Infant Baptism
There are some churches who sprinkle water on babies and call it baptism. Is infant baptism from heaven or from men? We will show in this article why infant baptism is wrong.
Before a person can be baptized, he must be taught. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). A person must also believe before they are baptized. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16). It is a command of God that everybody must repent to obey God. “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30). We must confess Christ in order to be saved. “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).
Can an infant do any of these things? No! Neither does the infant have any sin which needs to be forgiven. Jesus said, “And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). We become sinners when we break God’s law. Paul said, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We do not have sin until after we transgress the law of God. The apostle John wrote, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). Since sprinkling babies (infant baptism) is not from God, it is from man.
Original Sin
Why do people want to baptize babies? It is because they believe babies are born with sin. The Bible does not teach this. Each person is responsible for his own sins. Ezekiel said, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son:
the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him” (Ezekiel 18:20). Our spirit comes from God. God does not give people an evil spirit. “And the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Those who go to heaven are to be like little children. If children were sinners, Jesus would not tell us to be like them. “But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14).
Conclusion
Since a person must hear and understand, believe, repent, and confess his faith in Christ before being baptized, this does not include infants. Also, until they reach the age where they are able to tell the difference between right and wrong, they are safe.
The practice of infant baptism is from man, not God. We do not have the authority to practice it.
Before a person can be baptized, he must be taught. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). A person must also believe before they are baptized. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16). It is a command of God that everybody must repent to obey God. “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30). We must confess Christ in order to be saved. “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).
Can an infant do any of these things? No! Neither does the infant have any sin which needs to be forgiven. Jesus said, “And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). We become sinners when we break God’s law. Paul said, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We do not have sin until after we transgress the law of God. The apostle John wrote, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). Since sprinkling babies (infant baptism) is not from God, it is from man.
Original Sin
Why do people want to baptize babies? It is because they believe babies are born with sin. The Bible does not teach this. Each person is responsible for his own sins. Ezekiel said, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son:
the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him” (Ezekiel 18:20). Our spirit comes from God. God does not give people an evil spirit. “And the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Those who go to heaven are to be like little children. If children were sinners, Jesus would not tell us to be like them. “But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14).
Conclusion
Since a person must hear and understand, believe, repent, and confess his faith in Christ before being baptized, this does not include infants. Also, until they reach the age where they are able to tell the difference between right and wrong, they are safe.
The practice of infant baptism is from man, not God. We do not have the authority to practice it.