God's gifts to us in Baptism
Thinking about the Baptism of children and the response that adults make for them, I have copied the notes in the Church in Wales Baptism Service for infants to help us think about this:
'Baptism marks the beginning of a journey with God which continues for the rest of our lives, the first step in response to God's love. For all involved, particularly the candidates but also parents, godparents and sponsors, it is a joyful moment when we rejoice in what God has done for us in Christ.
The service paints many vivid pictures of what happens on the Christian way. There is the sign of the cross, the badge of faith in the Christian journey, which reminds us of Christ's death for us. Our 'drowning' in the water of baptism, where we believe we die to sin and are raised to new life, unites us to Christ's dying and rising, a picture that can be brought home vividly by the way the baptism is administered. Water is also a sign of new life, as we are born again by water and the Spirit, as Jesus was at his baptism. And as a sign of that new life, there may be a lighted candle, a picture of the light of Christ conquering the darkness of evil. Everyone who is baptized walks in that light for the rest of their lives.'
The service of Baptism (whether for infants or adults) may have slightly different words depending on our denomination, and I am aware this is going out across the world to people in many different Christian churches, but all will reflect the thoughts in the two paragraphs above.