Lesson #20 - Infants Are Not Lost

We now turn our attention to another perversion of God’s word and that is infants are born sinners and must be baptized in order to be saved. This contradicts God’s word. In Ezekiel 18:20 we read, "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor shall the father bear the guilt of the son." Here God is telling us that children do not inherit sin from their parents, grandparents, or any of their forefathers, all the way back to Adam. It says "The son shall not bear the guilt of the Father." Each person is responsible for his own sins. According to this verse, it is "The soul who sins shall die."" Does it say that the soul that inherits sin, it shall die? No. It says the soul who sins.

What is sin? I John 3:4 says, "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness: and sin is lawlessness." We do not inherit sin; we commit sin; and we commit sin when we commit lawlessness. An infant has not broken any law of God and thus has not committed any sin.

An infant is completely innocent. Just as God says in Ezekiel 28:15, "You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you." So we see that an infant is born perfect and without sin until he becomes of an accountable age and then begins to sin.

How is sin committed? In James 1:14-15 we read, "Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his OWN lust and enticed, then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin and sin when it is finished brings forth death." Before one can commit sin he must be drawn away of his OWN lust and enticed. A baby cannot be drawn away and enticed into lustful sin. This is absurd. This is total ignorance of God's word. James 4:17 also says, "Therefore to him who knows to do good, and does not do it, to him it is sin." This is the sin of omission. An infant does not know to do good and thus cannot sin. There are only two ways that man sins: by committing sin or we sin by omission. An infant cannot sin in either way and has no sin.

A little child is innocent and pure, as our Lord says in Matthew 18:3, "Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." Little children are not lost, but are safe until they become accountable.

One error leads to another. Men say that since infants have inherited the sin of Adam, that they must be baptized or they will be lost. This is also false. Infants are not suitable candidates for baptism, since they cannot believe. Our Lord says in Mark 16:16, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved." Here one of the prerequisites of being saved is to believe, which is impossible for an infant to do.

Also in Acts 8:36-37 the question was asked, "See here is water; what hinders me from being baptized?" And the answer is given in the next verse: "And Philip said, if you believe with all your heart you may." Here we see the condition that must be met before a person can be baptized is that he must believe with all his heart. Can an infant do this? No.

In Acts 2:38 (KJV) the apostle Peter told a group of people, who had asked what they should do, to "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins." What is the requirement found here that we must do before we can be baptized? Repent. Can an infant repent? It would be absurd to think that an infant could believe or repent, but it is just as absurd to think that an innocent infant, who is without sin, must be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, which he does not have.

Satan has many ways in fooling people into being lost. The lie that Satan tells here to people who have become accountable is that since you were baptized as an infant, you do not need to be baptized for the remission of your sins now that you have become accountable and responsible. Satan knows that infant baptism accomplishes nothing. He also knows, that when people who were baptized as an infant become accountable, that at that time they are lost. So who do you want to follow: God, or men who are being led by Satan? Every person will follow one or the other. Again we have to make the choice as to who we follow.