----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris Arnzen" <carnzen@...>
To: <soundofgrace@...>
Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2003 12:04 PM
Subject: Re: [soundofgrace] Infant Salvation


> I don't believe this is a paedobaptist argument
> at all, since Christ was not baptizing these little children in the
passage,
> nor was any of His disciples.

Have you read what the paedobaptists say about this passage?  I have yet to
see any of them suggest that Christ was baptizing little children in the
passage.  What he is affirming, in their system, is covenantal children who
are given the promises and blessings of the kingdom by the mere fact that
they are children of the covenant.

> I am finding it quite interesting to see
> how tenaciously and passionately brethren are to attack the view of infant
> salvation, even when some are merely agnostic over it. Why does it bother
> you so very much that I and other Calvinists have been convinced by the
> Scriptures that infants and little children will not populate hell
> (especially the agnostics--just because you are not convinced either way,
it
> should not bother you quite so much that some of us are)?

I think this is a fair question... I cannot speak for the rest, but it
grieves me to know that some parents in our flocks are being given
unwarranted comfort when the only comfort to give is Christ himself.  I
wholeheartedly believe that Christ is slighted in your view... I guess
that's why my "agnosticism" in this instance is a little more passionate
than it would be for the color of church carpet. :-)

Again... to paraphrase what I wrote yesterday...the only hope we can give
parents of infants is on the chance that if their infant died "in Christ"
then that infant is "with Christ".  It is an emphasis on sentimentality,
rather on Christ, that is giving these parents assurance and comfort.  Such
a desire is a misplaced focus on the
child's destiny and has become that parent's "sufficiency" or "satisfaction"
rather than in Christ himself.  Ultimately, I must place my satisfaction in
Christ, the Supreme Judge, who is always good and always judges rightly.  If
"good" and "rightly" means my child goes to hell I must place my
satisfaction with that decision in Christ.  The comfort for the parent is
that the child is in the hands of Christ who is good and righteous.

As for Spurgeon, as a systematician he was brilliant (not to mention his
unparalleled oratory).  But I tend to find his biblical theology lacking at
times (allowing the whole of the scripture to inform the exegesis).  But
that's just my opinion.

Chad Bresson
Xenia, OH