Why baptism is awesome

Olivia and I were dancing around to some music today, and she was smiling and having fun. We were listening to the old family favorite, Love and Thunder by Andrew Peterson, specifically the song, "High Noon."

High Noon

High noon in the valley of the shadow
When the deep of the valley was bright
When the mouth of the tomb
Shouted, "glory, the Groom is alive"
SO long, you wages of sin
Go on, don't you come back again
I've been raised and redeemed
You've lost all your sting
To the victor of the battle
At high noon in the valley of the shadow

Now the demons, they danced in the darkness
When the last ragged breath left his lungs
And they reveled and howled
At the war that they thought they had won
But then, in the dark of the grave
The stone rolled away
In the still of the dawn on the greatest of days

High noon in the valley of the shadow
When they shadows were shot through with light
When Jesus took in that breath
And shattered all death with his life
So long, you wages of sin
Go on, don't you come back again
I've been raised and redeemed
You've lost all your sting
To the victor of the battle
High noon in the valley of the shadow

Let the people rejoice
Let the heavens resound
Let the name of Jesus, who sought us
And freed us forever ring out
All praise to the fighter of the night
Who rides on the light
Whose gun is the grace of the God of the sky

High noon in the valley of the shadow
When the shadows were shot through with light
When the mouth of the tomb
Shouted, "Glory, the Groom is alive"
So long, you wages of sin
Go on, don't you come back again
I've been raised and redeemed
All praise to the King
The victor of the battle
High noon in the valley of the shadow

The words are always very powerful to me, especially the "so long, you wages of sin," part. It always hits me hard when I realize there is no longer any condemnation for me, since I am in Christ Jesus.

Anyway, so I'm dancing around with Olivia, and she's smiling at all the right parts of this song, making me think she must really know what this is all about. Thinking about my daughter, a sinner, smiling about Jesus' redemption is a really emotional thought for me. There is nothing that I want more than to see my daughter grow up to know Jesus and to receive his boundless mercies.

That's why baptism is awesome. In about a month we're going to wash our little Chiptole in the water and the word, and place her in Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit. I will never have to beg and plead with God for my daughter's soul, I will be able to remember her baptism just as I remember mine.

It makes me wonder what peace the "baby dedicaters" have when it comes to the forgiveness of their children's' sins. I would be stricken with fear that when my baby reached the "age of accountability" she would not accept Christ. In fact I know she wouldn't if it were completely up to her, no one would. I didn't. How would I sleep at night?

Praise God for the gift of the sacraments. With out them how would I stand? It is good to have something besides myself to look to in order to find the proof of faith.