Repentance and baptist

Peter’s call to repent was not an instruction for the people to do something in and of themselves.  The basic meaning behind “repentance” is “to have a change of heart.”  Because people are powerless by nature to change their hearts regarding their attitudes toward sin and Jesus, the only Savior from sin, God is the only one who can change hearts (Psalm 51:5; Ezekiel 36:26; Ephesians 2:1-10).  That is why Peter directed the people to turn to God and his heart-changing gospel in word and sacrament (baptism in this case).  The people listening to Peter could enjoy freedom from guilt and sin through the gospel message that their sins were washed away.

You notice that in Acts 2:39 Peter told the crowd that “The promise is for you and your children.”  The promise of receiving the Holy Spirit through a heart changed by the gospel (Acts 2:38) was held out for the adults in the crowd and their children—not when their children became adults, but for their children right then and there.

Peter’s words do not in any way change what Scripture says elsewhere about baptism and children.  Infants and children are to be baptized because they are included in the Lord’s command to baptize “all nations” (Matthew 28:19-20), they have a need for forgiveness (Psalm 51:5) and they can believe through the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 18:6; Luke 18:15-17).

When we understand that faith is a heart-changing gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9), we will recognize that God can change hearts and plant saving faith even in the very young, and he does.   For that we thank and praise him.