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The sacrament of baptism can be misunderstood, and this instruction is intended to guard against misunderstanding. It is not some property of the water which makes baptism effective. The efficacy of the sacrament originates in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, by applying to the person baptized the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection. The saving power is the resurrection of Christ.

Baptism is not a mere cleansing of the body but a pledge to God to maintain a good conscience, a pledge which is spelled out in the promises made during the baptismal ritual to renounce the world, the flesh, and the devil. Baptism is not simply a rite of initiation. Becoming a member of the church means accepting an ethical way of life. When the person being baptized is very young, it is the responsibility of the parents and godparents to instruct the child in the behavior that the Christian life demands.

Some time ago I saw a clip from a show by an American comic who was making fun of this ethical dimension of Christianity. He lampooned the Biblical God who makes dire threats of punishment against those who break his commandments, and yet still claims to love them. Satirizing religion is always a risky business, and it is significant that in our politically correct society, the only religion that one can get away with satirizing is Christianity.

But more serious than the offence given by this blasphemous performance was the trivilializing of the ethical issue. In some ancient religions, the gods are beyond good and evil. As long as they receive the appointed offerings and sacrifices, they leave their worshippers in peace to do whatever they want. It was this separation of ritual from ethics which the Old Testament prophets attacked so severely.

The God of Israel and the God of Jesus Christ cares deeply about the behavior of those who call upon his name. In the story of God’s gift to Moses of the Ten Commandments, God declares, "Behold, I make a covenant" (Exodus 34:10). God’s covenant is a gracious gift which establishes a special relationship between the Lord and the people whom the Lord has chosen. The observance of the commandments is the people’s response to this gift. To err, is human, and sin does occur, but for those who have not repudiated their covenantal responsibilities, the offer of atonement and forgiveness is always available.

The Ten Commandments are the basis of every civilized society. They are an essential part of Israelite religion which Christianity has taken over and continues to uphold. Baptism is the Christian covenant, and those who enter it agree to obey the commandments summarized at the beginning of the communion service: "Thous shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself" (cf. Mark 12:30-31).

April 28, 2002

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