The Baptism of Believers' Children

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: Genesis 17; Lord's Day 27
Psalters: 258, 393, 101, 237
Sacrament of Baptism
  1. The infant of a faithful believer is baptized because God promised to be the God of His people and of their children (Gen. 17:7).
    1. Children are included with their believing parents in the covenant and Church.
    2. God’s promise of redemption and forgiveness is directed to children as well as to adults (Luke 18:15,16).
    3. Thirdly, God promises the Holy Spirit, the author of faith, also to the children of believers (Acts 2:38,39).
    4. As infants partake of condemnation in Adam without conscious knowledge, so they can partake of God's grace without conscious knowledge (cf. Ps. 139:13; Jer. 1:3; Luke 1:15; Mark. 10:13-16).
  2. The biblical practice: the apostles baptized the children/households of new believers.
    1. New believers (never baptized before) were converted under the preaching of the Gospel and are baptized (Mk. 16:16).
    2. The apostles practiced the baptism of new believers and their households.
    3. Water baptism, like circumcision, is commanded of us (it is not an option).
  3. The difficulty is that not all the children of believers are saved - some later show themselves to be unbelievers.
    1. Does this affect the basis for infant baptism?  No, for we baptize infants because God commands us to do so.
    2. Serious errors have arisen in the attempt to deal with this difficulty.
    3. Scripture answers this problem by pointing to the Israelites who did not believe (Romans 9:1-8).
  4. The biblical responsibility.
    1. In obedience to God's commands we baptize and teach them the truth along with the command of God to obey (Gen. 18:19).
    2. We teach our children to consider themselves saved only in the way of their repenting and believing.
    3. And we constantly praise God for His goodness to us and our children, praying He will not cut us off in our generations.