Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Don't rush baptism
Reasons why I do not believe in infant baptism:
Baptism is an act of faith. It is something you choose, not something chosen for you. Adults can choose. Babies can't.
Baptism is a conscious decision to choose the Holy Spirit lifestyle as opposed to the spirit of flesh lifestyle. Adults understand the battle between good and evil. Babies do not even know good and evil.
Baptism is being crucified with Christ. It is the ultimate denial of self to follow Jesus. Adults can process that decision. Babies cannot even understand selfishness vs. selflessness.
Baptism results in a new life free from the guilt of sin. Adults know they have made conscious sinful choices. Babies cannot process intentional and deliberate choices.
I should make it clear that I do not believe in original sin. I do not believe that babies are born unsaved due to the sin Adam. But if you belive that, and you realize that Scripture teaches baptism for forgiveness of sins, you would baptize your babies. And that is your church history lesson for today. Emphasis on forgiveness and be saved part of baptism, not on the faith decision to follow Jesus as Lord part.
So I believe in adult baptism and not infant baptism. What does that have to do with the question of baptizing our kids? Our kids grow from babies to adults physically, emotionally, mentally. Good parenting recognizes that there is a growth process to make decisions in those areas as they mature. It is true spiritually also.
So we need to be wise, prayerful parents as we mature our kids spiritually to be able to make the one great decision of their life. And that decision is what they will do personally about Jesus.
Remember that your kids are holy because of your faith, so do get overly stressed with the whole forgiveness of sins. Don't let them make a decision they are not yet mature enough to make.
Baptism is an act of faith. It is something you choose, not something chosen for you. Adults can choose. Babies can't.
Baptism is a conscious decision to choose the Holy Spirit lifestyle as opposed to the spirit of flesh lifestyle. Adults understand the battle between good and evil. Babies do not even know good and evil.
Baptism is being crucified with Christ. It is the ultimate denial of self to follow Jesus. Adults can process that decision. Babies cannot even understand selfishness vs. selflessness.
Baptism results in a new life free from the guilt of sin. Adults know they have made conscious sinful choices. Babies cannot process intentional and deliberate choices.
I should make it clear that I do not believe in original sin. I do not believe that babies are born unsaved due to the sin Adam. But if you belive that, and you realize that Scripture teaches baptism for forgiveness of sins, you would baptize your babies. And that is your church history lesson for today. Emphasis on forgiveness and be saved part of baptism, not on the faith decision to follow Jesus as Lord part.
So I believe in adult baptism and not infant baptism. What does that have to do with the question of baptizing our kids? Our kids grow from babies to adults physically, emotionally, mentally. Good parenting recognizes that there is a growth process to make decisions in those areas as they mature. It is true spiritually also.
So we need to be wise, prayerful parents as we mature our kids spiritually to be able to make the one great decision of their life. And that decision is what they will do personally about Jesus.
Remember that your kids are holy because of your faith, so do get overly stressed with the whole forgiveness of sins. Don't let them make a decision they are not yet mature enough to make.
