Of New Birth, Baptism, and Children

Dear Weekly Readers!


The Bible has so many wonderful teachings for us! God also works through the revelation of the Holy Spirit! It is wonderful to have an article to share with you this week that is faithful to both of these situations!

Children are truly created by God and loved by Jesus! Lord, allow us to become as children, able to believe by faith! Please enjoy an article written by Pastor Steve Wuori.

May God Bless your week!

John R.

Of New Birth, Baptism, and Children

The history of the Christian Church has often been marked by discussions, disagreements and divisions over points of Scripture and interpretations of the will of God in certain areas. One of these concerns the question of whether infants and young children are children of God from the womb, or are in need of a "new birth" experience. This leads further to the matter of baptism—should it be performed on infants or must some adult comprehension or decision be involved? I believe we can come to a clear understanding through study of God's Word as expressed in both the Old and New Testaments. The Word makes abundantly clear that Jesus is a lover of children. He would often hold a young child and use the child as an example of faith and a proper heart condition to those who were assembled to hear Him. In Mark 10:16, Jesus gathered children to Himself ...he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. In this way He was claiming them as His own, putting His blessing upon them, making it clear that in His eyes, they belonged to Him. We see the abundant and unconditional love of God demonstrated through this simple and forceful act of Jesus, for He claimed them without regard to their lineage, the condition of their parents, or even their own thoughts. Jesus' blood was shed for all, and He was that Light described in John 1:9 ...that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Jesus could therefore claim any child as His own, knowing that He would die to save them, and knowing that they belong to no one else.  God has also always instructed that His children be marked with the seal of His love at a young age. This was accomplished through circumcision in the Old Testament, and is accomplished through baptism in the New. Hebrew parents were instructed to bring their male children to be physically circumcised and named on the eighth day after their birth. Genesis 17:11-12: And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.  And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. Luke 2:21: And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS...  In the New Testament, baptism (understood to be the visible sacrament of baptism with water) is to be applied soon after one becomes a believer. In Matthew 28:19 we read: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Recall that the first desire of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8) after he became a believer was to be baptized with water by Philip, and Acts contains several other examples of people being baptized unto Jesus Christ mmediately after they believed. So, if baptism is to be performed soon after faith comes, where does that leave an infant?  It cannot be emphasized forcefully enough that all people re children of God (believers by faith in Christ) in the womb.  The reaction of John the Baptist, who leapt for joy in his mother's womb upon hearing of Jesus in the salutation of Mary, is an example. Luke 1:41: And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.  This is a vivid depiction of how even the unborn, with no apparent capacity for thought or reason, respond by faith to the love message of their Creator. To suggest otherwise is to imply that all, or some, unborn are children of the devil. This is impossible, as the devil has no ability to create life, and he only accumulates children who fall from faith into unbelief at some point—perhaps years—after birth. 

The newborn, however, is a believing child of God to whom the covenant of baptism applies, and this covenant has nothing to do with the opinion or decision-making ability of the child!  The Hebrew children were not asked for their views on whether they should be circumcised (marked), Jesus did not ask the children if they wanted to be blessed, and we are not to be concerned about whether an infant wishes to be baptized (marked). Why? Because it is entirely the work of God, who marks children as belonging to Himself with a seal that is good for life. In other words, God's view of the child is constant and unchanging, and even if the covenant is later broken through adult unbelief, it is clear that God did not break it. The beauty of infant baptism is that it is applied when man is at his most helpless and incapable state, leaving the work entirely in the hands of God. Baptism has also been compared to the natural example of the branding of a calf in a cattle herd—the calf will forever carry the mark of original ownership, though it may later be sold to another master. As Luther noted, "to suggest that an adult decision is required for baptism contorts the Sacrament, converting it from the work of God into the work of man." Baptism, once applied, is valid for life, and there is no need to repeat it in adulthood. 

This also clarifies who is in need of new birth, or of being "born again." New birth is only required in those who are dead spiritually, those whose spiritual portion, which was alive at birth, has starved, withered and died through lack of nourishment.  This can occur at any point after birth, and one who has lost their pure God-given faith in Christ must be reborn. Such was the state of the Jewish leader Nicodemus and those he represented, and Jesus admonished him ... ye must be born again (John 3:7). We cannot, however, require new birth of a childhood Christian, one who has never denied nor lost their faith. No spiritual death has occurred, and therefore it is not possible to require new birth. Such a requirement is a heavy burden of man and is not edifying to the believer. I believe that childhood Christians do, and must, and will experience a "piercing of the heart," similar to that which Mary experienced (Luke 2:35), wherein the fallen condition of our flesh, our own failures, forgiveness and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ are brought home to the heart in a very personal and special way. It is impossible to assess at what age this should happen, and we must therefore leave the timing of such an experience in the hands of God. He is faithful, and may His Word ever be a blessing among His people.

In Christ,
Pastor Stephen J. Wuori
Calgary, Alberta