INFANT BAPTISM. WHY DO IT?

There are at least five reasons why we must reject infant sprinkling as an unbiblical rite and in this post I am going to focus on just one, which should be really sufficient.

Infant sprinkling is not in the Scripture. Scripture nowhere advocates or records any such thing as the sprinkling of an infant. It is therefore impossible to support infant baptism from the Bible. It is not in the Bible. There’s not an incident of it, there’s not a mandate, there’s not a call for it, there’s not a description of it. It doesn’t appear. In fact, theological leaders in generations past have affirmed this truth.

B. B. Warfield who was a noted Presbyterian, (Presbyterians do infant baptism), affirmed that infant baptism does not appear in the Scripture. We might think that since this is true, that the Calvinistic regulative principle might be applied, the regulative principle of the Reformation said “if Scripture doesn’t command it, don’t do it!”

We expect the Roman Catholic Church to engage in such practices because the Roman Catholic Church is full of things that aren’t in the Bible! They also believe in a whole source of revelation outside the Bible which they call Tradition, or the Magisterium, church councils, the Pope speaking ex cathedra. We expect the Roman Catholic Church to come up with things that aren’t biblical.

But what is sad though, is that infant Baptism is not even consistent with Reformation soteriology! What do I mean by that? Well, the Reformers rediscovered the doctrine of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone…the doctrine of justification. The doctrine of imputation, that our sins are placed on Christ in His death, and His righteousness is given to us. This is imputation. This is the great doctrine. Faith alone is the condition by which salvation is received, faith alone…faith alone.

Here is the Reformed Heidelberg Catechism, question #74, “Shall one baptize young children also? Yes, for they, as well as the old people, appertain to the covenant of God in His church and in the blood of Christ the redemption from sins and the Holy Spirit who works faith has promised not less than to the older.” Baptize them because they’re promised salvation in the Holy Spirit.

Scripture teaches justification…justification not by sacrament, not by ceremony, not by symbol. Justification by faith through grace, how could they understand that, and then come up with something like infant Baptism which by a rite on a baby, promises “baby salvation”?

Scripture is clear! Infant Baptism is nothing, has no saving efficacy, delivers no grace, confers no faith, is a symbol of nothing. Repentance is totally absent! So, since it is absolutely and totally pointless.

Then why do it?