Question #68

What about infant baptism?

What about the baptism of children? Are children required to be baptized to go to heaven?

The Answer:

The practice of infant baptism is a strong argument for the necessity of baptism to receive the remission or forgiveness of sins. Infant baptism had its origin in the belief that all humans, including infants, were tainted by the sin of Adam. As a result, all unbaptized infants who died were lost. This doctrine is often referred to as the doctrine of total hereditary depravity. Since this doctrine holds that all, even infants, are totally depraved because of inherited guilt, it was concluded that infants must be baptized, a practice that was then and since Biblical days accepted as the act based upon which and the time at which sins were remitted and forgiveness received. Obviously, baptism was the only requirement related to salvation that could be expected of an infant.

There is no biblical basis for the doctrine. First, there is no biblical basis for the doctrine of total hereditary depravity. Children have no sin. It was of them that Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3. Baptism must be preceded by faith. Mark 16:15-16. Baptism must be preceded by repentance. Acts 2:38. Confession is made unto salvation. Romans10:8-11. Since an infant does not have the mental capacity to believe or repent or the verbal capacity to intelligently confess based upon faith, the infant is not a proper subject of scriptural baptism. Since the infant has no sin it is not lost. Since it is not lost it cannot be “found” or saved. It is in a “safe” condition and, should it die, would enjoy eternal bliss in the presence of God.