 | Rev. Patrick Notley is the Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church located at 525 N. Broadway in downtown Wichita. Reverend Notley received an MA in Divinity at San Francisco Theological Seminary and a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, VA. Born in Denver, CO and raised on the East Coast, Reverend Notley along with his wife, relocated to Wichita in 1997 to join the church, where he is responsible for Evangelism Educational programs. You can reach Reverend Notley at (316) 263-0248 ext. 22 or by email at pwnotley@firstpresbywichita.org |
Religion
2004-10-01 15:07:00
Do you have to be baptized to enter heaven? What about babies?
: Does one have to be baptized in order to enter Heaven? What about babies who die early in life or at birth and never get a chance to be baptized?
ANSWER: The Presbyterian Church (USA)'s most recent statement of faith, adopted and included in its Book of Confessions in the mid-1990's, begins, "In life and in death we belong to God." This very same statement concludes, "With believers in every time and place, we rejoice that nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (A Brief Statement of Faith, lines 1 & 77-79) The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Christians in Rome, writes, "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39, NRSV) It is with these statements in mind that I have become convinced that the Sacrament of Holy Baptism is neither a pre-requisite to entering the full presence of our creator and God nor is the fact that a person might not have been baptized at the time of their death a barrier to their coming into God's presence in the heavenly realm. This is not to say, however, that this sacrament is either meaningless or unimportant. For I believe that it is both an extremely important sacrament and a greatly meaningful part of the faith tradition that I belong to.The scripture text proclaims very clearly that there is nothing that can separate us from God's love. So by extension if there is nothing that can separate us from this love there is nothing that we must do or, in fact, are able to do to earn that love or work our way into heaven. So baptism is not a form of "fire insurance" that keeps our children or us out of hell any more than it is some sort of "get into heaven pass" that earns our way through the pearly gates. So it is then to be asked, "Why be baptized at all if we are already assured of God's love for us?" The response to this is at the very core of the meaning and importance of this sacrament. To be baptized is to affirm that which is already present, that God loves us and desires to be in relationship with us. To be baptized is to affirm, for yourself, or on behalf of your children, that you intend to accept the invitation God has given to you to be in relationship. It is to state clearly that, with God's help, you will turn away from an old life that could well have been filled with less than healthy and less than helpful ways of living and turn toward a life that is filled with the presence of God in all aspects of your life. It is to affirm that, on behalf of your children, you will assist them to do the same until such time that they can affirm for themselves that they seek to live in the presence of their God as well. Baptism is also a confirmation that we live in community. It is a confirmation that we do not live alone but are supported in our journey of faith by a group of believers who will travel with us as we live into the life we have been called to live. So, to directly answer the question posed. No, I do not believe that you must be baptized to enter heaven. But, I can not imagine proclaiming Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, actively participating in a community of faith that cares for and nurtures along your faith journey, or truly desiring to live a life that is filled with the love of God and not being baptized. Baptism is the sign and seal of our inclusion in the family of God in the Body of Christ. It is the way a Christian proclaims and claims the gift of God's love.
