The Lord's promise

Why are there so few books about the sacraments on my crowded bookshelf and so many books on parenting, marriage, and other topics? To some degree, it shows how little value baptism and the Lord's Supper have among evangelicals today.

So I was pleased to read a little book on baptism that packs a lot of content without being dry. John Murray was a renowned "Old-School Presbyterian" theologian at Princeton Seminary, and all who desire a better understanding of baptism will benefit from Professor Murray's 90 page treatment of this topic titled Christian Baptism.

What the book did for me was present a clear picture of what my children's baptism means for them and me, and how God's promises in baptism square with God's sovereignty in salvation.

But this concise book gives clarity to broader issues of the Christian faith as well. Murray quips, "Faith severed from obedience is presumption, just as formal obedience severed from faith is self-righteousness." This principle applies to more than just baptism but to all of life.