Quote:
Originally Posted by Leslie  Thanks again to Semper Fidelis. I don't have the knack of quoting previous posts, but if I understand you right, you are saying that the advantage of covenant infants in the church is analogous to the advantage of infants born into Jewish homes in the B.C. era. It is simply that they have the advantage of exposure to the corpus of teaching regarding God. From a strictly human point of view, conversion should be easier, not quite so radical as it is for a Buddhist. Yet there is also a disadvantage in this, in that the condemnation of an ultimately-reprobate covenant infant is greatly increased. I still don't understand why the CR form for the baptism of infants sounds like a FV document, promising the forgiveness of sins etc. without the mention of either "if elect" or "if later converted". |
I would also say that the advantage is that spiritual blessing has historically been given along geneological lines. That is to say that children are blessed to have parents that instill in them a love of God and a family that serves the Lord. The fact that the Lord grafts in wild shoots (as many of us are) does not exclude the fact that He also still blesses in great abundance geneologically.
Again, election works itself out in time according to the CoG. It is the reason why Christians don't just pop up at random and we don't see the same proportion of Christians in Muslim homes as we do in Christian homes.
Even when you interview Baptist parents, close to 100% of their kids end up making professions of faith and they are baptized. Election is not some blind force of fate where children are saved apart from means. Pagan parents tend to raise more of the same except, in God's grace, He calls some graciously into His Kingdom. But His Kingdom is still big enough to allow for His blesssing to occur in abundance within families that, by His grace, He utilizes the Church to train up
all her disciples - young and old.
Paul commands parents, just as Moses did, to train children up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. God utilizes those means for maturation and conversion.
Again, election cannot be thought of as a concept where we try to peel back the curtain and wonder if God has elected our children. He commands us to raise them in the fear and admonition of Him. This implies discipleship and, just like older believers,
we all fear lest
any be found to be of an unbelieving spirit. Whether or not God has elected a child in my household or an adult with a mature profession is not for me to speculate. My command is to be built up together with all. And because I serve a gracious God, I assume the best of the means He provides through me toward the goal of raising up a Godly inheritance.