...about things that interest me and are (hopefully) edifying!

But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases. Psalm 115:3

Soli Deo Gloria!!

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Where do infants (babies) go when they die?

Deuteronomy 1:39 (English Standard Version)

39And as for your little ones, who you said would become a prey, and your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there. And to them I will give it, and they shall possess it

III. Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated, and saved by Christ, through the Spirit,[12] who works when, and where, and how He pleases:[13] so also are all other elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.[14]

http://www.reformed.org/documents/wcf_with_proofs/ch_X.html

Infants and others who do not have the capability/capacity to comprehend the knowledge of good and evil - that is, become self aware of moral truth and act to uphold it or break it - are elect.

One becomes accountable for their sin when they become self aware to good and evil.

One is not elect unless one has the potential to acknowledge and submit to God's sovereignty.

Little children and infants have the innate potential to recognize and submit to God's authority.

God knows who will and will not recognize His sovereignty, the path of sanctification is for those who will but need to understand what slavery to sin entails.

The path is of different lengths for different folk.

Many do not have the potential to recognize and submit to God's sovereignty.

Prop #1
Innate potential - life - self awareness - sin - sanctification - death - | Christ's sacrificial life | eternal communion

Prop #2
Innate potential - life - death - | Christ's sacrificial life | eternal communion

People that make it into self awareness fall into 2 categories:

1. Able to acknowledge and submit to God's sovereignty.

2. Unable to acknowledge and submit to God's sovereignty.

1's will spend Eternity with God.
2's will be seperated from Him.

Life is about fullfilling one's potential.

Innate Potential to acknowledge and submit to the Sovereignty of God.

One has it or one does not. It is not in and of itself self-meritorious nor salvific.

God elected to redeem those humans that have it, so they are the elect.

Babies and the mentally handicapped that die have it and are therefore, elect.

The rest of us go through life to exhibit the potential, through sanctification, or to objectively prove that the potential is not there, and thus be eternally seperated from God.

Who would want those without that potential with them for eternity anyway?

4 comments:

ManM said...

"Who would want those without that potential with them for eternity anyway?"

I would. Is your love for a person contingent on their holiness?

oddXian said...

It is not about holiness, God has provided a way for all to enter into his presence holy through the work of Christ.

I believe the same discrimator is used for us that was used for the angels that rebelled.

Only God delayed judgement for us.

Anonymous said...

Illogical
Herein is one bit of Christian belief for which I have never received a good answer. This is the illogic of stating that there is only one way to God, that being through faith in Christ, yet holding that babies who are too young to accept Jesus also make it into heaven. Is this to assuage the feelings of Christian parents whose own religion would other wise teach that their loving God tosses their innocent infants into eternal torture? This seems to me to be an extrabiblical, second method of gaining entry into heaven; dying as an infant.

oddXian said...

Read the substantiating verses - there is nothing illogical nor extrabiblical about it.

Christ died so that the Elect throughout time could enter into eternal communion with God - salvation is found in no one else - actually creating the requirement to hear the name of Christ is irrelevant and legalistic.

...about things that interest me and are (hopefully) edifying!

But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases. Psalm 115:3

Soli Deo Gloria!!


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