Going back to Adam in the Garden, we see this pattern of God initiating and man responding. God creates the world and plants a garden and puts Adam and Eve in it. They respond by resting and rejoicing in His goodness. They love because God loved them first. God called Abraham to follow him into a new land away from his family because He was determined to bless His descendants and all of the nations of the earth through him. Abraham learned to love because God loved him first. Israel wasn’t so sure about being delivered from Egypt. They were miserable, but God’s plan wasn’t really their idea. But God brought them out anyway because He loved them, and he wanted to teach Israel how to love in return. This same pattern continues and climaxes in Jesus Christ. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. And God sent His Son and His Son died for sinners who His enemies. He loved them so that they might come to love Him. And so this too is the whole point of baptizing our children. This isn’t a magical, superstitious ceremony. This is simply the way that God demonstrates His love toward us, that even while were sinners, even while we didn’t know Him or love Him, God initiates, God pursues, God loves us first. So my charge to you, Justin and Carly, is to remind Winona of this day. Remind her that God placed His name on her; He pledged His love to her even before she can remember because that’s the way God is. We love because He first loved us.
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