Reasons for infant Baptism
My girlfriend and I really want to move forward and possibly someday get married. She is Baptist and I am WELS Lutheran. Both of our beliefs are firm and we both don't want to agree with the other side. The deciding factor for us moving forward is whether to baptize our children as babies or to wait and do believer's baptism. What I have told her, and what I believe, is we should baptize babies because 1. Baptism creates faith 2. Receive forgiveness of sins - child would be in heaven if he/she dies 3. Babies can believe and the Bible commands us to Her response is that it seems like Lutherans just try to find some shortcut that makes sure we see our babies in heaven, if they were to pass away, and that it is twisting of God's word to just have the outcome we wish for. What should I say, and what other points should I bring up? I know it was long. Thank you!
Another reason for baptizing infants and children is because they are part of Jesus’ instruction to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). The littlest and youngest of human beings are included in “all nations.”
Also, we baptize infants and children because they are sinful by nature and have a need for spiritual rebirth (Psalm 51:5; John 3:5-6). Recognizing their natural spiritual condition and addressing it is not a “shortcut” of any kind.
Another topic of conversation you can have with your girlfriend concerns the source of Christian faith: who is responsible for it. Saving faith is God’s gift to people (Ephesians 2:8), worked in their hearts through the word of God (Romans 10:17). People cannot bring themselves to saving faith in Christ or decide to invite him into their hearts because they are by nature spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1), spiritually blind (Acts 26:17-18) and enemies of God (Romans 8:6-7). When we recognize that God works saving faith in people through his word, then we will recognize that God can work saving faith in infants and children through the application of water and his word.
It is good that you and your girlfriend are having these discussions. I trust you are fully aware of the challenges that can exist in a marriage in which a husband and wife do not agree on what the Bible teaches—and the blessings that husband and wife enjoy when they share a common faith. Continue to share the truths of God’s word with your girlfriend. God bless you.