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
Cranberry Citrus Bundt Bread (Fat-Free)
0
(0)
CATEGORY
CUISINE
TAG
YIELD
Eggs
Breads – qu, Citrus, Cranberries, Healthwise, Not sent
12
Servings
INGREDIENTS
1/2
c
Dried cranberries
1/3
c
Fresh orange juice
1
md
Orange, washed
1
c
Fresh cranberries, rinsed/sorted
1
c
All-purpose flour
1
c
Sugar
1/4
c
Whole-wheat flour
2
ts
Baking powder
1
c
Nonfat vanilla yogurt
1
ts
Baking soda
2
Egg whites
1/2
c
Confectioners' sugar
5
ts
Fresh orange juice
INSTRUCTIONS
BREAD
CITRUS GLAZE
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a fluted tube pan with
nonstick vegetable-oil spray.
In a small bowl, combine the dried cranberries and orange juice.
Cut the orange in 8 small pieces. Place the orange pieces and fresh
cranberries in a food processor or blender. Pulse until coarsely chopped.
In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, whole-wheat flour,
and baking powder.
In a large bowl, stir the yogurt and baking soda. (The volume will nearly
double.) Using an electric mixer, beat in the egg whites one at a time.
Beat in the chopped orange mixture. Add the dried cranberry mixture and
beat until blended. Add flour mixture and beat just until combined.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until a
wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove from
oven. Invert and cool 10 minutes on a wire rack (bread will still be
clinging to pan).
Gently run a knife around the outer edges and remove the bread. Let it cool
completely on the rack and glaze when cool.
To make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and
orange juice until smooth. Drizzle evenly over the cooled bread.
NOTES : By Helen Tribole Healthy Homestyle Desserts: 150 Fabulous Treats
with a Fraction of the Fat and Calories (Viking; October 22, 1996;
$24.95/hardcover) This recipe started off as a muffin, but it grew into
this delighful bread -- one of my favorites. I am usually the first to
defend keeping nuts in a recipe, because they impart a unique flavor and
texture that would otherwise be missed. This bread is an exception. I
substituted dried cranberries for the nuts and they worked beautifully. How
fat and calories were lowered: * Used nonfat yogurt instead of butter and
sour cream * Eliminated nuts as described above * Replaced whole egg with
egg whites Nutrition Scorecard (per serving) Calories: before 380, after
189 Fat (grams): before 19, after 0 % calories from fat: before 44, after 1
Cholesterol (mg): before 30, after
Recipe by: http://www.foodwine.com/food/foodday/ Posted to Digest
eat-lf.v097.n082 by Roberta Banghart <bobbi744@sojourn.com> on Mar 26, 1997
A Message from our Provider:
“Every good thing you have ever enjoyed comes from God”
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