Adult baptism v. Child baptism

What kind of religion goes after naïve children rather than sophisticated adults? Humanism & Atheism (public schools), Islam (suicide bombers), and counterfeit Christianity (child baptism), among others.

The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. (Ezek 18:20)

I don’t think it gets any plainer than that. God doesn’t judge you for anyone else’s sin. So the question is: At what age does God judge you for your own sin?

I only know of one example in the Bible where God puts an age on it. After God brought the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery He was going to give them the promised land. But only two of them, Joshua and Caleb, believed that He could do it.

As a result, God told them, “Your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. Your children, however, whom you said would become a prey — I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected.” (Num 14:29-31)

Those under the age of twenty were not judged. Parents are supposed to judge their children; for which they will be judged by God. When the above account is retold in Deut 1:34-39, it is revealed that God regards children as having no knowledge of good and evil, as was said of Adam and Eve before they sinned.

The fact is that children do not physically or mentally mature until sometime around twenty. A five year old can know the Ten Commandments, the Law of God, but that doesn’t mean they will lose fellowship with Him if they violate it. Here is a much more in depth study on child and youth immersion.

Paul said in Romans 7:9, “I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died.”

There comes a point when God judges you for your sin. At that point you die spiritually – you are separated from God as Adam and Eve were when they sinned by disobeying His command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Without forgiveness you will be cursed forever.

Here’s how Paul puts it in Galatians 3:10, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, to perform them.” And in verse 22 he says, “The Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.”

The bad news is supposed to get our attention so we will listen to the good news found in verses 13-14 of the same chapter: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” – in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (Gal 3:23-27)

You are cursed by the Law, the Old Covenant, because of your sin. You are blessed when you enter into the New Covenant through Christ Jesus and experience a death, burial, and resurrection with Him (Rom 6:3-7) through faith in the working of God:

Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. (Rom 7:4)

Having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. (Col 2:12)

Baptism now saves you – not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 3:21)

Children are not cursed. Adults are cursed. Adults who have obeyed Acts 2:38 by faith are no longer cursed: “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name. (Acts 22:16)

Next up: Parents teach children v. Anyone but parents teach children >>>