There are some people who refuse to baptize their children for various reasons.
One objection they bring is that there’s nowhere in the Bible where it says explicitly to baptize infants… but there’s nowhere in the Bible where it says to not baptize infants either.
I would argue that the Bible, the Apostles, and the disciples of the Apostles confirmed that infant baptism is an Apostolic teaching… but this is not the place for this conversation.
If you want to learn more about Why Children Must Be Baptized, you can check the article below – in this one we will talk about the reasons to baptize infants.
7 Reasons To Baptize Your Children
Reason 1: Baptism Saves
In 1 Peter 3:21 we can read:
“And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
Reason 2: In Baptism We Are United in Christ
In (Galatians 3:26–27) we can read:
- For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
- And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.
Reason 3: Through Baptism We Are Putting On Christ
Same verse as above, Galatians 3:27:
And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.
Reason 4: Baptism Washed Away Inherited Sin
We are all brought into this world with an inherited sin.
From infancy onward, every person bears the mark of inherited sin. (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12)
Psalm 51:5:
“For I was born a sinner – yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.”
Romans 5:12:
“When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.”
Baptism is understood as the means by which original sin is washed away and new life in Christ is given – at any age.
Reason 5: Giving Sin No Chance
Sin is poisonous, and the more we sin, the easier it is to sin.
Imagine demons shooting poisonous arrows at you trying to prevent you from climbing a leader to Heaven… the more you get shot — the slower you get and the easier it will be for them to shoot you again.
The hardest it is to sin is right after Holy Confession when your Spiritual Father, through the authority given to him by Jesus Christ, forgives your sins.
According to John 20:21-24…
(…) As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”
Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
And as we saw in Psalms 51:5 and Romans 5:12 above, we are born with sin.
This inherited sin must be washed away immediately.
Some Protestants will say that the child cannot have a proper baptism because the child cannot confess the Faith and make the conscious decision to leave sin behind.
The response to this is that the parents or spiritual parents of the child vow in front of God to take good care of that child and confess the Faith thought the Creed.
They decide that they themselves will leave sin behind, and will make sure the child will be educated to discern good from evil and not sin,
This is at least in the Orthodox Church.
You can learn more about Baptism in The Orthodox Church and how it is 100% Biblical by reading this: Baptism in the Orthodox Church
As we saw in the Old Testament, the parents are the ones who decide if the child is being circumcised and left at the temple.
Reason 6: Parents Are Bound To Raise The Child in Good Faith
During the Baptism of Infants, parents, and spiritual parents vow in front of God that they will take good care of the child.
I don’t think I need to explain why you need to keep such a promise 🙂
This way, if you don’t raise the child in the Faith — you will have to give some explanations to the Lord.
Reason 7: Only Baptized People Take Communion
In John 6:53 we can read:
So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you.
This is how important the Holy Communion is, and people who are not baptized are not even considered taking Communion.
In the Orthodox Church, children take their first Communion right at the Baptism – so this will also be checked.
Protestant parents… please let the children come to our Lord Jesus Christ as soon as possible “for for to such belongs the kingdom of God” and they must be one with Christ as soon as possible.
As parents that love your children, why would you want to strip your children of:
- The salvation that comes through Baptism?
- The unity with Christ that comes through Baptism?
- The putting on Christ that comes through Baptism?
- The washing away of the inherited sin that comes through Baptism?
- The Communions with Christ that comes through the Eucharist, that is given only to people who have been Baptized?
I will let you answer that.
God bless