Seven questions to ask concerning a newborn baby
1. Is your baby daughter part of the church?
2. Does she belong to Jesus?
3. Is she united to Christ in any meaningful way?
4. Is she chosen by God in any way?
5. Is she in a right relationship with God?
6. Is she a Christian?
7. Is she elect?
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 | a question you forgot
(Anonymous)
2007-09-27 19:07
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Does she have any choice in the matter? (Reply to this) (Thread) |
| Re: a question you forgot
(Anonymous)
2007-09-27 19:42
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Not when she is born. Remember, the questions are in regards to a newborn and not a 21 year old. The Lord chose her to be the child of Christian parents, or a Christian parent, it was the Lord chose her to be 'holy'. She most certainly had no say in any of that, just like I had no say in being born to non-Christian parents.
Tony(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread) |
| Re: a question you forgot
(Anonymous)
2007-09-27 19:44
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correction: 'it was the Lord who chose her to be 'holy' ' (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread) |
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(Anonymous)
2007-09-28 04:17
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I like the qualification "in any way" and I think that qualifier should be added to question 1, 2, 5 and 6. After all she may be perhaps be called a 'Christian' in a broad sense, while not being a Christian in the narrow sense of 'elect for eternal salvation and regenerate'. So also 'right relationship'. Does this mean Christ died specifically for her sins and so the wrath of God against her has been appeased; the righteousness of Christ has been imputed to her; and so she will not come under condmenation? Or does it refer to a broader form of rightness of relationship?
I take it that question 7 cannot be qualified in this way since 'elect' here means 'elect for eternal salvation' as distinct from a more general choosing that question 4 may allude to.
My attempt at answers?
1) Yes: but the church visible not universal
2) Yes. Because (a) All of creation does. (b) See answers below.
3) Yes in that she is part of his general covenant and a member of his visible church. No in the sense that her guilt has been paid for and she has been imputed with his righteousness.
4) She is part of the God's people on earth, who are his 'chosen people'. Not in the sense of question 7, necessarily.
5) Insofar as being part of God's people on earth brings with it a certain holiness and rightness of relationship, yes. In the sense of being imputed with Christ's righteousness, not necessarily.
6) If 'Christian' means 'member of God's visible church' and not 'confessing person' or 'regenerate individual' or the like. I think it would be wiser not to use the term 'Christian' as the ambiguity of meaning creates for too much misunderstanding with believer baptists.
7) Not necessarily.
Is anyone else gonna have a go at answering them?
Mikey Lynch(Reply to this) (Thread) |
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(Anonymous)
2007-09-29 02:29
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I would say these questions are great as an exersice for a theologen. But for people that are not able to think on that level, they could cause argument and conflict. (Try having your own baby, you won't be thinking objectively anymore).
Science is mans understanding of the world. Theology is mans understanding of the bible? (Is this right?) In both cases, it is impossible for man to study enough to have a 100% knowledge and understanding. So I think it would be brave to find all the answers and stick with then. The answers are not straight yes or no in any case.
Jonny Rochester(Reply to this) (Thread) |
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(Anonymous)
2007-09-29 18:55
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Jonny, we had a baby girl 2 1/2 years ago. We were thinking objectively before the Lord blessed us with a baby girl and we are most certainly thinking objectively now. As a father I think that John's questions are excellent for exactly those reasons he gave you. It is precisely because we don't have a 100% knowledge and understanding that we ought to consider these questions. For me the basic question is, what is my child's relationship with the Lord? In other words, does she have one or will that happen when she one day 'throws a pine cone into the bonfire at a youth camp'. The way I answer John's questions has an enormous bearing on how I raise and discipline her in the ways of the Lord. Finally, nearly everything in Christian theology has caused argument and conflict (for example, we could start with the Trinity and go forward to whether Christians are allowed to go to the movies), so I am not sure that that is a good enough reason not to think about these questions. Each one of the questions gets to the heart of how we view and treat our children. Even if I refuse to answer them consciously then I will most certainly answer them in the way I raise my child, God help me!
Tony Johnson(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread) |
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(Anonymous)
2007-10-11 06:22
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When my little girl was born, I found that I had to rethink my own theology in response to that experience. Granted I was neither calvinist nor particularly conventionally reformed to begin with, so for example I would have never, ever have asked question 7. But I found myself searching for a new understanding of redemption and sin, as I was unable to accept the notion that this minute-old child that I held in my arms was in willful rebellion towards God.
the good news is, wait 18 months and you've got all the evidence you need of willful rebellion, so you can procrastinate the dilemma away!!!
ross(Reply to this) (Thread) |
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(Anonymous)
2007-10-13 04:31
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I have asked myself the same question for the last 5 years only I substitute the 'new' for 'still' any thoughts? Annie (Reply to this) (Thread) |
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