I had a conversation via email with a friend about Infant Baptism and how the CARM site explains verse 1 Peter 3:21 and CARM's overall view on Infant Baptism. What follows are responses to him via email.
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My friend asked "Was wondering how Calvinists reconcile 1Peter 3:21, and ran across this from CARM:
http://carm.org/baptism-and-1-pet-321
http://carm.org/is-it-okay-to-baptize-infants"
CARM says "But, is it teaching that we must be baptized in water to be saved? No. But, but to rightly understand it, we need to look at its context. "
http://carm.org/baptism-and-1-pet-321
http://carm.org/is-it-okay-to-baptize-infants"
CARM says "But, is it teaching that we must be baptized in water to be saved? No. But, but to rightly understand it, we need to look at its context. "
CARM is creating a straw-man. God can and does save in many ways. Salvation can happen apart from Baptism. Infant Baptizers are not saying we must be baptized with water to be saved. However, God has given us three visible means to create and/or strengthen our faith, Baptism, the Lord's Supper and His Word.
CARM goes on to say "Rather, it is showing us that the water symbolizes a spiritual cleansing through the power of the Holy Spirit gained through Christ's victory over death. It is the person's appeal to God that saves the soul, not the washing of water upon the body. "
If it's only a symbol, why do it? If it doesn't "do" or "mean" anything real, why do it? For more on this, read here -> http://www.newreformationpress.com/blog/2011/05/25/an-interesting-discussion-on-baptism/
And near the end of the blog post, there is a link to this as well http://www.newreformationpress.com/blog/2009/12/07/why-i-baptized-our-babies/
CARM says it is the persons appeal to God that saves the soul? A person is saved by God's grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
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