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Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles —all who have been called by the Lord our God.” (Acts 2:38, 39 NLT)
In a parenting devotion on YouVersion, Timeofgrace.com published a piece on infant baptism, using this verse to suggest that infant baptism is a justifiable means of receiving salvation.
I, in no way, want to divide the church, but I don’t want you to be naive in this. The verse begins with, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God.” Then, and only then, must you be baptized. An infant simply has no understanding of sin, nor the ability to repent.
Baptizing an infant is a great way to bless them and consecrate them before friends, family and fellow believers, as a symbol of your intent to bring the child up in the Word. But to assume that your child is reconciled to Christ is recipe for disaster, especially if you fail later to adequately train your child up in the way he should go.
For those who are afraid for your infant’s eternal destiny: God is sovereign and He is just. Infants who die prematurely ate under His good and righteous rule and you can trust God.
For those who want to argue, this is not about arguing, but about us all being built up in the Word for the sake of the gospel and the Kingdom of God. May this admonition unify our hearts as we seek to obediently follow God together.