Baptizing Children

Before we get started, if you are looking for a post about whether or not our church baptizes infants and why the other churches are wrong, you will have to go somewhere else.  I will intentionally inject controversy into this site at another time, and certainly with a different topic.  Suggestions?

Anyway, one of my most favorite parts of my job is when I find out that children want to get baptized.  They have received Christ and want to take the next step.  Typically they will come up to me and tell me and the parents will ask, “what do we need to do?”  This is where, sometimes, pastors and parents can get a little squirrely. (Hmm, the spell check did not recognize the word squirrely.)  We feel this pressure at times to “make sure” that the child has become a genuine believer and we can put together a checklist of things that a child must say or do to be “ready” to be baptized.

I get this.  I have been there myself.  I was hesitant to baptize both of my kids when they were young.  As a parent, you want to make sure that they are making the decision to get baptized for the right reason, not because their friends do it, parents want them to, or (I’ve heard this one) it looks cool and I like water.  This is important and is why I want to talk to not just kids but adults as well before they are baptized.  We want their baptism to be a memorable moment that came from a genuine decision.

However, we go too far when we begin to inflict upon our children a very rigorous theological test.  How well do they understand Trinitarian theology and do they have a full grasp on the doctrine of substitutionary atonement?  You may be thinking, what?  If so, in part you have made my point.  We want children to have a depth to theology that they aren’t capable of having yet and we get nervous if they don’t.

Mark 10:13-16

¹³People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁵I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ¹⁶And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Jesus says that all of us need to receive God’s kingdom like a child.  He doesn’t say that children need to receive the kingdom like an adult.  How do children receive?  They very believe simply and sincerely.  They know that God loves them.  They know that their sin is wrong and they know that Jesus gave his life for them.  Is it intellectually deep? No.  Is it sincere and passionate? Absolutely.

All that to say, I love talking with children and hearing them express their love for God and their desire to follow him.  I love hearing their simple passion that comes from deep inside their hearts.  They come to talk to me in part for me to teach them more about the gospel.  Often they teach me more in the faith that they model.