"So Why Baptize Babies?"
Marked By Grace: A Text Thread on Baptism (Part 2)
About This Series
This series stems from a recent text conversation I had with a member of our church who is relatively new to the Methodist tradition. She asked honest and thoughtful questions about baptism: how we practice it, what it means, and why we do it the way we do.
Edited for clarity and flow, I’ve tried to maintain the essence of our conversation while also making sure it’s an enjoyable and edifying read. I’ve changed her name to Emily, and these posts are shared with her permission.
If you missed the first post, you can catch up here: 👉 Post #1: So… What’s the Deal with Baptism in a Methodist Church?
In this post, Emily and I continue the conversation with one of the most common (and most important) questions people ask:
EMILY:
Okay, so all of that makes sense for adults who are choosing baptism… But what about babies? Why do we baptize kids before they can make a decision to profess that Jesus is Lord?
ME:
Great question, and one that a lot of people wonder about. It’s important to say up front that in the Methodist tradition we absolutely believe every person needs to come to personal faith in Christ. We’re not bypassing that. But we also believe God doesn’t wait to start working in someone’s life until we figure everything out. Again, this is where our theology of God’s prevenient grace comes in—the idea that God’s grace is already at work in someone’s life before they can name it, understand it, or even respond to it. Infant baptism is one of the clearest pictures of that grace.
EMILY:
So… you're saying it's more about what God is doing, not what the baby is doing?
ME:
Exactly. In fact, that’s the whole point. When we baptize an infant, we’re not saying, “This child has decided to follow Jesus.” We’re saying that God’s love is already reaching for this child, and we, the Church, are committing to walk with them as they grow. It’s rooted in the way God has always worked through covenants, going all the way back to the Old Testament.
EMILY:
Like circumcision?
ME:
Yes! In the Old Testament, circumcision was the sign of being part of God’s covenant family. And this sign was given to infants, not because they understood it, but because they already belonged. The New Testament builds upon this same truth of God’s covenant promise. Paul even calls baptism the “circumcision of Christ” (Colossians 2:11-12). Baptism, like circumcision, is a sign that we belong to God and that God is already at work in us, even before we fully respond.
EMILY:
So, Methodists believe the baptized baby is marked by grace, even before they get to respond to it?
ME:
Yes. That’s exactly it. The child is baptized in the community of the Church, with their family and the whole congregation making promises to raise them in the faith. That’s why infant baptism is never meant to stand alone. It’s meant to lead to confirmation later, where the child, now grown, has the opportunity to profess faith for themselves. Baptism marks the beginning of the journey toward a personal profession of faith. The rite of confirmation affirms that faith as the baptized individual now professes that Jesus is Lord of their life.
EMILY:
I think I’ve always thought of infant baptism more like a baby dedication…
ME:
A lot of people do. And there are similarities. Both involve parents committing to raising a child in the faith. But here’s the difference: in dedication, it’s mainly about the parents' intent. In infant baptism, the desire and intent of the baby’s parents/family are certainly on display, but more important than that is our belief that God is acting, marking this child with grace and including them in His covenant community.
EMILY:
So the Church is believing and saying through the baptism of babies, “You belong to God,” before the child can say it themselves?
ME:
Yes, and we believe that’s exactly how Jesus treated children. Think about the stories in the Gospels where Jesus welcomes children, blesses them, and even says, “To such belongs the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14). He doesn’t say, “Come back when you understand everything.” He says, “Let them come.” And in that same passage, He tells adults they need to receive the kingdom like a child, not with full understanding, but with open hands.
EMILY:
I love those verses of Jesus and the children, but I’ve never really thought about it that way.
ME:
Right? So when we baptize infants, we’re not skipping faith; we’re pledging as a Church to do all we can to welcome them as Jesus would.
EMILY:
So baptism of a child is not saying they already have saving faith, but that the Church trusts that God is already working in their life.
ME:
Exactly. Because even though an infant can’t understand what’s happening, Scripture reminds us that baptism isn’t just about the outward ritual—it’s about what God is doing through it. There’s a great example of this in 1 Peter 3:21: “Baptism now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” It’s not about the outward physical washing—it’s about what the act points to and signifies: God’s saving work through Christ.
EMILY:
But wait—you said earlier, “Baptism doesn’t save.” So how does that line up with what Peter says here? It kind of sounds like it does save?
ME:
Good observation! Like I texted you previously, “Baptism doesn’t save.” By that I meant the outward act by itself. It’s not a magical transaction or a ritual that causes salvation on its own (as it is sadly viewed and treated by many who call themselves “Christian”). But the grace God gives in and through baptism—the grace it signifies and seals—is saving grace. That’s what Peter is talking about. It’s not the physical water or the outward ritual that saves, but the inward grace and Spirit of God at work in someone’s life.
EMILY:
So baptism doesn’t cause salvation, but it’s still part of the bigger story of being saved?
ME:
Exactly. When we baptize a child, we’re trusting that this saving work has already begun, even before they can understand or respond to it. And as a church, we’re promising to walk with them as that grace continues to unfold through childhood, through confirmation and profession of faith, and onward into a life of following Jesus. Baptism marks the beginning of that whole journey—a story of grace from the very start.
Coming Up in Post #3
Next time, Emily and I dive into some honest follow-up questions, such as:
“What if someone is baptized as a kid, but didn’t really believe at the time? Shouldn’t they get re-baptized again now that their faith is real?”
These questions continue our conversation about confirmation, personal profession of faith, and why Methodist churches don't re-baptize those who were baptized as infants. We’ll also talk about what it means to reaffirm your faith, not just with a moment, but with your whole life.