Romans chapter 5, and I'm going to be preaching on the question, can infants be saved or are infants saved? Also, this covers those who are mentally handicapped and can't understand the word. Romans chapter 5. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Through him, we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces hope. And hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since therefore we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him in the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sin, For sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass, for if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. and the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, So one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience, the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience, the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness, leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let us pray for blessing on our understanding of the word. Soften our hearts and minds today and thank you for your goodness. Help us to see your goodness and your mercy and your gentleness. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen. So I've been led down this path. I've decided to go down this path and it's a path that has been very, very good for me. And honestly, when it came to the last topic I covered in this theme on are the infants of the elect, of believers, saved, I didn't have the position I have now. Even after studying that, I then came to this question of all infants and approaching preparation for the sermon, my views were not what they are in all express and what line up with what you could say is a bulk of the Reformed theologians. So, the road that I've gone down to get here is through in Genesis where it talks about the wind of God, the spirit of God moving on the face of the waters, and we saw, we deep-dived into this concept of wind, spirit, or breath. One word means the same thing, so we've seen how this member of the Trinity, the Spirit of God, is the same word for wind or breath, that he gives every person his breath, that he created all things, and that he sustains all things. And not only for our physical life, so every breath we take, physically speaking, is a gift from the Holy Spirit. But not only that, and the Bible says that when he withdraws his spirit, not just men but also animals die. But our spiritual life is given to us by the work of the Holy Spirit, kind of like he brooded on the waters in creation and created order out of chaos, he brings order and salvation out of disorderly, sinful hearts and minds, an entity to God. And then not only does he start us off, he doesn't just give us a quick burst of starter fluid in the carburetor that gets the engine going, he actually keeps us going, and keeps us going in an ongoing manner, and sustains our spiritual life. And he does that, we saw, primarily through the word of God. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. So the means that the Spirit breathed in to the authors, and breathed his word through the authors of Scripture, which is God's words, not their words, he breathed through them, and all Scriptures God breathed were told, and profitable, and that God, through his word, actively breathes life into the lives and the souls of those who were formerly dead in their trespasses and sins. So the way that we primarily grow is through the word. We cannot have too high of a view of the word. And that's actually a fear in a lot of churches today, is that you'll actually hear an anti-biblical bent, where it's like, yeah, the word of God, but this other stuff. And it often comes with the supposed elevation of the Spirit. But you cannot elevate the Spirit without elevating the Word that the Spirit has inspired and works through to bring life and health to believers. So a high view of Scripture is a high view of the Holy Spirit. A high view of the Holy Spirit is a high view of Scripture. So we went from that and we delved off into kind of a precursor to this, because this topic on infants being saved, like how are infants saved apart from the preaching of the word, because it says faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God, so does that mean that those who are in the womb that those who are so young they can't understand, or those who don't have the mental capacity to understand, cannot be saved because they can't understand the preaching of the Word. And we're gonna, I'm gonna emphasize that normally speaking, everyone who can understand the Word is expected, this is the way that God works. This is the means that God works through normally. But that God can save infants in the womb, and does save infants in the womb, and does save even those who are, mentally handicapped who are unable to respond to the Word. And so the last sermon on this topic was on the children of believers, are they saved? And what I emphasized in that sermon was that there's actually a fairly good consensus, at least within the Reformed tradition, on that topic. It was put together in the Canon of Dort. in response to the accusation by the part of Armenians that many children of believers are snatched in their innocence from their mother's breasts and cruelly cast into hell so that neither the blood of Christ, nor their baptism, nor the prayers of the church at their baptism can be any use of them. So the framers of the Five Points of Calvinism, the Canons of Dort, responded to this allegation, this accusation on the part of the Armenians. They said, and this is in the canons of Dort, since we must make judgments about God's will from his word, which testifies that the children of believers are holy, not by nature, but by virtue of the gracious covenant in which they together with their parents are included, godly parents ought not to doubt the election and salvation of their children. So the, the, children of believers, we can echo and I think we can firmly say about our own children that have died in infancy and we can say. I can, as a pastor, encourage, and these Christians can encourage other believers, that the children of believers, and I made the case last time, that the children of believers, because of the promise given, because they have not had any opportunity to apostatize and turn from the faith, we can count them as believers and saved, and we can hold fast to those promises God has given. Now, the question, of course, comes up, what about the children of unbelievers? And so this is a difficult topic, and there's a variety of different beliefs. And like I said, when I approached this topic, even just last week, before I had really dug in deep, I thought I was going to be going in a different direction. But I was actually pleasantly surprised with the way that most Reformed theologians have taken this. So the Westminster Confession speaks to this topic, and kind of answers the question, can infants be and those that have mental handicaps be saved apart from the word. It says elect infants dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the spirit who works when and where and how he pleases. So also are all other elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the word. So this isn't a negation wherever people can understand the word, that is the means by which God brings that truth and that they would respond to that truth. But the Westminster Confession tells us that God can save and does save apart from that in these cases of infancy and those who can't understand the word. Now, I want to build a case, and I'll let you just, you know, this is one of those things that you'll probably have to go from here. There's a lot of resources you can dig in further, and you might want to establish this more in your own minds, but I'm going to build a case towards the conclusion that I reached on this. The first point is that all men are in need of salvation, including infants. So now, the prevalent view today, interestingly, is not really Arminian. The prevalent view today is Pelagian. Pelagius, back in the early church, rejected the idea of original sin. and total depravity, and basically taught that everybody's born good, they just make decisions and turn bad. But like Adam, in a sense, everybody repeats Adam's fall, in a sense. Each child, as they get older, makes decisions. So the view today tends to be based off of Pelasianism, the common view that because there's this age of accountability, because they can't understand, that they haven't sinned yet, so there's nothing sinful about them, so that all children are going to be in heaven. That view is very prevalent in a lot of circles, including Baptist circles, and probably the most dominant view. It's a Pelagian view. It's not really Arminian, and I'll show you the problem with the Arminian view, because strictly speaking, the Arminian view is actually one of the hardest, and the Roman Catholic is up there. The Arminian view actually teaches because Christ has won this universal salvation for all mankind, but that man has to choose it by his own, has to willingly choose. A strict Arminian view would actually hold that all children would perish apart without salvation because they haven't reached an age where they can willingly choose because they emphasize man's willful decision so much. because historically Arminianism has taught that man is depraved, yet he has a choice to pursue this universal salvation. So that's actually one of the sadder views would be that basically all infants would be not saved because they have not been able to choose for themselves. So, the first building block of this case is that all men are in need of salvation, including infants. So we reject, I would, I think, I reject, you should reject the idea that there is anybody, including infants in the womb, who can get to heaven apart from salvation through Christ. And we're taught that so explicitly, I'm gonna share it with you. but it's throughout Scripture. So Psalm 51, think about this question, can anyone get to heaven, anybody be with Christ for all eternity apart from salvation and grace? Psalm 51.5 tells us that, behold, David says, behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. So his nature is tainted, he is tainted and was conceived in sin and brought forth in sin, And his point being that he continued from that point forward, given his nature. Psalm 58.3 tells us the wicked are estranged from the womb. So estranged would be far off, estranged. They go astray from birth, speaking lies. So man is not neutral. He is estranged even from the womb and goes astray, speaking lies. Romans 5.14. and I'll read this section, but then kind of decode it a little bit. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass, for if many died through one man's trespass, so we know that through one man, Adam's trespass, many died. We all experience physical death, but even more importantly, The spirit of God was, man was created to be the temple of God's spirit. And Adam was the temple of God's spirit. Eve was the temple of God's spirit. The Holy Spirit resided in them. Post fall, that spirit was taken apart, apart from saving faith and grace. And now through Christ, the Holy Spirit's poured out and fills man once again. So spiritual death, but not just physical, but spiritual death as well. Much more of the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many and The free gift is not like the result of that one man sin for the judgment following one trespass Trespass brought condemnation Now brought condemnation. I think we can see from the context on all men but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification for if Because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through that one man, Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so there it's more explicitly, in Adam's fall sinned all, all fell. So one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. So through one man, many were made sinners. So there's that sin of Adam that goes down to all his descendants. Now, the cool thing about this sermon is that I get to deliver the bad news first, and then I think end on a high note, although I will caution that the high note is not as emphatic as when I was teaching on the children of believers, that there is room for question. The scriptures don't speak as explicitly, so I'll build this case and give hope, but not as adamantly as I can with the children of believers. I can adamantly look a parent in the eye and say, when their child dies or they have a miscarriage, that your child belongs to Christ. At the end of the day, I'm gonna make a case that we can hope the same of all infants, but I can't have that same level of confidence, and I think we have to have care there. Ephesians 2 3 among whom all once we all once lived in the passions of our flesh Carrying out the desires of the body and the mind and we're by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind So by nature, we're all the children of wrath We are our nature is that of Rightfully receiving God's wrath God, as Calvin says, I think he said, that when God looks at even children, he sees that seedbed of sin, that spawning ground of sin. That's one way that God looks at children. He also looks at children in a more favorable light, and we'll see that coming up soon. But as far as their need for salvation, all men and children are children of wrath by nature. Joel Beakey says, children and mentally impaired adults, descending from Adam and Eve by ordinary generation, are included in the all who sinned in Adam and fell with him in his transgression." So I want to establish this because this is an important baseline that differentiates this biblical view from the Pelagian view that rejects all this and just claims that Children are good, babies are good from birth, there's no reason for any wrath, they don't even need Jesus Christ to be saved. As if we're gonna get to heaven and find people that are not there because of Jesus Christ. Revelation 21, 27. Now keep in mind this nature of wrath. And then we're told, but nothing unclean will ever enter into it, that's heaven, the new heaven, new earth, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. And then we see this, and I'm gonna turn to, if you have your Bible, turn to John chapter three, Gospel of John chapter three. Verse one, obviously very famous story. Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Jesus answered him, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Now the point I'm gonna emphasize, I'll finish the story, but the point I'm gonna emphasize is that nobody by natural birth can naturally waltz in because of their natural birth into the kingdom of heaven. Everybody who is in the kingdom of heaven has been born again. must be born again. Verse 4, Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. So it has to be this new birth. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. So everyone, to get to heaven, we know that you have to be born again. John 1, chapter 1, verse 12, but to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood, nor the will of the flesh. So, two humans didn't desire to get together and have sex and have a child through their natural flesh, through their own will, through their own lineage, that gets to heaven, nor the will nor of the will of man, but of God. And John 6, 44, no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. Now that's a pretty emphatic statement. Nobody can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. And it goes on to say in verse 65, and he said, this is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father. Ephesians 2, 8, for by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God. Everyone who's been saved and will be in the presence of God will be saved by that gift of God through Christ. Dr. Joseph Nally Jr. said this is original sin is a yoke for all. This is true even of infants. Though infants cannot discern good from evil, they are not innocent. They simply have not sufficiently matured to express their sin nature in a noticeable manner. Adam's sin has been imputed to the human race because of our union with Adam. We are all guilty of the first sin." And he went on to say, we are not sinners because we sin, rather we sin because we are sinners. That's that nature. Now the good news with this whole sad plunging of everybody into sin and darkness by Adam is that Romans 5 tells us that the cure is like that, in that Christ, one man, thankfully not every man has to die for his own sin, but one man can attain the salvation of many, many millions. So that's the first point, is nobody gets into heaven apart from grace, apart from Christ, and apart from the work on the cross. Number two, some infants clearly receive the salvation in the womb apart from the preaching of the word. So if you wondered if Romans, where it teaches us that all faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, excludes salvation in the womb, we have examples that clearly show us that babies can and are saved. First of all, let me establish that the normal way is through the word. 2 Thessalonians 2.14, to this he called you through our gospel, so the way that they were called was through the gospel, through the preaching of the word, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. I just quoted this, Romans 10.17, so faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. And there's no other way other than Christ, Acts 4.12, and there's salvation in no one else. Not in natural generation, not in Buddha, not in karma, not in whatever. For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. So there has to be a name, and that only name is Jesus. So the normal way that we should expect salvation to happen is through the proclaiming of the Gospel and the Word. That's why we should be very zealous and fruitful when it comes to evangelism and missions, supporting missions. That's so important for the saving of sinners. Now here's where we see that there are cases, specific cases, that exemplify that babies are saved in the womb. Let's turn to the story of John the Baptist, John 1.15. John 1.15. So the Holy Spirit, like the Westminster says, can work apart from the Word in specific cases. I hate when I get the wrong, uh, the wrong. It's actually not John one 15. I think I'm looking at Matthew to double check that this is important enough. I am actually going to look up a look one 15. I think I was thinking John. 115. Yeah, no, that's that's that's it. Luke 115. Sorry. So we see. Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard and your wife, Elizabeth, will bury your son. You should call his name John. and you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord, and he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even as from his mother's womb." And the way Luke uses that expression of being filled with the Holy Spirit is in a saving sense, even from his mother's womb, and then we see kind of the fruit of that in verses 41 through 44, so Luke 1, 41. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. So you see, even in the womb, he recognized the Son of God and leapt for joy. And then you have David, Psalm 22, 9. We saw how David was expressed to sin nature, but he also expressed his salvation from the womb as well. Psalm 22, verse 9. Yet you are he who took me from the womb. You made me trust you at my mother's breasts. On you was I cast from birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God. So you see David appealing to the fact that from the womb, he has been, God has been his God. From his early years, he was cast upon God. Okay, point number one. is that nobody comes to saving, nobody gets to heaven apart from Jesus Christ. It's not through natural birth. Point number two is that while the normal way of salvation is through the preaching of the word, in the case of infants and those who cannot understand the word, we see examples of infants being saved in the womb. And number three is that God is just and good. And what we seem to see in scripture is that he brings eternal condemnation against those who willfully sin with knowledge, and we can deduce that it is likely that he extends mercy to infants. And so I'll try to build this case. So Leviticus 4.13, if you guys have your Bible, turn to Leviticus 4.13. So first of all, I want to establish that unintentional sin, again, this is actually pointing back to that first point, unintentional sin doesn't mean that there's no need for an atonement. So that's what I'm saying here. within biblical theology and theologians who have loved God's word and those who've studied scriptures, pretty much unanimously you'll see that there's this need for atonement, even on the part of children. So I want to both kind of buttress that, strengthen that with these biblical laws, Leviticus 4.13. If the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally, thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do any one of the things that by the Lord's commandments ought not to have been done, and they realize their guilt, when the sin which they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall offer a bowl from the herd for sin offering, and bring it in front of the tent of meeting." So there was a, and it goes on to describe this atonement, but even in the case of something that they committed unintentionally, there was the need for an atonement. Move forward to chapter 517. If anyone sins, doing any of the things that by the Lord's commandments ought not to be done, though he did not know it, then realizes his guilt, he shall bear his iniquity. Now, you could make the case that they don't realize their guilt, but there was this offering for, and he goes on to describe the sacrifice of atonement for even something that was done in ignorance. And then Luke 1247. Luke 1247. And that servant who knew his master's will, but did not get ready or act according to his will, or receive a severe beating. Now, I think about parenting here. There's varying degrees of culpability based off of, I didn't hear, which sometimes you, maybe you should have been listening better. And there are situations where the child knows to do, has been told, has heard, and just doesn't do it. And the Bible, obviously that type of disobedience reserves a severe beating, whatever that looks like. 48, but the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. So it's not in a sense that there's no culpability, but the person who did not know but did the wrong thing and didn't do what they were supposed to do, they should have deserved a beating. There's something commensurate about that that You probably should have figured it out. There's still some culpability here, but you're not going to be punished as heavily. Everyone to whom much was given of him, much will be required. And think about that. This will be something I'm going to hammer on in the end. But we as believers have received so much. We have God's word. We have his instruction. We know his gospel. and so much will be required. And from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more." There's a proportionality to God's punishment. Even, I would say that you could, we can argue that there's that, we see examples of that even in heaven or in hell, where the idea that the, you know, some of the most heinous serial sinners who raise your fist at God and destroy human life in the most grotesque ways, you can actually make the case from scripture that there are, to put in parentheses, hotter sections of hell, and there are eternal rewards of some type in heaven, not so much entry into heaven, but we're told to lay up treasure in heaven, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, and that's a different sermon. But we need to know that God is just, and every sin that a sinner commits will be punished, if not atoned for by Jesus Christ, will be punished to the degree of the sin and to the degree of the culpability. It's not a one-size-fits-all. So, everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. So, there is, even in ignorance, there is still some culpability. Now, the argument that I'm going to make, and that I am persuaded of, but I think we have to behold kind of tentatively, that The Bible seems to indicate that infants are, that God is gracious in electing infants. There's a little bit of a sense of age of reason, but in a different sense than is often used in your typical Baptist, Pelagian view of it. So there is in the Bible an age of reason or an age of accountability. So Deuteronomy 139. says, and the little ones that you said would be taking captive your children who did not yet know good from bad. They couldn't actually know intellectually good from bad. They will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it. Isaiah 7, 15. He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right. So there is an age where as the mind develops, as the moral senses develops, as the moral compass develops, there is an intentionality to sin and a culpability for sin that's not there prior to that. 939, and this is one of the ones that the reformed theologians pointed to as grounds to have hope for all infants, not just the children of the elect. Jesus said, for judgment I came into this world that those who do not see may see and those who see may become blind. So this judgment would come. God says it so often throughout the prophets. Harden your heart, keep on hardening your heart, stay hardened, and I will blind you, you will not be able to see, I will give you over to your reprobate mindset. Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things and said to him, are we also blind? Jesus said to them, if you were blind, you would have no guilt. But now that you say, we see, your guilt remains. So he says, if you were truly blind, If you were a truly blind person, you were unaware, you did not know, you would have no guilt, but now that you say, we see, your guilt remains. So God is just in attributing punishment to those who, not to those who don't have the mental faculties, but to those who actually have the insight to know that what they're doing is wrong, and can see, and their guilt remains. Romans 118 gives us some indication For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Actually, if you guys can turn to Romans 1.18, easier to follow. Romans 1.18. For the wrath of God, Romans 1.18. for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and righteousness of men who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is, so notice there's a willing, the theme here is there's a willing suppression of the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them. So again, this is to those who can see, can understand, the truth is plain to them because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made. So God says His glory is so manifest and that there's a willing sin against that because they can see and they know and they can see the created world around them and understand it. For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. Notice that God says, you can see, you know, you are with visibility, with the faculties to understand, and you are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God. So there's a knowledge and a lack of honor given to what they know. or give thanks to them, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools. They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, and birds, and animals, and creeping things." So this road into perversity, this rebellion against God, is predicated on knowing sinful, those that have perceived, but disrespect, dishonor, and turn away from God that they do know through his creation with their use of their senses. Now, John Piper preached a sermon at the death of an infant, and this was his comment. So he read that passage and went on to say, in other words, if a person did not have access to the revelation of God's glory, did not have the natural capacity to see it and understand it, then Paul implies that they would have an excuse at the judgment. The point for us is that even though we human beings are under the penalty of everlasting judgment and death because of the fall of our race into sin and the sinful nature that we all have. Nevertheless, God only executes this judgment on those who have the natural capacity to see his glory and understand his will and refuse to embrace it as their treasure. Infants, I believe, do not yet have that capacity and therefore in God's inscrutable way he brings them under the forgiving blood of his son. Now, Those are strong words, and this would be very controversial among a lot of Reformed Christians today. And I'm not saying it shouldn't be, and I'm not saying not to think through it. Obviously, you need to come to a conclusion yourself on this, or at least as best we can. But I do want you to see that this is not an isolated opinion of John Piper as a modern representative. but that he's stating very succinctly what a bulk of those within the Reformed tradition have believed. And I do differentiate here, I am leaning more on the Reformed tradition than I normally would, because I'm going to show you how the early church after the initial stages held a very damaging view on this in the Roman Catholic Church. I think the Lutherans hold a very damaging view on this. Anglicans often hold a very damaging view on this. Armenians. So this is one of those ones where usually I'm not going like, hey, we just have this thing kind of figured out here. But when you look at the alternatives, you're going to see that there's some not very good beliefs within other traditions. Matt Perman in an article said, it is important to emphasize that in our view, God is not saving infants because they're innocent. So it's not the whole age of accountability. They don't have any sin nature. They're not, nothing passed down from Adam. Everybody just recapitulates, redoes Adam's fall. It's that they are children of wrath by nature, but that God doesn't, that he graciously saves them not having actually acted of their own accord with reason, with knowledge in sin. He says they are not innocent but guilty. He's saving them because although they are sinful, in his mercy he desires that compassion be exercised upon those who are sinful and yet lack the capacity to grasp the truth revealed about him in nature and to the human heart. Zwingli was one of the first, and he was one of the first performers. Zwingli gets a little bit of a bad rap today, partly because he was a little Lutheresque in his, he was a little bit of a hothead at times, but also because he held a view that most of us don't agree with on the Lord's Table. But we shouldn't be too quick to dismiss Zwingli because before Calvin was Zwingli and he kind of got this whole thing started in this direction. He summarized the argument. Zwingli said, first, number one, that all believers are elect and hence are saved, though we cannot know infallibly who are true believers except in our own case. Number two, all children of believers dying in infancy are elect and hence are saved, for this rests on God's immutable promise. Number three, is probable, from the superabundance of the gift of grace over the offense, that all infants thine such are elect and saved, so that death in infancy is a sign of election, and although this must be left with God, it is certainly rash and even impious to affirm their damnation." So notice there's still, there's, some will come out a little bit more strongly, but there's still this healthy this is what we can kind of know, this is what we can surmise, it's not as strong of a case, but to the point that it would be wrong for us to talk about, oh, all those believers, those children, sometimes Calvinists, sometimes the way we talk, as if God just hates on people and just wants to throw people in the fire, and I've even heard comments when it comes to infants and stuff, and some of those harsh statements that don't reflect what we see of God in Scripture. Okay, so it would be impious and rash to affirm their damnation, and it's probable from the superabundance of the gift of grace over the offense that all infants dying are elect and saved. For all who are saved, whether adult or infant, are saved only by the free grace of God's election and through the redemption of Christ. That's the reformed distinctive on this, is that A, probable that infants are saved, but they are saved through Christ, they're not just born good. Hodge and commenting, both the Hodges held this view, Charles and A.A. Hodge, A.A. Hodge and his commentary on the Westminster Confession and the part that we're looking at here today. He says, and I'll break this down. I'm gonna try to make it readable. I usually don't read long quotes. Maybe I'll just be positive. You guys are gonna love this one. The outward call of God's word and all the means of grace provided in the present dispensation, of course, presuppose intelligence upon the part of those who receive them. Honestly, I'm on the fence as far as children partaking of covenant as a paedo-baptist. I can go here or there as far as children partaking of red wine in that I know that apart from active faith, these things are They don't contribute anything, they don't give anything apart from active faith. So, the means of grace, including the Lord's Table, preaching of the word, baptism, they presuppose intelligence upon the part of those who receive them. The will of God also is revealed only as far as it concerns those capable of understanding and profiting by the revelation. His purpose with respect to either persons or classes, not thus addressed, are not explicitly revealed. So God doesn't go out of His way. It's one of those things where there is some mystery to this, where He doesn't go out and say, this is exactly what happens in the other cases. If infants and others not capable of being called by the gospel are to be saved, they must be regenerated and sanctified immediately by God without the use of means. So we don't know how the basically God just saves in the womb. He saves those that are retarded or mentally handicapped. If infants and others not capable of being called by the gospel are saved. Let's see if God could create Adam holy without means and if he can. now create believers in righteousness and true holiness by the use of means, which a large part of men use without profit, he can certainly make infants and others regenerate without means. So God doesn't have to be bound to the means that he normally works by. Indeed, the natural depravity of infants lies before moral action in the judicial deprivation of the Holy Ghost. The evil is rectified at that stage, therefore, by the gracious restoration of the soul to its moral relationship to the spirit of God. So think about a baby born of flesh of Adam is not the bearer of the temple. The Holy Spirit doesn't reside as man was created for the Holy Spirit to reside in as Adam was created and was lost at the fall. So there has to be salvation. The phrase, elect infants is precise and fit for its purpose, is not intended to suggest that there are any infants not elect, but simply to point out the facts. One, that all infants are born under righteous condemnation, and two, that no infant has any claim in itself to salvation. And hence, three, the salvation of each infant precisely as the salvation of every adult must have its absolute ground in the sovereign election of God. This would be just as true if all adults were elected as it is now only some adults are elected. It is therefore just as true, let me decode if I want to read. Basically, the sovereign election, he says, it is not positively revealed that all infants are elect, but we are left, for many reasons, to indulge a highly probable hope, such is the fact. So, Hodge says, not explicitly stated, but we are given to indulge a highly probable hope. The confession affirms what is certainly revealed and leaves that which revelation has not cited to remain without the suggestion of a positive opinion upon either side or the other. So it probably, what he's saying is it would have been improper for the confession to actually explicitly say, yes, the Bible teaches that all infants are elect, and we have to be careful with those kind of bold statements, but we are given a high probability of hope. Lorraine Bettner. claims that most Calvinist theologians have held that those who die in infancy are saved. The scriptures seem to teach plainly enough that the children of believers are saved, but they are silent or practically so in regard to those of heathens. It says the Westminster does not pass judgment. But then he goes on to say that we should have a charitable hope that since these infants have never committed any actual sin themselves, their inherited sin would be pardoned, and they would be saved on holy evangelical principles." Spurgeon, I read his whole sermon. If you guys get a chance, read his sermon on this topic. He said, and by the way, the reason I'm going into quote diving here is because I don't want to just be taped claiming that there's a high probability of hope. This is one of those ones where I'd rather bolster the sermon with some other men, because if I was just to get up here and say, make these claims, it would be easily, it could be laughable, but you know, I'm not the first. This is a long train. So Spurgeon says, as for modern Calvinists, I know of no exception, but we all hope and believe that all persons dying in infancy are elect. Dr. Gill, who has been looked upon in late times as being a very standard of Calvinism, not to say of ultra-Calvinism, himself never hints for a moment the supposition that any infant has perished, but affirms of it that it is a dark and mysterious subject, but that it is his belief, and he thinks he has scripture to warrant it, that they who have fallen asleep in infancy have not perished, but have been numbered with the chosen of God, and so have entered into eternal rest. So I could go on on that. There's some claims Calvin either way, but really Calvin never denies, comes out against. So four, to summarize so far, all men, including children, including babies in the womb are in need of salvation. Some, number two, some infants clearly receive the salvation in the womb, so we saw examples of that without the preaching of the word. Number three, God is just and good and seems to bring eternal condemnation against those who willfully sin with knowledge, with perception, with intellectual faculties able to perceive, so it is likely that he extends mercy to infants. And the last point here is just a critique of some of the other views. Basically, you have three views, ecclesiastical, gracious, and humanitarian. The ecclesiastical would be the Roman Catholic or, to some degree, the Lutheran or Anglican view, and that is they emphasize that baptism itself saves so much that because infants in the womb have not been baptized, they actually believe there's a saving power in baptism, that because they have not been baptized, Historically the Roman Catholic Church at most points has taught that all babies go to hell or at least some level of hell Some have advocated some type of purgatory eternal purgatory for them But Roman Catholics because they believe they haven't reached an age where they could be baptized were damned and so that's just a Anyways such an emphasis on the actual sacrament of baptism that that's actually what saves the Lutherans a little bit less. So they've kind of they have some of their theologians have kind of watered that down. Luther gave a little bit of a little bit of hope that God could potentially see the intent of the parents to baptize their children. But there hasn't been a lot of hope in Lutheran circles for for children of unbelievers. And the Anglicans that followed more of the Roman Catholic-y, high church type tradition, because they had also an emphasis on baptism saving and union with the church as being essential through baptism, dismissed the salvation of infants at many points. The gracious view would be the one I've explained, and that is that God graciously saves infants because they have not reached that age of actually actively sinning with their mental faculty is engaged. The third is the humanitarian view, and that is the Arminian view, and that is that man chooses, and strict Arminians would say that babies can't be saved because they haven't reached an age where they can actually choose. Some are Pelagian who say that they would be somehow saved by natural goodness. So again, just to go over, all men, including babies, infants in the womb, need Christ to be saved, need grace, need to be saved by grace through what Christ did on the cross. Number two, some infants clearly receive the salvation. So we have examples. We know that the children can be saved in the womb apart from the preaching of the word and the normal means. Third, God is just and good and seems to bring eternal condemnation only to those who are willful in their sin. And four, we just went through a very short critique, which would take much more time to flesh out. So what are the uses? What's the practical? How can we grow from this? Obviously, I feel after having given these two sermons and having done the work behind the sermons, that I could preach at the funeral of a child, give consolation to parents in a way that I could not before. So obviously it's just very practical in those tough situations. What we see and what these men pointed to was the goodness of God, that God is not hard-hearted, stingy with mercy, ready to trip people up and throw them into hell, but God is good. He provides witness. He provides witness of the gospel, the witness of nature. and we lean towards the goodness of God, so we need to embrace the goodness. Whatever we come to, we embrace the goodness of God. It's justice, that His justice is good and holy, and He uses equal – we may not understand it, but He uses equal weights and measures in justice, and whether we can comprehend that or not, we can trust that God is good and He's not unjust, and that He doesn't fly off the handle like we as humans do at the slightest imperfection, but that he deals with everything according to its measure and even provides mercy to overcome. Psalm 119, 68, thou art good and doest good. That's what, fundamentally, when you think of God, think of thou art good and doest good. God is good and does good. The second use of this teaching is that we should use means. You and I, if you're listening, if you understand me talking right now, you have the ability to understand the word, and you need to take advantage, avail yourself of the word. We need to, when we sin, we need to confess our sin. He's faithful and just to forgive us of our sin. We need to repent of our sin. If you don't know Christ, turn to Christ. You're hearing the word being preached right now. You're hearing the gospel that Jesus Christ died for sinners to save sinners from hell and damnation and what they deserve. He didn't have to, by God's graciousness and good mercy, he sent his son, who died on the cross, paid the penalty, and now that free gift is available to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. So if you don't know him, turn to him, and all of us who do know him, use the word as our food, as our bread, as our life. Pray, talk to God, meditate on his word. Spend time with other believers. Attend church and hear the preaching of the word. partake in the Lord's table. All these things are means. And if you have the brain, if you have the mental power to understand them, don't be like the Pharisees who asked, well, are we blind? And he says, no, you're not blind. You know what you're doing. And you're rushing headlong in to sin and damnation. and embrace this biblical principle, to whom much is given, much is required. It says in Luke 12, 48, everyone to whom much was given of him, much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. And the more we grow in our knowledge of scripture, the more that is required of us, the more we've been blessed by examples and parents that were in the faith, the more is required of us. There's a flip side to that too. When we see new Christians or Christians who haven't had that advantage realize that God is very merciful with them. And sometimes we nitpick them when we shouldn't. God extends mercy because he knows that they haven't been given as much as this other person. So of course, they're not gonna be as far along as the other person. So let's all, all of us who have the ability, let's turn with our minds to Christ through his word. Let's pray. Lord, we just thank you for the encouragement of your word. Thank you that you teach us that you are good, and that you are loving, and that you're mercy, you're merciful, that you love little, we don't have to guess, do you love little children? You've told us that you love little children, and that of such is the kingdom of heaven. And so just thank you for your love for our children and for children. Help us all to that do know and can know, guide us to walk in, to turn to your son rather than away, to turn to grace rather than towards condemnation and towards Satan. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.