No problem.
Lutherans believe that anyone can taste of God's Grace---both the elect,
and those not elect.  The elect persevere, the non-elect do not.
(Augustinian, not Calvinist).

Our view tends to offend both the Calvinist (we believe a person can taste
God's Grace and then become apostate---A total lapsing from principles or
faith) and the Arminians (we believe that once a person  *truly* becomes
apostate, there is no coming back from that there is no
saved/lost/saved/lost/saved).  We believe Apostasy is not the typical "Oh,
no I sinned greatly" or "I'm ticked at God" or even "backsliding" but is
rather an actual, total rejection of Jesus Christ as Savior.

Blessings,
Randy


> Randy,
>
> Thanks for opening yourself up to wolves :-)
>
> I have a couple of questions that came out of what you posted from the
> LCMS.org website.
>
> On Wed, Apr 23, 2008 at 3:37 PM, <shieldwolf@...> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Although we do not claim to understand how this happens or how it is
>> possible, we believe (because of what the Bible says about baptism) that
>> when an infant is baptized God creates faith in the heart of that
>> infant.
>> This faith cannot yet, of course, be expressed or articulated, yet it is
>> real and present all the same (see e.g., 1 Peter 2:21; Acts 2:38-39;
>> Titus
>> 3:5-6; Matt. 18:6; Luke 1:15; 2 Tim. 3:15; Gal. 3:26-27; Rom. 6:4; Col.
>> 2:11-12; 1 Cor. 12:13). This faith needs to be fed and nurtured by God's
>> Word (Matt. 28:18-20), or it will die.
>
>
> OK, if baptism is God's work, as you say (and I'm inclined to agree with
> you), and God creates faith in the infant -- how can this faith die?
>
> Being Reformed, I too believe faith is a gift of God and thus I believe it
> can never die.  That is the basis of my hope in the preservation of the
> saints.  It the faith that God gives the infant at baptism can die, then
> what is the basis of your hope?
>
>
>
> --
>
> Grace and peace,
> Kevin Sigafoos
> ---------------------
> For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory
> forever. Amen. (Rom 11:36)
>
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