In Scripture, we repeatedly see God granting spiritual graces, protection, forgiveness, healing, and even salvation to one person because of the faith, prayers, or covenant standing of another. This biblical pattern provides strong scriptural support for the historic Christian practice of infant baptism: God is pleased to apply the sign and grace of baptism to the children of believers based on their parents’ faith.

All Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version (NKJV).

Biblical Examples

1. Abraham’s intercession for Sodom — God would spare the entire city for the sake of even ten righteous people (Genesis 18:20–33).
2. Abimelech spared because Abraham is a prophet — God withholds Abimelech from sin and tells him Abraham will pray for him (Genesis 20:1–7).
3. Moses turns away God’s wrath from Israel — Twice God relents from destroying the nation because of Moses’ intercession and for the sake of the patriarchs (Exodus 32:7–14; Deuteronomy 9:6–10:11).
4. Job sanctifies his children — He regularly offers sacrifices in case they have sinned (Job 1:4–5).
5. Job’s friends restored only after Job prays for them — God accepts Job’s prayer on their behalf (Job 42:7–10).
6. Solomon’s kingdom preserved during his lifetime — For the sake of David his father (1 Kings 11:1–13).
7. The paralytic forgiven and healed — Because Jesus saw their faith (the four friends; Mark 2:1–12).
8. Jairus’ daughter raised from the dead — Because of the father’s faith (Mark 5:21–24, 35–43).
9. The Syro-Phoenician woman’s daughter delivered — Because of the mother’s persistent faith (Mark 7:24–30).
10. The demon-possessed boy healed — Because the father cried, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:14–29).
11. The centurion’s servant healed from afar — Because of the centurion’s great faith (Matthew 8:5–13).
12. The widow of Nain’s son raised — Out of compassion, with no request made (Luke 7:11–16).
13. The nobleman’s son healed — The father believed Jesus’ word, and his whole household came to faith (John 4:43–54).
14. Israel remains elect and beloved — For the sake of the patriarchs; God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable (Romans 11:25–32).
15. Unbelieving spouses and children sanctified — The unbelieving spouse is sanctified by the believing one, and the children are holy rather than unclean (1 Corinthians 7:12–16).

Conclusion

The Bible consistently reveals a God who delights to bless one person because of the faith or covenant standing of another—parents for children, friends for friends, patriarchs for descendants, spouses for each other.

This covenantal principle lies at the heart of infant baptism. Just as God repeatedly extended grace to children and households based on a parent’s or believer’s faith in the examples above, so He continues to receive the infant children of believers in baptism, applying to them the sign and promise of the covenant because of their parents’ faith in Christ.

• Apologetics
• Baptism
• Biblical Theology
• Sacraments