Each Sunday, our family attends church that practices believers' baptism—a symbolic act reserved for those who, after reaching an age of understanding, choose to be baptized upon repenting their sins and accepting Jesus as their savior.
As I have watched Brantley's peers come to understand sin and embrace baptism, I can't help but wonder about Brantley's path to eternal salvation.
I continually ponder: how can someone who may not share our cognitive processes repent and be saved?
As I think about Romans 10:9, a verse that emphasizes confessing with one's mouth and believing in the heart, I ponder how it applies to individuals like Brantley, who are nonverbal and have difficulty expressing themselves.
How can they devote themselves to Jesus without verbalizing their commitment?
Brantley’s true understanding and beliefs are unknown to us, yet I firmly believe that God's love transcends the limitations of disabilities.
Psalm 145:9 shows His goodness to all. Similarly, the Bible portrays Jesus consistently showing compassion towards the disabled and those enduring hardships.
While we cannot definitively determine whom God will admit into heaven, I take comfort in Acts 17, which teaches us that while He commands all people to repent we learn of His history or forgiveness for sins committed in ignorance. This leads me to consider the possibility of God overlooking the sins of individuals with developmental disabilities, who may struggle to fully comprehend or express their faith.
Though I often grapple with uncertainty regarding Brantley's true feelings or level of comprehension, I trust that God understands the innermost thoughts and desires of each individual, including those with developmental disabilities. I have faith that God would not deny someone like Brantley entry into heaven because his disabilities or his inability to fully understand or express his faith prevented him from undergoing the symbolic ritual of baptism.
It’s this mix of faith and disability that make me trust that God's love is bigger than our limits. Even though we don't have all the answers, I hold onto the hope that God's grace covers everyone, even Brantley, in ways we can't fully grasp.
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