Regeneration

[Beetow]

.
● Titus 3:5 . . According to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration,
and renewing of the Holy Ghost

Regeneration is a mandatory requirement; no exceptions.

● John 3:3 . . Jesus declared: I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of
God unless he is born again.

● John 3:5 . . Jesus answered: I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of
God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

Whether innocent or guilty makes no difference. The reason that underage children
are not exempt from the regeneration that Jesus spoke of is because all people--
regardless of age, race, or gender --are unacceptable in their natural condition.

● John 3:6-8 . . Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You
should not be surprised at my saying you must be born again.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a proficient rabbi. He should've been able to easily
appreciate why people in their natural condition are not allowed to either see or
enter the kingdom of God.

● John 3:10 . . Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not understand these things?

The thing is: underage children don't stay underage. They eventually mature into
adolescents, teen-agers, and adults. Well; if allowed to remain in their natural
condition, those underage children will eventually begin to exhibit the so-called
fallen nature which we know from Rom 8:5-8 makes people not want to cooperate
with God.
_

 

[st_worm2]

Hello Beetow, infants, toddlers and/or preborn children neither know nor can they understand the law, even the very basic law that God writes on all of our hearts from birth. Many grow up (as you mentioned above), but some do not because they die.

What fate do you believe awaits the ones who die (as underage children) and why do you believe that?

Thanks

God bless you!!

--David

 

[st_worm2]

Regeneration

Defibrillators are not self-operated. Neither can the spiritually dead make themselves alive to Christ. Today, Barry Cooper helps us consider our need for someone else to apply the paddles to cause our spiritual hearts to beat.

learn.ligonier.org

Along with the above perspective on regeneration (from Simply Put) to consider, here are a couple more passages to consider as well.

Ezekiel 36​

25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ​

27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. ​

​

Ephesians 2​

1 You were dead in your trespasses and sins, ​

2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. ​

3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. ​

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ​

5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).​

--David

2 Corinthians 5​

17 If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ​

.

 

[Beetow]

What fate do you believe awaits the ones who die (as underage children) and why do you believe that?

I have no beliefs in that regard, only a hunch. I suspect that folks who pass away
as underage children are taken to a sort of afterlife nursery. If so, then it won't
surprise me if some of us get recruited for child care in the afterlife.
_

 

[st_worm2]

I have no beliefs in that regard, only a hunch. I suspect that folks who pass away
as underage children are taken to a sort of afterlife nursery. If so, then it won't
surprise me if some of us get recruited for child care in the afterlife.
_

That's an interesting thought, one that I've never heard before. Thanks!

It's clear that the Lord keeps some things from us in this life, in whole or in part (Deuteronomy 29:29), so I suppose that this will continue to be a mystery to us (on this side of the grave).

God bless you!!

--David
p.s. - the Lord's judgment of those who die outside of Christ will not be based upon their fallen nature according to the Bible .. e.g. Romans 2:12-16, but on what they personally knew and understood of the law, as well what they did with that knowledge and understanding during their lives here. Since infants possess neither knowledge nor understanding of the law (even of the basic law that God wrote on their hearts), I believe that they will not be judged by Him (since there seems to be no basis by which they can be judged).

Romans 2​

12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. ​

13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. ​

14 Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, ​

15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.​

16 This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.​