Christianity emphasises the importance of Baptism for anyone who wants to follow Jesus and be saved. This was Jesus's instruction (John 3.5). Baptism saves us from eternal death and brings us to a new life, a real life in Christ.
But who needs salvation?
'All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' (Romans 3.23)
In order to understand Baptism, we need also to see that all human beings are flawed, broken, in need of restoration. This re-creation offered by Jesus is found in the washing of Baptism.
Baptism is the Sacrament by which we become Christians. It frees us from Original Sin, makes us children of God, temples of the Holy Spirit and members of the Church.
But it also points forward, allowing true human flourishing by the gifts of faith, hope and love by which God brings us to himself.
We are pilgrims: Christians are in the world but not of the world (cf. John 15.19) and the grace of Baptism begins and points towards the destination of our lives - Jesus Christ. This destination is only reached with God's work. This is begun in Baptism.
3 comments:
How is original sin passed from generation to generation? If the first humans who defied God tainted their future generations then surely if one is baptised all traces of it would be removed thus not effecting one’s children?
When we speak of Original Sin we are speaking of something that is missing - a flaw in the human being. This damage is perpetuated in generations because you can't pass on what you don't have - namely, perfection.
In Baptism this damage is healed, the human is remade with the gifts of faith, hope and love. However, it is simply human experience that this does not render us incapable of sin. Sin is still part of our story and the effect of that Original damage, even when this incapacity is healed. Baptism doesn't make us incapable of sin, but rather capable of not sinning. It is the grace of God, begun in Baptism, that leads us to perfection.
Cheers for that.
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