Christian parents want their children to develop into compassionate and devout followers of Jesus Christ. And with that noble objective in mind, some parents have their babies baptized, while others dedicate their infants to the Lord with the hope that baptism will occur when their children are older.
But do these sacred ceremonies very early in life ultimately produce teenagers and adults who follow the Savior whose holy name was spoken over them at their baptism or dedication?
Thankfully, some of these children do indeed grow up to know the Lord and walk closely with their Savior, while others drift away from the Christian faith their parents hoped they would wholeheartedly embrace. So, what makes the difference? Why do some grow up to follow Christ, while others do not?
You may have witnessed dozens of baby dedications and/or infant baptisms over the years. If so, where are those teenagers and adults in their spiritual life today? Well, some of them are joyfully serving Jesus, and even raising their own children to love and follow the Lord. Sadly, others today exhibit zero interest in Jesus Christ. For whatever reason, they lack any awareness of God’s amazing grace and any enthusiasm for the Lord’s awe-inspiring plan of salvation.
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If we assume that a baby dedication or an infant baptism by itself is going to produce a spiritually mature follower of Christ, we are kidding ourselves. It simply doesn’t work that way, anymore than childbirth by itself guarantees the healthy development of a child in a safe and loving home environment. Dedicating or baptizing your baby is one thing, but mentoring your child to become a committed Christ follower requires thousands of hours of focused and grace-filled parenting.
Millions of children over the centuries have grown to love, trust and follow Jesus. I was blessed to be raised by wonderful Christian parents. Likewise, Tammy and I were privileged to raise two sons and two daughters to grow strong in their faith and serve our Savior. I laid out our basic approach in my 2017 CP op-ed, “5 Tips for Raising Children Who Love Jesus.”
Being baptized or dedicated as an infant is a wonderful starting point, but this righteous act by itself does not produce a mature follower of Christ. Children and teens need lots of loving parental instruction in order to joyfully embrace the Gospel, understand the Bible, love their family, and serve others. There are no perfect children or teenagers, just like there are no perfect adults. But as a result of our Redeemer’s agonizing sacrifice on the cross, believers are forgiven and we can learn how to please the Lord and lead others to Christ.
Are you raising your children to enjoy a growing relationship with Jesus? It is your highest calling as a parent. If you will plant and water the seeds of the Gospel every day, God will supernaturally make those seeds grow in the heart of your child. It is equally miraculous when teens and adults come to know the Lord even though their parents were unbelievers and therefore incapable of discipling their children in the Christian faith.
So, what was your childhood like? And if you are a Christian today, who led you to the Savior? Did your parents saturate your soul with the good news of the Gospel and train you to walk along the path of righteousness? Perhaps God worked through friends, co-workers or pastors in leading you to a place of spiritual maturity. If you were dedicated or baptized as a baby, does your spiritual life today reflect the One into whose name you were baptized or dedicated?
While baby dedications and infant baptisms are certainly meaningful, daily spiritual mentoring over the years is even more consequential. If you have any doubts about that fact, then simply consider the multitudes of teenagers and adults who were baptized or dedicated as babies, and yet seem to lack a spiritual pulse today.
If you have a strong biblical conviction regarding baby dedication or infant baptism, just remember that not every Christian parent will choose to employ your preferred method. Likewise, not every Christian parent will utilize your specific approach to youth discipleship in the home. Christian parents seek to honor the Lord and bless their family by the conscientious decisions they make in the following 10 areas, among others: baby dedications and infant baptisms, weekly worship as a family, spiritual discussions in the home, apologizing to one another in front of the children when necessary, service projects, setting biblical boundaries, praying together as a family, loving correction, daily words of encouragement, and Bible study.
If you or your children are a great distance from the Lord today, please don’t throw in the towel. God often reaches people who have drifted far away from Christ. God’s mercy and grace can change even the hardest of hearts. Ask the Lord to reveal the Gospel to you and your family. And then come to the cross of Christ today in a spirit of humility, contrition and faith.
Dan Delzell is the pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Papillion, Nebraska.
