Understanding Child Baptism (Genesis 17:7-14; Acts 2:38-39)

Main Point: Infant/child baptism is based on God’s unmerited grace established in the covenant with believers and their children.

1. Old Testament: God’s covenant with believers includes children.
   
   
2. New Testament: Child Baptism is inferred
   A. Household baptisms in the New Testament
   B. Jesus affirms that children belongs to the Kingdom of God (In Luke 18:15-17, Matthew 19:13-15)
   
   
3. Implications of child baptism:
   A. Parents are to take on an active role in nurturing the faith of their child
   B. Parent and child should look forward to the day of Confirmation
    

If it is right that children should be brought to Christ, why should they not be admitted to baptism, the symbol of our communion and fellowship with Christ? If the Kingdom of heaven is theirs, why should they be denied the sign…..How unjust were we to drive away those whom Christ invites to himself; …to exclude those he spontaneously admits…

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion 4.16.7