In the Bible, God instituted baptism for our benefit as his means of grace to give us faith that comes from him and is not the result of our doing. Through Baptism, God uses water, connected with his Word, to wash away our sins and adopt us into his family forever. What a blessing! Jesus told his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God tells us in his Word that through baptism, he works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal life. There are no age or spiritual maturity requirements for baptism in God’s Word.
Some believe that baptism is a choice that individuals should make for themselves and rationalize that it is reasonable to allow children to mature spiritually in order for them to make this choice. One can be assured that the devil is constantly working on everyone’s hearts and minds at any age to reject God’s Word, so why wouldn’t we want God to be working in our hearts and minds instead of Satan. If a person stubbornly refuses to be baptized, would it be a rejection of God? Absolutely. Through baptism, God lives in us, forgives our sins, overpowers death and the devil, and works faith in our hearts so that we do not lose our inheritance of eternal life. So, it is not the water by itself or the act of baptism that connects us with God. Rather, it is the word of God which is in and with the water when the words, “baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” are said, that God adopts us and gives us faith through this sacrament. This is difficult to comprehend for humans, however, nothing is impossible for God. What joy it is for Christians to know that God wants all people, regardless of age, to be baptized! Through our baptism He promises to adopt us into his family and take care of us forever.
God’s Word on Baptism: NIV:
Mathew 28:19: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Mark 16:16: Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
-Also see: 2 Timothy 3:15, Acts 2:38,39, Titus 3:5-7, 1 Cor. 12:3, Gal. 3:26-27, Eph. 5: 25-26,
1 Peter 3:20-21, Romans 6:3, Luke 18: 15-17 , Psalm 51:5