John 3:3, 5-6, 15, 36 NIV “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” https://bible.com/bible/111/jhn.3.3-36.NIV

There are a few major denominations of churches that baptize children not for the purpose of marking them as under God’s covenantal protection until the age of accountability, as intended, but instead promise these children and their parents that the sprinkling of water and the invocation of the Spirit have saved them. These churches make salvation man’s work, seeking to obligate God to their theology by their ritual as though men can so easily manipulate God. Sprinkling water on children and claiming the Spirit is present now in them is not the same as being born again. God in Jesus is clear that we must be born again, and being born again involves understanding with our minds the life, death, and resurrection of God’s work in Jesus. We believe when we confess our sins and commit to obedience, because we understand Jesus died on the cross for sinners to whom all of us belong. We believe in Jesus when we follow Him, living as He lived, demonstrating this belief by denying ourselves and taking up our cross because we are now following Him, for He is our Lord. Those sprinkled with water as children but who ignore Jesus’ commands to love Him first and most, forsaking everything and everyone for the sake of the gospel, are not born again nor guaranteed entrance into the kingdom of God because they were sprinkled with water as infants. Our obedience to Jesus demonstrates that we are born again, as evidenced by the Spirit’s work in our lives, which is His work of conforming us into the image of Jesus. We cannot be born again and then continue to pursue our own selfish pleasures. God is not mocked. Our religion does not mandate His relationship with us. We are fools to think we can do the work of the Spirit in the flesh. Our baptism is our proclamation of God’s work in Jesus for our salvation. Our obedience to Jesus is our demonstration that we have believed and received His work for ourselves.