“But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame’” (Romans 10:8-11).
Unlike false religions, New Testament Christianity has no empty rituals. It is impossible to simply “go through the motions” and please Jehovah.
As prophesied by Jeremiah—“I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts” (Jeremiah 31:33)—and emphasized here by the apostle Paul—“The word is…in your heart…believe in your heart…with the heart one believes”—genuine Christianity is heartfelt. It radiates out from the depths of the inner man.
A profound difference between the Law of Moses and the gospel of Christ can be clearly seen in this passage. Unlike a Jewish male who was circumcised on his eighth day of life outside the womb, you cannot become a Christian as an infant or even as a small child.
An infant’s mouth’s mind is too immature to believe unto righteousness. Its mouth is incapable of an articulate confession of faith.
Seeking to call on the name of the Lord for salvation via infant “baptism” is futile, because it is not from the heart.
