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God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

All those dying in infancy, as well as those so mentally incapacitated that they are incapable of making an informed choice, are among the elect of God chosen by Him for salvation before the world began. The evidence for this view is scant, but significant. 1. In Romans 1:20 Paul describes people who are recipients of general revelation as being, “without excuse.” Does this imply that those who are not recipients of general revelation (i.e., infants) are therefore not accountable to God or subject to wrath? In other words, those who die in infancy have an “;excuse” in that they neither receive general revelation nor have the capacity to respond to it. 2. There are texts which appear to assert or imply that infants do not know good or evil and hence lack the capacity to make morally informed and thus responsible choices. According to Deuteronomy 1:39 they are said to “have no knowledge of good or evil.” 3. The story of David's son in 2 Samuel 12:15-23 (esp. v. 23)… What does it mean when David says “I shall go to him?” If this is merely a reference to the grave or death, in the sense that David, too, shall one day die and be buried, one wonders why he would say something so patently obvious! Also, it appears that David draws some measure of comfort from knowing that he will 'go to him.' It is the reason why David resumes the normal routine of life. It appears to be the reason David ceases from the outward display of grief. It appears to be a truth from which David derives comfort and encouragement. How could any of this be true if David will simply die like his son? It would, therefore, appear that David believed he would be reunited with his deceased infant. 4. There is consistent testimony of Scripture that people are judged on the basis of sins voluntary and consciously committed in the body. See 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Revelation 20:11-12. In other words, eternal judgment is always based on conscious rejection of divine revelation (whether in creation, conscience, or Christ) and willful disobedience. Are infants capable of either? There is no explicit account in Scripture of any other judgment based on any other grounds. Thus, those dying in infancy are saved because they do not (cannot) satisfy the conditions for divine judgment. 5. We have what would appear to be clear biblical evidence that at least some infants are regenerate in the womb, such that if they had died in their infancy they would be saved. This at least provides a theoretical basis for considering whether the same may be true of all who die in infancy. These texts include Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1:15. 6. Some have appealed to Matthew 19:13-15 (Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17) where Jesus declares, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Is Jesus simply saying that if one wishes to be saved he/she must be as trusting as children, i.e., devoid of skepticism and arrogance? In other words, is Jesus merely describing the kind of people who enter the kingdom? Or is he saying that these very children were recipients of saving grace? 7. Given our understanding of the character of God as presented in Scripture, does He appear as the kind of God who would eternally condemn infants on no other ground than that of Adam's transgression? Admittedly, this is a subjective (and perhaps sentimental) question. But it deserves an answer, nonetheless.
Sam Storms

It is true that God is good and that in the world under His control bad things happen – at least bad things happen from the human perspective. When I discipline my child, it might seem like a bad thing from his vantage point, but it is a good thing from mine. When a nation wins a just war, it might seem bad from the enemy’s side, but it is good for the world. So at least part of the problem is perspective. Are we saying something is bad from God's perspective or man’s?
Jim Elliff

    • Cranberry Orange Sauce With Ginger

    Posted on
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    CATEGORY CUISINE TAG YIELD
    Fruits Fruits, Sauces 2 Cups

    INGREDIENTS

    3/4 lb Cranberries
    1 c Orange juice
    1 c Packed brown sugar
    2 t Grated fresh ginger

    INSTRUCTIONS

    In a saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce
heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cranberries will pop open and mixture will thicken.  VARIATION:
Substitute 2 tsp horseradish for the ginger; stir in after  sauce is
cooked. Source: Simple HeartSmart Cooking by Bonnie Stern  Origin: The
Vancouver Sun  Oct 5/94  From the collection of Karen Deck  From
Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

    A Message from our Provider:

    “All suffering can be traced back to people disobeying God”

    Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
    ----------------------------------------------
    Calories: 982
    Calories From Fat: 23
    Total Fat: 2.6g
    Cholesterol: 0mg
    Sodium: 37.7mg
    Potassium: 471.3mg
    Carbohydrates: 242.6g
    Fiber: 9.9g
    Sugar: 117.2g
    Protein: 1g


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