Can Parental Faith Save Babies? Exploring Ellen White’s Perspectives

Yes, the faith of parents extends to and covers their children, serving as a symbol of protection from the destroying angel just as the blood on the doorposts shielded Israelite households3SM 314.1+1. This parental faith is a vital component in the salvation of little ones, as children are considered the heritage of the Lord and are included in the great plan of redemptionAH 280.1+1.

The Efficacy of Parental Faith

• A Symbol of Protection: The instruction given to Israelites to mark their doorposts with the blood of a lamb prefigured the blood of Christ, and the obedience of those parents covered both themselves and their children3SM 314.1+1.

• God’s Property: Children are the Lord's property, bought with the precious price of Christ's blood, and this truth should be the primary motivation for parents to labor for their salvation7MR 21.1+1.

• Responsibility for Destiny: To a very great degree, parents hold the future destiny of their children in their hands, as the training received in childhood shapes their character for eternityHR June 1, 1877, par. 3+1.

• Molding Character: Parents act in the place of God to their children, and by their example and faithful discipline, they may lead their little ones to ChristAH 238.2+1.

The Work of Salvation in the Home

The salvation of children depends heavily upon the course pursued by the parentsAUGleaner September 6, 1905, par. 1+1. While the faith of a parent is powerful, it is also a call to diligent action and spiritual vigilance:

1. Early Discipline: Parents should begin to discipline the minds of their children while they are very young, fitting them as precious jewels to shine in God's kingdom1T 396.1+1.

2. Fortification of Prayer: Families are to build a fortification of prayer and faith around their children to guard against the attacks of SatanCG 185.1.

3. Reflecting Christ: By manifesting the character of Jesus in the home, parents make religion a practical reality that leads children to love and fear GodRH March 13, 1894, par. 5.

4. Consecration: Even before birth, parents are encouraged to dedicate themselves and their children to God, seeking divine wisdom for the child's futureST April 9, 1896, par. 6.

God's Boundless Compassion

Jesus loves little children and gave His life for their salvation just as He did for adultsBEcho December 15, 1892, par. 8+1. He understands the helplessness of the young and inexperienced, and He invites parents to bring their little ones to Him for His blessing Matthew 18:10ST April 23, 1902, par. 10. Like a child depending on its mother, a soul that depends entirely on Christ is justified and becomes one with the Redeemer John 1:1212LtMs, Lt 124, 1897, par. 9.

Although parents have a sacred responsibility, children will eventually need to obtain a personal experience in the things of God as they growYI August 17, 1893, par. 7. However, the initial faith and obedience of the parents serve as a powerful covering and a foundation for the child's eternal well-being Hebrews 11:233SM 314.1.

Parents bear a solemn responsibility because children who are lost through a lack of careful training or parental neglect may indeed be lost to JesusST February 18, 1897, par. 10+2. While God is infinitely merciful, the mismanagement of parents and a failure to become Christians at home can result in children being lost to Christ and swelling the ranks of Satan5T 51.4+2.

The Solemn Reality of Parental Influence

• A Sacred Trust: Children are the heritage of the Lord, entrusted to parents to be qualified for eternity, and their salvation depends in a large degree upon the education and training they receive in childhoodAH 280.1+2.

• Consequences of Neglect: If parents do not work faithfully to save their children, Satan will supply that neglect with his own devices to win them for his kingdomRH October 25, 1892, par. 10.

• The Sin of Eli: Parents who indulge their children and fail to restrain them risk closing the gates of heaven before them, just as the judgment will show that mismanagement has resulted in the loss of many children4T 383.1+1.

• Communicating Evil: Children growing up without a knowledge of Christ often communicate evil to others, and parents will be held responsible for this influence if they neglected to teach the fear of the LordRH December 24, 1889, Art. A, par. 9+1.

God's Provision and Requirements

• The Light of Truth: God does not release parents from their responsibility to search the Scriptures and walk in the light He has providedEA 172.1+1.

• A Call to Repentance: Parents who have been backslidden or indifferent are called to humble their hearts and come into a right relation with heaven to exert a saving influence over their familiesCG 477.2+1.

• Individual Accountability: While the faith of parents covers children in a symbolic sense, every human being endowed with reasoning powers must eventually understand their own relation to God1SM 242.1+1.

• The Final Harvest: Parents will surely reap what they have sown; if they have not been united to Christ themselves, the result is a terrible neglect of duty toward their children5T 51.4+1.

The Compassion of the Redeemer

• A Plain Way: Christ made the way of salvation so plain that even a little child can walk in it, leaving no excuse for those who have the Word of God before themST February 18, 1897, par. 10+1.

• The Merciful Father: We should go to God as children go to their parents, asking for forgiveness for our errors and seeking grace to overcome defects in characterBEcho February 1, 1892, par. 5.

• Success in Seeking: The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin give a divine guarantee that no soul is overlooked, and Christ will cooperate with parents who work for their households with love and faithAUCR July 1, 1900, par. 12.

• The Gift of Life: God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever believeth in Him—including the little ones—should not perish but have everlasting life John 3:16BEcho December 15, 1892, par. 5.

Ultimately, the future of society and the eternal destiny of children are indexed by the training they receive today10MR 112.3+1. Parents are urged to lose no time in educating their children in the fear of the Lord, for the night is far spent and the day is at handRH December 24, 1889, Art. A, par. 9+1. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yes, you shall diligently consider his place, and it shall not be Psalms 37:10.