According to them, children--especially babies--are sinless. These have nothing to repent for and nothing to be forgiven of. Such preachers claim that only sinners who have something to repent for need to be baptized.
They usually refer to Acts 2:38, which says:
"Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."There, they say, a person needs to repent before he can be baptized. Babies, they conclude, have nothing to repent of so they do not need to be baptized.
Such preachers add, "Heaven belongs to children. If heaven is already theirs the no longer need to be baptized. They will enter heaven even if they do no undergo baptism."
They support their belief by citing Matthew 19:14, which says,
"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."They say it was the Lord Jesus who Himself made this assurance so children are sure to enter heaven.
+++
MISUNDERSTOOD
Soriano and people like him grossly misunderstand what they are saying.
Baptism is necessary for babies and children. To deny them baptism would be to rob them of Heaven.
Indeed, Acts 2:38 requires repentance for baptism but that is because Peter was talking to adults, who had most likely already committed sin.
The apostle was not talking about baptism in general. He was talking to a particular group of people: grown-ups.
For adults, particularly those who have already committed sin, repentance is a must.
But repentance is NOT a prerequisite for all and this was proven by the Lord Jesus Himself.
+++
WHAT SIN DID JESUS COMMIT?
In Matthew 3:13-16, we will read that Jesus Himself was baptized.
The text says,
"Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?'
"But Jesus answered him, 'Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.'
"Then he consented.
"And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him."
Jesus was baptized.
If Soriano and those who opposed baptism for babies, infants and children are correct that repentance is a requisite for everyone to receive the sacrament, what sin did Jesus repent of before he got baptized?
None.
Like a baby, Jesus was sinless. Like Jesus, babies don't have sins to repent of.
And like Jesus who was baptized, babies must also be baptized even though they have not made any sin that needs repentance.
Therefore, the baptism of Jesus proves that repentance is NOT a requisite for all. It is only required for those who have committed sin.
+++
FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
When Jesus was baptized, He was like a baby who had no sin to repent of. And yet, the Lord was baptized.
Why?
He was baptized because, according to Him, baptism is needed "to fulfill all righteousness." (Mt 3:15)
So, anyone who wishes to be righteous before God should agree that baptism is not reserved to those who have sinned but is also necessary for those who have NOT SINNED, especially babies.
To deny baptism to babies or children is to turn away from the righteousness required by God.
+++
HEAVEN BELONGS TO CHILDREN
To deny baptism to babies and children, some say that they don't need it because "Heaven already belongs to them," citing Matthew 19:14.
"See?" say critics of infant baptism. "Heaven already belongs to children (babies), so their is no need for them to be baptized."
Really?
Indeed, Heaven belongs to children, as Jesus said. But Jesus also said that to enter Heaven, one must possess the KEY to His Kingdom.
+++
KEY TO HEAVEN
One may claim to own a house or to live in a place of residence but if that person does not have the key to it, his or her claim is an empty one. It is useless.
For Heaven, the Kingdom of God, Jesus Himself identified the key, which is Baptism.
Jesus said in John 3:5,
"Jesus answered, 'Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.'
Nothing can be clearer than that.
According to Jesus, who is God and the King of Heaven, no one can enter His kingdom "UNLESS he or she is BORN of WATER and of Spirit."
Jesus became man, died on the cross, and rose from the dead to save humankind so that all men and women can go to Heaven. So, Heaven belongs to all of us.
More so, Heaven belongs to babies, our children.
But despite that, Jesus said, we will not be able to enter Heaven UNLESS we are BORN of WATER and of Spirit. This being born of water is the KEY to entering God's Kingdom.
This being born of water is none other than BAPTISM.
Baptism is the key to the Kingdom of God.
Without baptism, one will never enter Heaven.
+++
DENYING HEAVEN TO CHILDREN
If baptism is needed and necessary for one to enter Heaven, what will happen to children--especially babies--who die without receiving the sacrament? Will they be allowed to enter God's Kingdom?
One may speculate that God's mercy will allow these innocents to enter Heaven.
Perhaps, that is why the Catholic Church leaves it to God's mercy the fate of the souls of infants, babies or children who die without receiving baptism.
But then, the Catholic Church is not leaving their fate to chance when their salvation and opportunity to enter God's Kingdom can be assured. That is why the Catholic Church requires the baptism of babies and children at the earliest possible time.
The Code of Canon Law, the law of the Church, says in Canon 867:
Parents are obliged to see that their infants are baptized within the first few weeks. As soon as possible after the birth, indeed even before it, they are to approach the parish priest to ask for the sacrament for their child, and to be themselves duly prepared for it.
If the infant is in danger of death, it is to be baptized without any delay.
The Catholic Church's love for God's children demands that babies be baptized to assure their entry into God's Kingdom because Heaven belongs even to children.
Critics of infant baptism also claim to love children but are willing to endanger their salvation by depriving them of the key to Heaven. Can that be called love?
+++
HEAVEN LOST
Heaven belongs to children, as Jesus said in Mt 19:14.
But in Jn 3:5 we see that infants, babies and children will not be able to enter God's Kingdom if they die without being baptized.
And that makes us pity the children of members of Soriano's group and members of other groups that refuse baptism to their members' babies and children.
Heaven is lost to them.
They are robbed of the blessing of entering God's Kingdom.
No comments:
Post a Comment