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Dedication
of your child
Long ago Hannah-a Jewish lady who had been
praying God would give her a child was overjoyed to find a baby on the way. She
named him Samuel and gave him wholly to the Lord. John the Baptist and indeed
the Lord Jesus were brought to the house of God in infancy. The abounding joy of
their parents was matched by their prayer that God would make the child in their
care a blessing to the world.
We cut tapes to open buildings and break bottles to launch ships and dig
up a sod of grass to initiate a public hospital or school. Why should we not
dedicate our children to God-it would seem the most natural thing in the world
to do.
As Baptists we await the springing to life of personal faith in Christ by
the work of the Holy Spirit and then we prepare for the baptism of such a
believer. But we have a doctrine of children. We say with our Lord Jesus,
“Suffer the little children to come to me and do not prevent them for of such
is the kingdom of heaven”. The term used in this context for children means
“teachable children”. But even before the children could be taught ;they
could be blessed-and Israel’s mothers like mothers today should never be
hindered bringing their young in their arms to pray that the Lord would make
them His own and hold them in the hollow of His providential hand, stamp his
Christ-like image upon them by the work of His Spirit and make them a blessing
in our time.
The apostle Paul has a curious but apt little argument that the children
of a home where there is faith in God on the part of even just one parent are
“consecrated” or “fit to be devoted”. It would seem clear that if in the
hearts of a parent or parents there is genuine faith in God the Lord would want
you to do your part and He wishes to do his (not least through the church
fellowship) to enable that child he gave you to progress in the knowledge and
fear of God.
Dedication does not in and of itself confer grace or seal a child for
heaven. Rather the parents bring the child near to God and devote their child to
the things taught by Christians with the end in view that the child might come
to “confess Christ”. In our church we list the child on our Cradle Roll in
the fervent hope that a little down the line that child will be streamed through
Kool Club and Rendezvous –our bible teaching groups-and so come to personal
faith in Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Saviour-and that’s what it’s all
about.
Scriptures
to consult and refer to: Matthew 19 13-15; Mark 10 13-16; Luke 18 15-17.
1Corinthians
7.14
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