HERE WE WITNESS COVENANT SURETY
Here we witness cov’nant surety
In the baptized, Lord Divine.
Here we witness true secur’ty,
And are strengthened by Thy sign.
Here we see our need of cleansing
From our every stain and sin.
Yet we, too, see Thou dispensing
Grace to wash us pure within.
Here we claim we are united
To Thy cov’nant-keeping Son,
And by faith we are delighted
To receive what He has won.
Here we share with that same Savior
In his death and rising, too.
We were dead, but by Thy favor
Have been raised to life anew.
Here we pray our sons and daughters
Will be ever safe in Christ.
For they’ve passed through judgment waters
And have entered cov’nant life.
Here we ask this sacred blessing
Close at heart will always be.
Hence may we lead lives professing,
Lord, that we belong to Thee.
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REFLECTION
I wrote this hymn on the occasion of my niece’s baptism. I was struck by the fact that many hymns sung at baptisms are dedication hymns. While, truly, there is an aspect of baptism that is about dedicating our lives to the Lord, that is not all it is. In this text, I sought to bring out the rich symbolisms associated with baptism throughout all of Scripture. Baptism represents our cleansing from sin, our passing through judgment, our being buried with Christ and then raised in newness of life. As Christians, we believe our baptism doesn't save us. But when we have faith in Christ, our baptism really and truly represents the fact that we belong to Christ and nothing will pluck us from his hands. What a powerful reminder. Think on your baptism, friends.
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