So what is baptism really? Because of its importance in Baptist life, I fear that we sometimes overemphasize the role of baptism. Children tend to see things in somewhat mystical ways by their very nature, and symbolic rituals with deep, symbolic meaning are nothing short of fascinating. Even adults tend to think that the act of baptism means more than it really does.
Bruce Powers
So, what does baptism do? Many people request baptism and come out of the water seeming to think that their eternity is secure. Most churches have an extensive list of people who were baptized at various ages and are no longer active. Many of these believe that everything is okay because they were “saved.” We cannot let people misunderstand baptism so badly. It is our duty to teach everyone in our church about the nature of salvation and baptism, but it is particularly important with children.
Let me be clear — I am not against childhood baptism. Some well-taught children do have an understanding of what God wants from them, and most have a sincere belief in what they know of God and an honest desire to do what's right — although in many cases the right thing is doing what is expected or becoming part of the club rather than following Christ. As exciting as it is to see a child accept Christ and be baptized, we must realize that there are potential pitfalls.
First of all, children tend to have a shaky grasp on the concept of commitment. Honestly, what does life-long commitment mean to an 8-year-old? Many parents care for pets that their children were “totally committed” to keeping up with. Toys that were the ultimate a few months ago are cast aside and forgotten. In addition, we allow this idea of commitment to remain abstract in many cases. Any good church kid knows the right answer to “Do you want to commit your life to Jesus?” However, if you ask those church kids what exactly that means, you will often find that their understanding does not go far. Too often children tell us what we want to hear and we are so glad to hear it that we don't follow up to find out how much they really understand.
I once talked with a bright 10-year-old from a strong family. He understood all the basics and was interested in baptism. He wavered a bit when I asked him how he had showed commitment in his life. Then I asked him if he realized that commitment to Christ meant that he was committing to obeying his parents and being nice to his sister. He decided to think on it a little more.
We must be sure that baptism is portrayed as an outer sign of an inner decision, and the beginning of a journey rather than a destination. Allowing baptism to become more than that can reduce salvation to saying magic words and completing magic rituals, and that can undermine a disciple's journey before it really gets started.