by their baptismal initiation.

Conclusion

The distinction between the reception of the sacrament of baptism and the grace it signifies holds significant theological and pastoral importance in Evangelical Anglican thought. It is crucial to understand that while baptism entitles the recipient to God’s promises, it does not automatically confer the grace of regeneration without personal repentance and faith. This understanding has implications in three key areas: assurance of salvation, baptismal discipline, and the practice of evangelism. Relying on the mere act of baptism for assurance of salvation risks creating a false sense of security, as true assurance stems from a heartfelt reception of God’s promises through faith. This distinction helps prevent a superficial reliance on outward signs while encouraging believers to seek genuine spiritual transformation.

The lack of discipline surrounding indiscriminate baptism, particularly of infants without proper spiritual upbringing, undermines the gravity of the sacrament and diminishes its significance. Thinkers like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and H.H. Henson criticized this lax approach, warning that it leads to a devaluation of grace and weakens the Church’s moral and spiritual authority. Evangelistically, the misconception that all baptized individuals automatically regenerate stifles efforts to call people to repentance and faith, especially among those who may have received baptism without subsequent spiritual formation. Instead, the Evangelical Anglican perspective encourages teaching the true significance of baptism and recognizing the need for continuous evangelization within the baptized community, urging individuals to embrace the grace promised in their baptism through genuine conversion and commitment to Christ.

The Dwelling Within

The full-length paper I completed last week was about the covenants of both the Old and New Testaments. A lengthy survey of eight total topically covered the Edenic, Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Deuteronomic, Davidic, and New covenants. It was a very wide look at salient points without much depth. My reason for doing the paper was to get a macro view of the framework of the canon from a kingdom perspective. Retroactive and backward in time to understand how God might view redemptive history (i.e., from our Lord Jesus’s viewpoint). 

As God is outside or transcendent of space and time, and He set in order how free-will humanity would sovereignly become adopted, it was of interest to see how He would build and develop His kingdom. Contrary to traditional interpretation, I somewhat suspect we’re still in the seventh “day” of creation. Or that our existence and emerging kingdom fellowship as adopted people are predicated upon the context of the fall (Gen 3, Rom 8:22). The covenants were a means of the Exodus or a transition from one state of existence to another as a matter of development. More specifically, covenant theology from God’s perspective and dispensationalism from man’s perspective (without the baggage of tradition). So this project was simply to get oriented for added research to follow without any pre-loaded commitments. And it was necessary to do this from a biblically theological standpoint as no other definitive authority exists in my view. Especially from post-modern denominations that have their more basic issues aplenty. Still, I’m aware of the Westminster Confession (WCF) and others, and I’m fully respectful of those. 

So, the effort was an attempt to recognize patterns of covenants as instruments of mediation between God and mankind. – As a foundation to see if the whole point of this ordeal was that the fall was part of God’s sovereignly creative and permissive will. From Genesis 3:15 onward. To better understand God’s heart about what historically occurred along a chronological timeline that led to fulfillment in Christ and to understand more about His revealed character.

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” 
– Jesus, Luke 12:32

“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”
 – Paul, Romans 8:22

Birth into what? Allegorically, into what? My tentative view is this: 

He intended all along to put His Spirit within us. And not as a fallback plan among people as contingent beings. 

Knowing humanity could fall, it was His will to redeem His created beings to build a kingdom of people who are sanctified to love Him and each other. Beings who are shaped from free-will agency to glorify Him with a permanent and enduring love. Rightfully so, whether from Eden without the fall or the Cross with the fall, He will have His Kingdom.

James Hamilton, the author of God’s Indwelling Presence – The Holy Spirit in the Old & New Testaments writes about the Old Testament circumcision of the heart as compared to the regeneration and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He makes a compelling and persuasive argument that there is a difference between regeneration and indwelling. And Old Testament believers were regenerated, but not indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The inferences and case he makes are that you can be in a state of regeneration for a period, or a lifetime, but never indwelt. Conversely, you can also lose the regeneration, but not the indwelling. 

So where exactly is this indwelling within? The tripartite nature of people situates the body, soul, and spirit. The naturally born person without rebirth is spiritually “dead” (i.e., oblivious to a different internal reality) until regenerated. Upon acceptance and authentic belief in Christ happens, the spirit is superseded by the indwelling Spirit (at His choosing). Belief is not possible without regeneration.

He also surveys by category (patristics, reformation, modern) numerous positions of theologians who hold a continuum of distinctions about regeneration and indwelling.1 He also relies quite a bit on textual criticism and the morphology of terms within ancient manuscript texts (not translations) to get at definitions of Holy Spirit presence, internal and external, present state and future state, and regeneration or indwelling, to understand and write about the original intent of the biblical authors.

The textbook gets the attention of seminary students from various institutions. It covers in explicit detail what it means to be born again (indwelt), regenerative (external presence and grace), and spiritually unregenerate. 


The Chosen of Shamayim

The promise of the Spirit of Yahweh poured out upon His people includes individuals written about in the context of Joel 2:28-29. Specifically, Israel’s people identified as sons, daughters, men, both young and old, and male and female servants. Yahweh’s people were fraught with wayward rebellion, and like sheep, they often went their own way (Isaiah 53:6). From the beginning, all the way back to Yahweh’s garden, humanity has been walking out their own desires without full concern for what God has required to keep their covenant and maintain fellowship with Him. Since the beginning of humanity, the heart, the center of the will, has been corrupted and hardened. As drawn away by desires outside of Yahweh’s will, the inevitable consequences and destruction of His people were due to their significant error. It was upon them to bear the weight of their guilt.

The covenant promises Yahweh made from the beginning were to be accomplished no matter what. Despite the continued failures of His chosen people across numerous covenants, Yahweh would be the God of the people of Israel. Moreover, He would be the God of all nations to reclaim creation as His rightful possession. With judgment and punishment would come redemption and reconciliation. As it is written, “They will be my people, and I will be their God,” we are in full view from the early prophecy of what will transpire to fulfill His intentions. His glorious place among His people (Joel 2:32) and those who call to Him will be saved (Romans 10:13). Ultimately, saved from the power, penalty, and presence of sin. That as unencumbered by sin, His people would be healed of their corruption and hardness of heart to restore fellowship with Yahweh. From the Edenic garden of paradise to the deserts of Arabia, God had a plan of permanent retention through a new covenant unlike all those previously formed.

The long view of prophetic fulfillment begins from Isaiah 44:3 as reiterated in Joel 2:28. As it is written, “I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants.” It would so appear that the prophet Joel was aware of the writings of Isaiah. Moreover, Joel appears to echo Ezekiel 39:29, which explicitly says Yahweh will “pour out His Spirit on the house of Israel.” Yet as it appears through hardship, disappointment, rebellion, and the devastation of thousands of people destroyed, humanity would become brought back to Yahweh even if only through a remnant. The God of all creation would return people to Him through His Spirit’s work to transform their hearts. To reshape their desires with a power that is not their own. To bring His people the will to know, follow, and love Him to involve a heart change. As recorded in Scripture, that is precisely the indwelling Spirit’s work poured out and into people. That the hearts of people would be transformed that they would desire Him and His plan for them and creation.

During the time of judgment and immense destruction, we witness through Scripture and history the prophetic promise and its fulfillment. To realize that from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant, we are given a long view of prophetic fulfillment to provide us with hope through Christ. With the full authority of God’s word, we have every confidence in Him.