Ian in Greensboro, North Carolina asks this, "Pastor John, as I've explored Reformed theology over the past couple of years, I've learned quite a bit about the practices of infant baptism and believers baptism, and why genuine Christians differ theologically here. While I'm an advocate of believers baptism, one accusation I've found troubling is that because we Baptists don't consider our unconverted children as official participants in the New Covenant, we are therefore treating them like pagan children, excluded from the Covenant community.

As a Baptist, how do you respond to this charge? And further, how should yet unsaved children of believers be viewed by the Church?" Before I say something positive about the way we should view our children, "we" meaning we Baptists, let's make sure that we realize that both Baptists and Reformed pedobaptists—and I'm not talking here about those who believe in baptismal regeneration, but just those who are Reformed pedobaptists or others who don't believe in baptismal new birth—we all have the same basic problem in how to think about our children, and the difference lies in terminology.

Now they may not like it when I say this, but I'll say it anyway. In order for Reformed pedobaptists—baptized babies—to say that children are members of the Covenant community, they must define "Covenant community" so as not to necessarily mean only the elect, called, regenerate, heaven-bound saints. They have to define "Covenant community" so as to allow for the possibility in that Covenant community members who are not elect, not born again.

Now it's just as impossible therefore for a pedobaptist parent to be sure that his child is elect as it is for a Baptist parent. Pedobaptists may feel better about themselves by labeling the child a Covenant member, but those children have no better standing before God than the children of Baptists.

Which brings me now to say something positive about what really does make a difference—not labels, but does make a difference—in how children stand before God in both groups. I can imagine a pedobaptist parent feeling good that his child is a member of the Covenant with God, but at the same time neglecting to pray for the child, neglecting to feed the child morning, noon, and night on the Word of God, neglecting to model before the child the joy of the Lord.

In other words, there's no necessary correlation between calling a child a Covenant member and giving a child what the child needs to become a Covenant member.