Baptism
As we said earlier, this is the beginning of the Orthodox
way of life. This is the gateway to grace and participation in the
Mysteries of the church. It is a new birth and is performed for our
salvation.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved (Mark 16:16).
The Epistles of the Apostles tell us that through Baptism we are
sanctified, cleansed, justified, die to sin, are buried with Christ
to arise with Him.
You were washed, but you were sanctified, but you
were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of
our God. (1 Cor 6:11)
We are buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ
was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also
should walk in newness of life. (Rom 6:4)
The Greek word is “baptizo”
which literally means “to immerse.” After anointing with oil the
priest takes the child facing East, while the sponsor anoints the
entire body, and then immerses the body three times saying, The servant
of God (name) is baptized in the Name of the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit, Amen.
This is done in accordance with the command
of Christ Himself.
Make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all things that I have commanded you. (Matt 28:19)
In Baptism all sins are forgiven. As the priest is finishing the
blessing of the water he recites a prayer which says; “Will You the
Sovereign of all, show this water to be the water of redemption,
the water of sanctification, the cleansing of flesh and spirit, the
loosing of bonds, the remission of sins, the illumination of the
soul, the bath of rebirth, the renewal of spirit, the gift of adoption
to sonship, the garment of incorruption, the fountain of life…. “
Baptism is like a resurrection, it is a new birth, The prayer continues;
“Being buried in the likeness of Your death through baptism, he (she)
may likewise become a partaker in Your resurrection; and having
guarded the gift of the Holy Spirit, and increased the measure
of grace entrusted to him (her), he (she) may receive the prize
of the heavenly calling and so be numbered among the first-born,
whose names are written in heaven, in You our God and our Lord
Jesus Christ.”
Through baptism the door is opened to a new way of life. One now
is united with the body of Christ in the Church and has the opportunity
to receive the gifts of God though the Mysteries of the Church. Our
spiritual growth still depends on our God given free will. We must
be willing to follow God’s will. Through the mystical life of the
church we will be supported in our spiritual growth. Baptism is the
starting point of our salvation. We must now cooperate with divine
grace and partake of the support given to us through the mysteries
of the Church.
Why Infant baptism?
It is normal for Orthodox to be baptized as infants. Some Protestants
argue that the only valid baptism is that of an adult who believes
in Christ. They claim that baptizing a helpless infant who is only
a few weeks old and who is unable to believe is meaningless. Why
baptize a baby when it doesn't know yet what is happening? Why
not wait for the baby to grow and believe in Christ and ask for
baptism? If we were to follow this line of reasoning, we wouldn’t
inoculate the baby against disease until he grows up and asks for
it! But we know better. Baptizing infants before they know what
is going on is an expression of God's great love for us. It shows
that God loves us and accepts us before we can ever know and love
Him. It shows that we are wanted and loved by God from the very
moment of our birth. Nothing shows the nature of God's grace more
than infant baptism. The Orthodox Church does not belittle personal
faith in an adult who seeks baptism, but instead insists that the
whole emphasis of baptism is not an what the baby does or the parents
or the godparents, but on what God does. The fact that we are Christians
is not due to any act on our part; it is due to the act of God
in Christ through the Holy Spirit. Of course Baptism demands a
personal response on the part of the baptized child when it reaches
the age of reason. The child must accept what God did for him or
her in Baptism. Baptism is not a divine pass that will get us into
Heaven automatically. It must be followed by a personal awareness
or awakening to the many gifts of God's love bestowed upon us through
this great sacrament. Infant baptism is a practice that comes from
the earliest days of the Church.
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