At What Age Is A Child Spiritually Accountable?

Infant baptism is a contested concept in Christendom. The practice is prevalent among orthodox churches, but condemned by Pentecostals and Charismatics. Those opposed to infant baptism argue that a child does not qualify for the sacrament because it should be done after confession of faith in Jesus Christ.

In fact, Christian leaders have faced scrutiny of their faith on account of their claims that they confessed Jesus at tender ages. For instance, some people label a popular American ‘prophetess’, Kat Kerr as fake because she claimed to have given her life to Christ as age four or five. Another Christian leader, late TB Joshua, founder of the Synagogue Church in Lagos, Nigeria, claimed that he was born again in his mother’s womb! This was after journalists asked him about his salvation experience.

The founder of Lutheran Church, Martin Luther was the major proponent of infant baptism. He argued that the practice is pleasing to God because persons so baptised were reborn and sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Those who support the concept readily point to Mark 9:42 where Jesus states, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a milestone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea”.

 Their argument is also hinged on Luke 18:15-17, “They also brought infants to Him that He might bless them. When the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to Him and said, ‘Permit the little children to come to Me, and do not hinder them. For to such belongs the Kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever will not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child will certainly not enter it”.

 Before we bring out the argument of those opposed to the practice, we want to point out a word that stood out in Mark 9:42. Note that Jesus said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who BELIEVE in Me”. Emphasis is on the word believe. Does an infant have the mental capacity to believe in Jesus? Older children might. At what age would a child have the mental capacity to understand the Scripture in order to believe in Jesus?

 Now to the views of the anti-infant baptizers. They condemn infant baptism on the grounds that the rite of baptism is always related to believers as recorded in the Bible. One of the major opponents of infant baptism is John MacArthur of the Baptist Church. He claimed that infant baptism is not a central Christian doctrine and that it was only introduced in the 4^th Century.

The anti-infant baptizers also argue that all members of the households that were baptised in the Bible believed in Jesus first – For instance, Cornelius and his family (Acts 10:1-48) and the jailer of Paul and Silas (Acts 16:31-34).

It is pertinent to note that Paul and Silas first preached the good news to the jailer and his household. Verse 32 says, “And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his household”. This clearly means that those who listened to the message had the capacity to understand it. This also applied to Cornelius, his family and friends as recorded in Acts 10:4, “While Peter was speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word”.

 There is something unique and supernatural about the word of God. Jesus said in John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and are life”. He also said to the apostles, “Now you are clean through the word I have spoken to you” (John15:3).

There is only one way for us to be saved. Romans 10:9 states, “If you declare with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”. This is reinforced in 1 Peter 1: 23, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God”.

          Does baptism alone have the power to save anyone? Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:17, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power”. Certainly, Paul did not impute that baptism is irrelevant because this would contradict his assertion in Romans 6:3 that those baptised into Jesus were baptised into His death. Verse 4 reads, “Therefore we were buried with Him by immersion into death, that just as Jesus was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life”. He repeated this in the letter to the Galatians, chapter 3:27, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ”. These assertions presuppose that the people who were baptized into Christ had first confessed Him as Lord and Saviour.

 It is also important to note that baptism is not a choice we make. We are not given that privilege because it is a direct command of Jesus Christ. In Mathew 28:18-19 He says, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”.

 No Christian worth the name would contest the validity of baptism as a sacrament of the church. The question is, “Does baptism alone save anyone?” If we agree that baptism alone cannot save a soul, should we assume that our children are saved because they were baptized as infants? Proverbs 22:6 says, “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it”. This Scripture puts the responsibility for the spiritual guidance of children on their parents. Even if you subscribe to infant baptism, it is your responsibility to ensure that your child follows the path of truth. It is wrong for any parent to assume that their children are heaven bound just because they were baptized as infants.

How can we model Christ for our children? In 2 Timothy 1:5, Paul said of Timothy, “Remembering the genuine faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and that I am persuaded lives in you too”. Unfortunately, few parents in our generation spend time during the week interacting with their children on spiritual matters. Also, few parents model Christ in their daily lives.

 Even in the Old Testament, God made parents the primary instructors to their children on spiritual matters. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 reads, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up”.

Ephesians 6:4 states, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord”. If we take these Scriptures to heart, we will constantly point our children to the ways of the Lord. Thus, they would not be ensnared or influenced by “the spirit who is at work in those who are disobedient”.

Our conclusion on this matter is that parents must take responsibility for the spiritual guidance of their children – not the church. Parents must not assume that their children are saved just because they were baptized as infants. It is also essential that parents try to preach the good news to their children in a language they can understand irrespective of their age. Most importantly, parents must model Christ with their own lives.