Since personal salvation is contingent upon one’s believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and His substitutionary death on our behalf, what, then, is the status of babies who did not live long enough to understand or exercise that required faith? What happens to babies, newborns, still-borns, and the aborted whose lives were cruelly terminated while they were still in the womb? Some religious faiths water-baptize babies believing it removes original sin, thus preventing the baby from being in eternal limbo and, then, eligible for heaven. And, others provide water-baptism for infants for similar reasons. Even though the Bible provides no justification for the water-baptism of babies by any mode traditions do die hard, and religious traditions die hardest of all. Caring adults who make such provisions for their infants do so, I’m sure, from a sense of duty as parents if they do not provide something religious for their little loved ones. And, we readily understand their motivation and sensitivity to what they think to be an important spiritual life experience. It is not unusual that many people place more reliance upon their traditions than they do upon what the Word of God actually says.
Christ faced this very thing, this misplacement of authority, in Matthew 15, with the Jewish religious establishment of His day. They consistently superimposed their traditions upon the authority of Scripture giving precedence to their longstanding traditions rather than to the solid authority of the Bible itself. This, of course, simply overrode the authority of Scripture with man-made traditions; so, nothing has changed. While many religious establishments go by different names, their sad rejection of the authority of Scripture alone often remains intact.
If our understanding of Romans 7:9 is correct, babies and other children who die before attaining an age that makes them accountable to God, and, thus, responsible for their own sin, are covered by the merciful and substitutionery work of Christ and His death upon the Cross. Are there other verses that confirm this apart from the inference given in Romans 7:9? Possibly. As when David lamented the death of his baby son and, then, remarked that even though his infant son could not come to him, nevertheless he, David, would go to him. Admittedly, these are but inferences, but they do require careful consideration, especially in the absence of clearer statements.
As to the merit of water-baptism in any mode being prescribed by Scripture, there is not so much as one verse for authority. Additionally, Christ referred to children as being of such is the kingdom of heaven, which is another positive sign of the eternal destiny of children. These passages lend support to Paul’s statement about his being alive once without the law. It appears he was referring to his having been born spiritually alive and redeemed, as having been one of humanity that was drawn to Christ by his being lifted up, in John 12:32.
CC 10-05
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