Babies Can Have Faith

# 556 - Today's Living Word comes from: Mr 9:42a "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble,

Whoa! Wait a minute! An infant or a toddler can believe in Jesus? A baby can have faith? How is that possible? Sometimes we fall into the trap of thinking that faith is dependent upon a conscious decision on our part. This is not a good place to be, because that kind of thinking leads to a salvation by works mentality.

No, we must always remember that faith is a gift from God, and He brings it to us and helps sustain it in us through His means of grace. Eph 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,”

The means of grace that He uses to impart faith through His church, are, (1) the Word of God, ( Ro 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.) and (2) the Sacrament of baptism. ( Col 2:12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.) Please note the phrase “with Him,” used twice in this passage. Faith is what connects us with Him, and baptism is a means of making the connection!

The point here is that Jesus made it clear that this toddler that had been brought to him, and all infants and toddlers for that matter CAN have faith. They can have it because it is given by God not by our own mental exertion. And one of the ways He brings that faith to infants and others who are incapable of mental exertion is through baptism.

You don't have to “feel” that an infant or mentally challenged individual has saving faith. You can KNOW it on the strength of God's promises found in baptism in His Word..

Father, thank You for the peace offered to us through baptism. Thank You that faith is not based on mental exertion, but simple trust in Your promises.