What do you know about baptism?
First of all, I want to warn you that you may not like what is written here, it may hurt you. The truth sometimes hurts, I know from my own experience. I encourage you to pray before reading, to ask God, our Father and Jesus Christ, our Lord, to help you with His Holy Spirit to understand the truth and to choose it. If you sincerely desire the truth, He will not forsake you. I do not want to offend you; I desire to speak the truth to you in love, and may the Lord help me to do this.
This topic is about the rite. About a very important rite for every believer, without which you cannot consider yourself a Christian. About baptism.
If you ask your neighbour, co-worker or relative what he or she knows about baptism, practically everyone will say: "yes, I was baptized in infancy." I was “baptized” in that way also, when I was a small baby and did the same thing to my son. We acted according the Catholic traditions. My husband and I were the so-called godparents of six children, because in that time we met the criteria for godparents. I was very religious Catholic, we were not divorced, and so we suited perfectly. I willingly consented to take part in those rites, because I sincerely thought that baptism removes original sin and that infant baptism guarantees them the Kingdom of Heaven. You will probably agree that most parents baptize their children simply out of tradition and superstition, without thinking about the truths of the Bible and the true essence of following Jesus Christ and the meaning of the word "Christian". As they themselves were baptized, they also perform that traditional rite for their children. Therefore, it turns out that even non-believers, who do not follow Jesus and do not even think about Him, consider themselves Christians (or maybe Catholics, many people get confused here because they do not understand the difference). They think they are Christians because they are baptized in infancy, or rather, some water was poured on their forehead during certain religious ceremony, and some other people pledged for him to follow the teachings of that religious organization which they traditionally call the church. After that ceremony, the baby is considered a member of that denomination, even if he or she never attends the services ever after. In this way, there are many Catholics in Lithuania, who do not know practically anything about Catholic teaching. This is convenient for this religious organization, as long as these nominal members pay for services during weddings or funerals. Religion usually very closely intertwines with the worldly traditions. The Catholic religion is no exception; many things are presented here in a way that is convenient for the prosperity and growth of the organization. It is a tradition to baptize all the children in their infancy and later, to administer them the other so-called sacraments: first communion and confirmation. People among themselves usually call it "to set children right". It is better to do it in childhood, so that there are no problems later, when getting married. Because everyone usually wants a very beautiful ceremony in church on the wedding day. The same way, everyone usually wants beautiful ceremony on the day of baptism of their children. People prepare white clothes, silver spoons and golden crosses. That is nice, but what do all this have in common with the teachings of Jesus Christ and the apostles? It is a pity, but very few people rise this question.
As I said, most of the time the baptism of infants is done simply following catholic traditions and old superstitions. Parents want to secure their baby. For a long time, there was a teaching that unbaptized babies go to the hell after their death. To some extent, I understand those parents - everyone wants the best possible future for their child. Only we cannot guarantee that future for them, we cannot guarantee that our child will believe God and we cannot "buy" eternity for our child, because it is not up to us.
According to the Word of God, which we will examine in more detail, baptism is not for infants; it is for an adult person who can make a conscious decision. No one can decide for you to follow Christ and baptize you by force. Actually, from the history we know that many Lithuanians were “baptized” by force, but they were pagans in their hearts, and they remained so. Baptism is not some kind of spell or magical ritual that will change you without your will, by force. It must be done by sincere decision of your heart.
Therefore, children sprinkled with water in infancy are unfortunately not Christians. Maybe someone is hurt and think that I am insulting him or her by saying this, but I have to tell the truth, and I say - you did not become a Christian after your head was sprinkled a little with “holy” water in your infancy. Even if full immersion or submersion in water was used, as some churches of Catholic religion do, but it was done for you in infancy, it makes no difference: you did not become a Christian after this ceremony.
This is how the apostle Peter describes to us what baptism is
1 Peter 3, 18-22:
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Baptism is an answer of a good conscience toward God, if you believe that Jesus Christ had died and rose from the dead for you and want to follow Him. If you were baptized in infancy, you did not understand what was being done to you, you did not believe in Jesus Christ and you could not believe as an infant. Therefore, it was not baptism in the true sense of the word. It could not have been the answer of your conscience toward God, because you had not yet understood what sin is, nor what conscience is. Of course, you can consider yourself whatever you want, I cannot forbid you to think different things about yourself. I am only speaking what God's Word says. The Bible is the highest authority for me and I believe that the truth is written there. More than two thousand years have passed since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; during that time, so many false teachings have arisen, that it would be impossible for us to distinguish where the truth is. That is why God gave us the Bible - his Word, so that we do not go astray from God and do not deviate from the teaching of Christ and the apostles.
Ephesians 4, 14-16:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
The Catholic Catechism explains that infant baptism has been known since the second century. Well, let it be even from the first century; I do not care when and with what intention this error arose. It is a fallacy, because the Holy Scriptures do not mention such a thing. I refer to the Scriptures, and we know that
2 Timothy 3, 16-17:
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
From the Holy Scriptures we know that Christ did not teach to baptize small children, he blessed them, but neither John the Baptist nor the disciples of Jesus baptized infants. I think everyone should decide, what he or she wants to follow - the teachings of Christ, or the teachings of religious organizations. Make up your mind, but know what God's Word says:
2 John 1, 9:
Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
In order to make a decision, you need to analyze everything. Therefore, after rejecting all kinds of preconceived notions and human teachings, in the second part we will look at what baptism is and why it is performed according to the Word of God.
