Tell your children, “You’re a Christian!”

I used to dread Sundays. When I was six years old, I used to spend the hours before church with a hole in my gut, knowing that there would be an altar call at the end of the service, and that once again I would be guilty of not responding.

Don’t mistake me; I wanted to respond. I wanted so badly to do whatever it would take to get to call myself a Christian. But I knew first that I should obey my parents, and I was scrupulous. So since my parents had not instructed me specifically to respond to the altar call that Sunday, I was afraid I shouldn’t do it. But I was afraid to ask for permission to do something so obvious… obvious because they knew that I had always believed them, so I was embarrassed about being late to comply. I felt like I was in trouble either way I looked at it, because I was so compliant, but was also confused by thinking like a child without guidance.

My wonderful parents had explained the gospel many times. I always believed it; I assumed it was true. My parents who loved me were the ones telling me, after all. They wouldn’t lie. Their gospel was true. But my childhood OCD was fierce. I wanted to obey Jesus, but the devil’s trick was that I felt like I was disobeying if I were to respond without permission. And I wanted to obey my parents in order to honor God. My heart was faithful, but my mind needed help.

We used to sing songs in children’s Sunday school about being a ‘C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N’, but obediently, I shut my mouth in that song, because it was a sin to lie, and I knew better: I hadn’t yet made the long walk down the short aisle to pray with the pastor. My heart was faithful, but my theology told me that salvation didn’t begin until you had made a public profession.

My experience was one of total faith since before I can remember. I could rely on my parents, and I could rely on our family’s God. He was true. My heart was faithful, but I needed better teaching.

Eventually, I believe, God helped me out by directing me to more consistent theology.

In later years, I came to believe that the Bible teaches us that it is normative for God to pass faith through the families of believers. It is so normative, in fact, that we are commanded to tell our children that “our God is their God” (Dt 6.4-7).

We are commanded to include our crying infants as integral parts of worship, shutting the mouths of God’s enemies (Ps 8). We are not to prevent them from being touched by the hands of the king of whose kingdom they are a part (Mk 10.13-17). Even nursing babies (Lk 18.15).

We are told that the promise of God is for us and for our children, just as God said the same for Abraham (cf, Act 2.37-38, Gen 17).
Even so, we are all together told to sing liturgically in church that God was ours from before birth (Ps 22.9-10).

When a child of the covenant hears their parents’ gospel – their heart will naturally (by nature) latch on. But they are still childish thinkers, and will only understand the benefit and safety of their salvation if they are told by their parents what is true: “You are God’s!” And, “We belong to God and we worship him.” “He has forgiven your sins and saved you by faith.” “Because you belong to Jesus, you will be raised to life.” In short, we are to say to our children – “You are a Christian!”

I have been thinking… somewhat obsessively (thank you, OCD) … over the last two decades about the faith of infants born to believers (paedofaith), the baptism of infants born to believers (paedobaptism), and whether communion also belongs to this group of people (paedocommunion). And I am excited, in coming weeks, to show here that the Bible teaches paedocommunion both explicitly and implicitly.

I intend to start a Tuesday theme here in these topics. I’ll give you Bible proofs, logic, and anecdotes, all three for the price of one. I’ll try to keep them in manageable, bite-size morsels, maybe with the occasional feast. I pray that the discussion will be a blessing to your faith, and to the faith of your children.

ARTICLES IN THIS SERIES (LINKS):

• 1 Tell Your Children, “You’re A Christian!” (10/26/21)
• 2 My God From My Mother’s Womb (11/02/21 – reposted after deletion 11/23/21)
• 3 My Baptist Obstacles: What It Took to Change My Mind About Infant Baptism (11/9/21)
• 4 My Baptist Obstacles: Immersion (11/16/21)
• 5 My Baptist Obstacles: The Great Commission Says, “Baptize Disciples” (11/23/21)
• 6 My Baptist Obstacles: Did Circumcision Come from a Works-Based Religion? (12/1/21)