The Bible assigns no particular “year” as the age of accountability. Accountability is a conscience matter, not an age matter. It may be described as the point or time in one’s life when he feels guilty about wrongs (sin) that he has committed against God (Acts 2:37). He is sorrowful that he has wronged God (penitent, 2 Corinthians 7:9-10) and wants to meet the conditions of God’s grace in order to be delivered from the consequences of his sins. This guilt is not a mere passing thought such as a young child might have after realizing that he had done something wrong, but an abiding concern that won’t go away. It is the work of an informed conscience that is “accusing” one of his violations of God’s law (Romans 2:15).
So the question about legitimate baptism has little to do with “age” and more to do with conscience and accountability. It is ultimately God Who determines culpability. (more on accountability later)
It is possible for a person to be baptized for the wrong reasons or not for the right ones. One might be baptized “too young” in the sense of not being mentally, emotionally or spiritually ready.
The remainder of this article will address Bible teaching about baptism. I hope readers of this article will observe that though certain prior conditions must be met and certain concepts must be understood in order for baptism to be legitimate, Bible truths about the subject are not complex nor does it require months or even days to teach and understand them. I mention this early in the study because those who make baptism a mere emotional experience are inclined to charge some of us with overcomplicating baptism when we teach on the subject. An article like this one can be read in minutes and taught to a prospect in as little as an hour. This, incidentally, is time well-spent when one considers the potential fellowship implications if one falls away after being baptized.
There are a couple of possibilities. One might rush (or be rushed) into being baptized without actually being converted. That is, he might be baptized without understanding why he is doing so, or without meeting the prerequisites of genuine faith, repentance and confession. The unscripturally baptized person might later realize the truth and be too ashamed to then be scripturally baptized. If their conscience becomes too damaged they may become disillusioned and abandon interest in spiritual things altogether.
It is also possible that one might be baptized without understanding the commitment that it entails. Conversion places one into fellowship with God (and subsequently with the saints — 1 John 1:3). The convert ceases to walk in darkness and begins to walk in the light. This results in fellowship with God (1 John 1:7). Faith and baptism save a person (Mark 16:16), make him a child of God and a Christian (Galatians 3:26-27) and add him to the Lord’s church (Acts 2:38, 41, 47). One who is baptized but ceases to be faithful to God loses his fellowship with God (1 John 1:5-6. If he persists in his sin he is subject to the church fellowship laws given in 1 Corinthians 5:1-11 and 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15.
The fellowship question is far more difficult in cases where one is baptized and later falls away, but claims that he never understood the meaning and implications of his baptism in the first place. This could be an excuse for one to avoid being subject to church discipline laws (disfellowship), or it could be the truth. In some of these cases, family and brethren may be able to determine the truth as to whether or not their baptism was legitimate, but ultimately only he and God know the truth. In such cases brethren must proceed with caution.
It is my hope that the teaching in the remainder of this article will help people avoid such predicaments and will help people understand baptism in the context of the entire conversion process.
Some Possibilities With Regard To Baptism
- Some are misinformed as to the true purpose of baptism and are therefore baptized for the wrong reasons. We typically see this with denominational baptisms in which people are baptized as a “dedication” rite or baptized not for the remission of sins.
- Some are baptized because they are motivated by the peer pressure of their friends who have already been baptized. The pressure is typically increased in cases where the friends are younger than they are.
- Some are baptized for purely emotional reasons. Baptism is represented to them as being more of a feel-good “experience” than an act of obedience to God. While baptism is an occasion of joy for all (Acts 8:39; Luke 15:6-10), it is far more than a mere emotional experience.
- Some are coerced by family members or by others who may simply assume that they are ready to be baptized when they actually aren’t.
- Some are scared into being baptized. A preacher who preaches on the horrors of hell and says that one is going there if he isn’t baptized might scare a person into being baptized even when he lacks the godly sorrow that is the basis of genuine repentance. I have seen 7 year old children worry that they needed to be baptized when they had absolutely no concept of what true conversion was! They only heard someone preach on baptism. This is one reason why prospects need to be questioned as to why they wish to be baptized. Probative questions by a preacher or parent are not forbidding or intimidating; they are instructive and helpful. They may in fact head off much heartache later in life.
- Some have the false notion that baptism is the only factor in conversion. In these cases the act of baptism has been emphasized to the neglect of other necessary factors and conditions. Sadly, this has been a side effect of having to refute numerous long-held errors about baptism. While it is always necessary for truth-defenders to refute soul-damning errors, we need to occasionally remind ourselves of the audience and the big picture. We need to guard ourselves against imbalance. Specific errors need to be opposed, but let us remember that some hearers (especially younger ones) may not learn other essential truths related to the topic if we repeatedly address only the popular errors. Yes baptism is essential for salvation, but the other conditions are equally essential. Yes baptism is for the remission of sins, but there are other important purposes of baptism. Some youths have heard “baptism” emphasized to the point that they don’t connect it to the larger conversion process which includes other conditions. (more on this later)
- Some are baptized for mere traditional reasons. To them, baptism is just “what you do” by the time you approach your early teenage years if you have grown up attending a church of Christ.
- Some people are baptized without understanding that baptism (and the entire conversion process) joins one to Christ and makes him a Christian. While some baptism passages address the idea of sin forgiveness (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 22:16…), Galatians 3:26-27, 29 teaches that it is also a part of the process by which one “puts on Christ” and becomes a part of Abraham’s “seed” and an “heir” of God’s promise. Paul said, “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ… And if you are Christ’s, then are you Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Baptism without “faith” is no baptism at all. Colossians 2:12 emphasizes the faith role in scriptural baptism. Paul said, “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead” (Colossians 2:12).
- Some are baptized without knowing that baptism is a part of a larger commitment and life change. In Romans 6:3-4 Paul twice states that baptism is “into” Christ’s “death.” We are “buried” by baptism into death. Wide-spread errors related to the action of baptism force us to frequently reference these verses. However, Paul did not leave the subject of baptism in verse 4. He continued in verses 5-7 to describe its connection to “death” and the implications of that connection: “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.” Christ “died” by means of crucifixion and in baptism one is crucified with Christ and freed from sin. The old (sinful) “self” (man, KJV) is crucified and is replaced with the new self (Ephesians 4:24). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Baptism affects the past, the present and the future. It delivers one from the enslavement of past sins, changes one into a new creature and it prepares one for future salvation.
As I said earlier, these essential truths and concepts can be easily reduced and explained by even a novice gospel teacher and in a very short period of time. Motivated people are capable of learning enough within an hour to be scripturally baptized (Acts 16:33). However, while it is not necessary for one to know “everything” in the Bible to be saved, it is necessary that he understands the basics about God, sin and the conditions of salvation.
Things One Must Know And Do In Order To Be Saved
In order to be converted one must understand and do certain things. One cannot be converted who does not properly understand these basic concepts. Note that this article is designed to help both potential candidates for baptism and parents and others who may be teaching these prospects. It is not necessary for a candidate to know every one of these passages before he can be converted, but he must understand the fundamental concepts that are set forth in these (or other related) passages.
A proper candidate for conversion to God is:
- One who has sinned. The term “sin” implies not the mere wrongdoing and misconduct of a little child, but the violation of God’s law. Paul addressed the principle of accountability in Romans 7:9 when he said. “I was alive without the Law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.” He had just stated that he had not known what “lust” was until he had learned it from God’s law (vs. 7). Paul “died” (spiritually) by sinning against God’s law. It should be observed that one may be judged accountable by God even if he is unaware that he has sinned. Sin is transgression of God’s law (1 John 3:4). This is true whether one knows that law or not. Jesus told His disciples that their Jewish oppressors and murderers would believe that they had “done God a service” in their abuse of them (John 16:2). Saul, the persecutor of the early church, was in this category but was still a sinner until humbling himself and meeting the saving conditions of God’s grace (1 Timothy 1:13-15 + Acts 23:1). In order to be converted, one must know enough about God’s law to know whether or not he is a sinner. Jesus did “not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13).
- One who believes the gospel (Mark 16:15-16) and knows enough about the gospel to believe in God (Hebrews 11:6; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8). This includes belief in the deity and divine sonship of Jesus Christ (John 8:24; Acts 8:37; Matthew 16:16). It is not necessary for one to know everything about the nature of God in order to be converted, but one must know enough about God to love Him, fear Him, turn to Him and obey Him (Matthew 22:37; Acts 10:35; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 John 5:3). Baptism is not for unbelievers (Mark 16:16).
- One who experiences “godly sorrow” because of his sin and he turns from his sin because he knows that it displeases God (2 Corinthians 7:7-10; Acts 2:37-38). Godly sorrow is more than mere regret. It is the sadness that comes from one’s knowing that he has sinned against the God of Heaven. Godly sorrow is the “mourning” of the second beatitude (Matthew 5:4). It is the basis of genuine repentance. The penitent person acts out of “conscience towards God” (1 Peter 2:19). While he may have also wronged others by his sin he understands that God is his ultimate judge and his only hope of salvation. Repentance involves a change of heart and behavior (Matthew 21:28-31). A penitent person is one who has changed his attitude about sin and wishes to stop practicing it. The Bible calls this repentance. Peter told prospects to “repent” and be baptized (Acts 2:38). Baptism is for the penitent.
- One who confesses that Jesus is Lord and the Son of God (Romans 10:9-10; Matthew 16:16; Acts 8:37; Matthew 10:32). It is not enough for one to merely believe in some vague concept of “deity.” To be saved one must acknowledge that Jesus is Lord (John 8:24).
- One who is baptized for the remission of sins. Scriptural baptism is baptism “in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Baptism “in the name of Jesus Christ” is defined in Acts 2:38 & 10:47-48 as baptism in “water” and “for the remission of sins.” Baptism adds one to the body of Christ’s church (Acts 2:41, 47 and 1 Corinthians 12:13). Combined with faith, baptism is the act by which one puts on Christ (Galatians 3:26-27).
The gospel requirements for salvation are “not burdensome” (either in one’s ability to know them or do them, 1 John 5:3). However, they are necessary if one wishes to have his conscience cleansed by the blood of Christ.
Conclusion
One who is considering becoming a Christian should understand that it is a serious commitment. While we are always excited and anxious to baptize one who expresses an interest in doing so, gospel teachers should appreciate the importance of properly informing prospects about the role of baptism in the overall conversion process. In cases where emotions overrule faith, people are pushed into being baptized either for the wrong reason or without proper understanding of what they are committing to. As I said above, in some cases this later leads to tragic fellowship consequences. The safest and best thing to do is to tell people what the Bible teaches about conversion and baptism. There is power in the gospel to save (Romans 1:16), and we should allow the gospel message to do its work in instructing and convicting the consciences of those needing salvation.
—Tim Haile