Can Baptists take part at the orthodox children’s christening?

Question:

We are Baptists and we were invited at the child’s christening of a relative. If we won’t go, the relative and my parents will be upset and they will think bad about us and about our belief and the relations between us will be destroyed. Advise us how is it right to proceed in this situation acording to the Gospel.

You can’t go to this and to anybody’s child christening because this is against our belief and Gospel. In the Holy Bible we are taught that the baptism is valid only when it is based on faith and the testimony of the one who is baptised. The babies haven’t received teaching from the gospel yet. They didn’t testify their faith and they weren’t born again. Look at the overwhelming majority of those who have been baptized in childhood and see how their livelihood is against the Gospel and then you will understand that there is no need for any arguments on this subject. Going to children’s christening, you will compromise the message of the Gospel and you will communicate this to your parents, relatives and to everybody that will participate.  Here are some articles in which I presented different aspects of the Gospel about baptism.

• What does the Bible say about children’s christening?

• How long shall a new repented person wait until he can be baptized?

How to proceed?

In the Holy Bible there is written:

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt,so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Colossians 4:5-6)

Once you received the invitation, be ready to visit them with 2-3 days before the event anouncing them only in that day that you want to visit them. Go with the gift for the child and when you will be there tell them how much you enjoy childbirth, pray for the child and then tell them that you won’t come to the child’s christening because you chose to follow the Gospel and this is not a biblical practice. Don’t forget to give them a Bible, a Bible for children and a bible study. All of these you can buy from a Christian library and this is the most important thing they need. If you live in Chișinău, you can buy these materials from the library ”Precept upon precept”.

What effects should you expect for?

It is possible that the relatives that make child’s christening will have more questions from the Bible. You should answer all the questions and invite them to church, to a bible study group.

When your parents and other relatives will hear, it is possible that they will be upset and they will start to call one by one or even to come to convince you to come to the child’s christening. This is the best privilege to tell them the reason you don’t go and to present them the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Don’t limit yourself to just tell about baptizm but tell them all the Gospel.

It is possible that someone will scoff you, will speak bad and non real things against you or they might be upset until they won’t want to speak to you. Don’t be surprised of this. The Lord Jesus told us beforehand if they hated Him, they will hate us, too, and if they received His Word, ours will be accepted as well. (John 15:18-21). Don’t forget that the persecution is for our side, for everyone who chose to follow Christ, as it is written:

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Timothy 3:12)

Your own children and the disciples you have will see the strength you have shown and they will follow this example when they will have to confront situations like this and they won’t give way saying this is what they saw at their parents or teachers. It is expected from us to be examples in everything and now this is the moment when you have to do that.

I pray that God will give you strength, to fill you with the Holy Spirit and with wisdom and to answer according to Gospel to this challenge.