The Voice of Zion February 2025 - Home and Family Articles --
Baptism is more than just a ritual—it is a promise of a clean conscience before humans and God. It symbolizes the washing away of sin and constitutes a person’s entry into a covenant relationship with God. Whether for a baby or an adult, baptism reminds us of God’s grace for all who repent and believe the Gospel.
Godparents play an important role in the baptized believer’s journey of faith. They help guide and support the person in their life of faith that reflects their covenant of a good conscience made in baptism. Choosing godparents is an important decision as they will be there to nurture and encourage the child of God for years to come.
Baptism is both a gift of grace and a lifelong promise rooted in living faith and supported by our godparents, the Holy Spirit, and the mother congregation. It is a sacred covenant—like a contract—that represents the forgiveness of sins and a promise to live with a clean conscience in Christ. In this way, baptism serves as a seal of our covenant with God, and when our journey ends with the testimony of a conscience kept clean by the blood of the Lamb, we are assured that God will keep His covenant promise and bring us home to dwell with Him forever in heaven.
Tyler Anderson
God gave us two sacraments to support our faith: the sacrament of the altar and the sacrament of baptism. An important part of a Christian’s faith, baptism is both a symbol and a sacred act that marks a believer’s covenant relationship with God. Baptism represents the washing away of sins and the start of a life in the care of the Holy Spirit and mother congregation. Baptism is rooted in a long history starting in the Old Testament and finds its full meaning in the baptism of Jesus and His command to baptize people throughout the world (Matt. 28:19-20).
History of Baptism
The word “baptism” comes from the Greek word baptisma, which means to wash, dip, or immerse. This idea of immersion in water is important because it goes back to Old Testament practices of washing to become clean (e.g., Exod. 29:4 and Lev. 8:6). In Jewish traditions, water was used to cleanse a person of impurities. However, the true power of baptism is not in the water itself but in the Word of God that is present with the water and received through faith. Baptism signifies regeneration and a new beginning, as Luther explains, by daily drowning the old Adam within us through sorrow and repentance and allowing the new being to rise each day to live before God in righteousness and purity forever. In essence, baptism is a covenant of a good conscience in Christ (1 Pet. 3:21).
John the Baptist called people unto repentance and baptized them as a sign of their repentance (Matt. 3:11). Jesus Himself was baptized, not because He needed forgiveness, but to begin His work according to God’s plan (Matt. 3:15-17). The practice of baptism not only has roots in the Old Testament and extends into the New Testament, but its significance also carries forth to Christians today.
Luther tells us in his Small Catechism that baptism is “the water comprehended in God’s command and connected with God’s Word.” For Christians today, baptism shows they are entering into a covenant relationship with God, in the same way circumcision once showed a covenant relationship in the Old Testament (Rom. 4:11). Essentially, baptism is the spiritual counterpart of circumcision (Col. 2:6, 11-12). Through baptism, a believer’s faith is connected to Jesus’ death and resurrection, showing that they are leaving sin behind and committing to live a life in Christ (Rom. 6:4).
Infant Baptism
Most often we baptize children, who have the greatest faith in the kingdom of God (Matt. 18:1-6, Mark 10:14). Baptism is not just an act of faith but also a sacrament—an outward sign enjoined by Christ that conveys God’s spiritual blessings through faith. Thus, such a child is welcomed into the Church of believers (1 Cor. 12:13, Eph. 4:5). For infants, baptism demonstrates God’s grace and the hope that as they grow, they will confirm their faith when they reach an age of understanding.
Aaron Niemela of New River, Ariz., shares a heartfelt example of how baptism has been a special event in his family’s life: “Something that has been really special to Jackie and me is we asked Kenny Wuollet to baptize many of our kids. It was a nice opportunity to have Kenny and Maureen over for a Sunday afternoon of visiting and listening to stories. During these baptisms there was always a direct message and reminder of the important role of the parents, godparents, grandparents, friends, and family in this child’s life.”
In the New Testament, whole families, including children, were baptized (Acts 16:33). This shows that baptism is for everyone no matter the age. Hebrew baby boys were circumcised as a sign of their covenant with God (Gen. 17:10-14); Christian infants are baptized to show they belong to the new covenant of grace in Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:27).
Role of Godparents
An important aspect of baptism is the role of godparents, or sponsors, which has evolved over time. In early Christianity, they acted as witnesses, vouching for the spiritual character of the adult baptized. Later, their role expanded to guiding the baptized in their journey of faith. Today, godparents focus on helping to raise baptized children in the Christian faith.
Joanne Anderson of Phoenix, Ariz., reflects on the joy and responsibility of this sacred role: “I was baptized in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1948 by an elderly believing man, who was a snowbird from Sweden, named Dr. Dickenson. Since we were the only believing family in Phoenix at the time, there were only my parents and grandma and grandpa Henry and Anne Koistinen attending my baptism.
Later in life, I became a godparent myself. I feel blessed to have many special godchildren. I feel like I haven’t been a good godmother to these dear ones, but as I have gotten older, I truly value the friendships I have established with many of them. We receive good instruction especially for godparents when we attend baptisms. It’s an important role and the blessings are abundant when we can keep in contact with dear godchildren.”
Godparents promise to help guide the child in faith, teach them the ABCs of Living Faith, pray for them, and encourage them to endeavor as a believer. Godparents can be an important influence in the faith life of a child of God.
When choosing godparents, parents should ask those who will be good examples for the child, those with a sincere testimony of living faith, (1 Cor. 4:2). Godparents are not just ceremonial figures but are entrusted with a serious responsibility to guide and support the godchild’s journey of faith.
It is important that godparents are baptized believers who have been confirmed in their faith; in other words, persons confirmation-age or older. Parents should think carefully about who will be able to provide ongoing spiritual support, prayer, and mentorship for the child in their life of faith.
Baptism and Repentance
Some people may wonder, “Are our sins forgiven in baptism, or do we need to be a believer first?” Scriptures tells us that repentance and faith should occur before the sacrament of baptism. In the New Testament, people were baptized after they became believers in Jesus (Acts 2:38). Baptism is an outward sign of an inner peace of conscience.
Logan Nickerson of the Phoenix Congregation shares how baptism has strengthened his faith: “Baptism has been a very important and impactful part of my life, especially in my life of faith. I think of all the many siblings, God’s children, and children of my own that God has blessed into my life. This has given opportunity many times to gather around God’s Word, hearing that unchanging Word, and witnessing the sacrament of baptism has given me great comfort. I feel each time that it’s strengthened my own faith. Through this, we can see once again how God cares for us and keeps us as His own.”
As Josephus and Dead Sea Scroll sources dated to the time of Jesus indicate, baptism is a sacred act performed after a soul is righteous.
In some instances, such as in Acts 8 with the Samaritans, there appears to be a delay between baptism and the reception of the Holy Spirit. This may suggest that their hearts were pricked but not yet fully prepared at the time of their baptism, and it wasn’t until later when they received their sins forgiven through the Apostles Peter and John that they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17). This also happened in Ephesus, where new Christian converts did not know of the Holy Spirit until after their baptism when Apostle Paul preached the gospel unto them (Acts 19:1-7). In these cases, it wasn’t necessary for these Christians to be baptized again, even though they were in the latter case. Similarly, today when a worldly Christian repents and receives forgiveness by believing the gospel of the kingdom from a believer (Matt. 24:14, Mark 16:16), we do not hold that they must be baptized once again. This reminds us that the grace given in baptism is sufficient and always in effect on God’s part but is not fully realized until there is the presence of the Holy Spirit found in the heart.
Sources:
Barry, J. D., et al. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible [Mobile app]. Lexham Press.
Blue Letter Bible. (2024). Interlinear Bible [Mobile app]. Retrieved from https://www.blueletterbible.org
Dead Sea Scroll 1QS. (n.d.). The Rule of the Community.
Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews. 18.116-119.
Luther, M. (n.d.). Luther’s Small Catechism. Concordia Publishing House.
Plass, E. M. (1994). What Luther Says. Concordia Publishing House.
The Holy Bible: King James Version. (n.d.).
Uljas, J. (2003). The Treasure Hidden in a Field. Laestadian Lutheran Church.
We Can Sing of Baptism
Mary Hillukka
Our songs and hymns of Zion speak beautifully of the sacrament of baptism. It is a blessing to sing these songs and learn from them.
The Small Catechism is also familiar to us. It explains to young children and all ages what baptizing signifies. “We also should walk in newness of life,” as written in Romans 6:4.
Forgiveness for my sins I own
through Jesus’ merit work alone;
His blood has cleansed my heart from stain,
and I was baptized in His name;
through faith alone, which works by love,
I am a joyful child of God.
SHZ 197:2
W: Sebaldus Heyden, 1545
Heav’nly Father, You have raised me
early to Your kind embrace,
and in my baptismal covenant
You have promised me Your grace.
Blessings ev’ry day You send –
You are my Eternal Friend.
SHZ 458:1
W: Jakob Thimoteus Jacobsson, 1875
Sing to the Lord! Hopeful, in prayer –
His promise is sure, now and fore’er!
Family and friends, godparents too,
brothers and sisters who love you,
Dear one, for you we pray,
stay in His grace each day,
always secure in the family of God.
SHZ 226:3
W: Anna-Mari Kaskinen, 2002
Discussion Questions
1. What does baptism mean to you?
2. In what ways does baptism serve as a covenant of grace that symbolizes the following things:
a. absolution
b. a new beginning
c. ties to Old Testament washing practices?
3. What important things should parents consider when selecting godparents?
4. How can those godparents support the child’s life of faith? How have your godparents helped you along life’s way?
5. How are the sacrament of baptism, the baptism mentioned in Christ’s Mission Command (Matt. 28:19), and the receiving of the Holy Spirit related (Acts 11:14-16)?