On The Dedication Of An Infant

Pastor Bill Farrow

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I wanted to jot down a few thoughts on the ocassion of the dedication of my God-daughter, Hannah.

That we dedicate our children to the Lord is a practice with its roots in Biblical precedent, historical precedent, and is  defonately a good thing. There can be little dispute that it is a positive thing to give our children to God ard to vow, before Him and before witnesses, to raise our children responsibly and in the ''nurture and admonition of the Lord".

But just what is it that we believe that we are doing when we dedicate our children? Why do it? Certainly we do not do it simply to make us feel good about our place in the child's life? Hope fully, we ore not simply going through the motions of a ritual that is ours by tradition but that makes little real difference either to us or to the child. Nor are we, as many would believe, doing some spiritual inclusion on the behalf of the child that imparts some measure of grace to the child and somehow makes the child a part of the family of God; even in an abstract way.

We must also be careful to understand that we are not earning or securing God's blessing or favor for the child (or for ourselves). Sadly there are many who see this issue as just that! For some, it is a matter of self- righteousness, not of a justifying kind; but of a sanctifying kind. For these, it is a matter of checking off another counter on the list  that defines rightness or ''bless-ability".  The idea that is firmly entrenched en many peoples lives is that somehow, we must earn the blessing of God by putting ourselves (and our progeny) on blessing "ground".

While it is certainly true that we must obey God and that God blesses obedience and not disobedience, we must be extremely careful about the idea that by our obedience we earn or obligate God to bless in response. This is unacceptable and is, in fact, dangerous as it moves dangerously close to legalism. To view our interaction with God in terms of anything other than pure grace does violence to God and to the plan of salvation. This must be guarded against at all costs.

Additionally, we should be leary of the concept of earning a righteousness for the child. For many, quite a large number actually, the act of dedicating or Baptizing places the child in a position of  favor with God. This too, tampers with the plan and glory of God. We cannot, by our actions, obligate God to do or not do anything. Any suggestion of this is more dangerous even than the prior idea. We dare not even hint that we might earn favor for ourselves or for our children does no one anything other than harm.

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