Why Baptizing Your Baby Is the Most Important Thing You Can Do

Summary

Father Mike Schmitz discusses the significance of baptism in Christianity, emphasizing its necessity and efficacy as described in the Bible. He explains that baptism is not merely symbolic but actively saves and forgives sins, incorporating individuals into God's family. Schmitz also addresses infant baptism, suggesting that while babies cannot have faith, the faith of parents and godparents plays a crucial role. He encourages those baptized as infants to eventually embrace their faith personally.

Takeaways

• 👶 Baptism makes a person a child of God, and it is not just a symbolic act.
• 📜 Jesus speaks about the importance of being born again of water and the Spirit in John 3:5, which is interpreted as a reference to baptism.
• 🙏 Baptism is efficacious, meaning it does something—specifically, it forgives sins and incorporates individuals into the family of God.
• 📖 The Bible teaches that baptism is necessary for salvation, as seen in Acts of the Apostles and in Peter’s writings, which emphasize that 'baptism saves you.'
• ✝️ Baptism requires faith, but in the case of infants, it is the faith of the parents and godparents that is operative.
• 💡 The example of the paralytic man in Mark 2 illustrates how others' faith (his friends) can work on behalf of an individual.
• 🎁 Baptism, especially infant baptism, emphasizes that salvation is a pure gift of God’s grace, unearned by the recipient.
• 👪 In infant baptism, the parents and godparents profess faith on behalf of the child, with the expectation that the child will later embrace that faith personally.
• 🕊️ Salvation involves multiple conditions: faith, baptism, the Eucharist, and doing the will of God.
• 🤝 Baptism is not an act of magic but a profound action of faith and God’s grace, where the faith of others can initiate the process for the baptized individual.

Q & A

What is the significance of baptism according to Father Mike Schmitz?

Father Mike Schmitz explains that baptism is a profound event where the individual, even a baby, is made into a child of God. It is not merely symbolic but efficacious, meaning it actually does something such as forgiving sins and incorporating the person into the family of God.

Why do some people baptize their infants?

Infants are baptized because the act of baptism is seen as a gift of God's grace, where the faith of the parents and godparents speaks on behalf of the child. The hope is that the child will one day personally embrace and claim the faith that was professed for them at baptism.

How does Father Mike Schmitz describe the community's involvement in the baptism of Owen?

Father Mike Schmitz notes that the baptism of Owen was attended by many people, almost as many as at the parents' wedding, indicating a strong community support and understanding of the significance of baptism.

What does the Bible say about the necessity of baptism?

The Bible, particularly in John chapter 3 and the Acts of the Apostles, presents baptism as necessary for salvation. Jesus says in John 3 that one must be 'born again of water and the Spirit' to enter the kingdom of heaven, and the Acts of the Apostles links baptism with the forgiveness of sins.

What role does faith play in baptism according to the script?

Faith is essential for baptism to be salvific. While the baby cannot have faith itself, the faith of the parents and godparents is operative in the baptismal ceremony, professing the faith in which the child is baptized.

How does Father Mike Schmitz relate the story of the paralytic to infant baptism?

Father Mike Schmitz uses the story of the paralytic, where the faith of the man's friends is credited to him, to illustrate how the faith of parents and godparents can be operative for an infant during baptism.

What is the difference between baptism being symbolic and it being efficacious?

Symbolic baptism implies it is merely an expression of pre-existing faith without any inherent power. Efficacious baptism, as described by Father Mike Schmitz, means that it actively does something, such as forgiving sins and bringing one into the body of Christ.

Why does Father Mike Schmitz say baptism is also necessary for salvation?

Baptism is considered necessary because it is seen as an essential step for entering the kingdom of heaven, as per Jesus' words to Nicodemus, and is directly linked to the forgiveness of sins in the Acts of the Apostles.

What does Father Mike Schmitz suggest about the faith of those baptized as infants?

He suggests that while the faith of the parents and godparents is professed at the baptism, it is hoped that the individual will one day personally embrace and claim the faith for themselves.

How does Father Mike Schmitz view the role of baptism in relation to salvation?

Father Mike Schmitz views baptism as a gift of God's grace that is necessary for salvation. It is not something that is earned or deserved but is a pure gift that requires faith to accept.