If baptised and believe are the 2 criteria, then both are met. But I spent alot of my adult years thinking, God hates me. Reason for that is the mess I made of things not Him.
Ifs are irrelevant, and there is a gulf in heaven.
Keep straight TWO parties are not the same.
God is one thing.
You are another thing.
God offers, God will provide what He offers.
God is not going to FORCE you to accept his offering.
You alone decides IF you want to Accept His offerings.
It is a given. You can not Agree to Accept "any offering from God", IF you do not Believe God exists.
Believing IN God, is the same as Believing He exists and IS God.
Your belief, is your decision.
Your belief IN God, then activates what He has offered, becomes given you.
Without your choice, you were given LIFE...
Your body, a vessel ... given (life/blood)
Your soul, a vessel....given, (life/Gods breath)
God is Life.
He the giver of Life.
And He the taker away of Life.
Gods message is clear...
He WILL take the life (blood) of your body.
Your body WILL die.
And you have two choices;
1) IN Christ, your body will be risen up in eternal life.
2) WITHOUT Christ, your body will be destroyed.
Your soul, will keep it's life;
1) IF you choose to be "IN" Christ.
2) or WITHOUT Chirst, Gods Breath, will return to God, and your soul destroyed.
Your natural spirit (which is simply your natural truth in your heart, (not mind).
1) IN Chirst, your spirit becomes born again with Gods seed..(thus becomes supernatural, no longer natural and subject to death).
2) WITHOUT Christ's SEED, your natural spirit remains subject to death, and will be destroyed with you natural body.
Babies are born with instincts, and gain knowledge by what they see and are told.
They are primitive, and instinctually trust, what feeds them and comforts them.
Which is typically the 24-7 role a Mommy, provides for the baby, and why babies instinctually will cling to their Mommy.
Repentance after sin is a must, how can a baby repent to receive baptism, when he has no personal sins? I'm aware of the carried on sins of mankind but personal sin.
Babies are naturally born with the same SIN any man is naturally born with...DISBELIEF in God.
Do you propose God is unjust, and expects a baby to even know ABOUT Him, without first having heard and learned about Him?
Jesus chose 12 grown Jewish men, (not babies), and such men had 4,000 Years of historical knowledge of GOD, and still Jesus spent three years teaching those grown Jewish men about Gods Messiah.
God does not require "repentance" from a baby. And when did the thief on the cross next to Jesus "repent" ?
The Whole of Scripture is true.
But not Every word of Scrpture APPLIES to every single person.
Are you a BABY? No. So what does what your parents did, have to do with you? You are capable of make your own decisions. And you will be accountable for your decisions, not your parents.
Are you a THIEF hanging next to Jesus? No.
You are an adult who cam be sorry for not having believed, and tell the Lord yourself. You can confess your own Belief in the Lord.
After all, it is you who must desire a relationship with the Lord. That may please your parents, but they can not decide that for you, or pledge your vow to the Lord for you.
I'm aware of the carried on sins of mankind but personal sin.
Don't know what you mean.
God Bless,
Taken