06/10/21 A CLOSER LOOK

06/10/21 A CLOSER LOOK

I made reference to my conversion at 3 and my Childhood Walk (with the Lord). Let me explain.

This is a quick look at God's atoning work in infants. I do not try to address every issue and I do not try to answer every possible question. This is just an introduction to a very important Biblical truth that is seldom presented.

THE INHERENT CARNAL MIND AND ATONEMENT
First, we are all the children of (descendants) of Adam.
Adam was created without sin, in the image of God.
Adam was holy, since he was without sin and he was in a right relationship with God.
He was innocent, having been created as a full grown man, and yet untainted by sin, from the time of his creation until his disobedience when he ate from the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Adam was created without the threat of sickness or death, unless he should choose to disobey God, which he did.

However, Adam sinned against God and therefore he was no longer immortal, innocent or holy or in the image of God.
This changed the nature of man, the relationship of man with God, the desire of man, the life of man.
Adam's sin corrupted his nature and passed on his pollution to his descendants.

We know that sinful nature is passed from Adam because God made Adam the head of the human family and all of Adam's children have inherited a corrupted, polluted, sinful nature along with death from their original human father.
(But remember, Jesus is not a child of Adam).

Here is a passage that addresses this truth (with dlg... inserted comments in Parenthesis and all CAPS).

Romans 5:12-21
12 Wherefore, as by one man (dlg... ADAM) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (dlg... SINFUL ACTION IS THE PRODUCT OF THEIR SINFUL NATURE):
13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. (dlg... THIS CAUSED ME TO WONDER, IF PRE-BORN AND INFANTS ARE, OR EVEN CAN BE, SUBJECT TO LAW?)
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude (dlg... IN THE SAME WAY) of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one (dlg... ADAM) many (dlg... ALL OF HIS DESCENDANTS) be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification (dlg... IN OTHER WORDS, ONE SIN POLLUTED ALL HUMANITY, BUT THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST COVERS ALL THE SINS OF THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE).
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one (dlg... JESUS CHRIST) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. (dlg... REMEMBER, THE BIBLE SAYS THAT JESUS IS THE SAVIOR OF ALL MEN, WHICH IS THE REASON NO PRE-BORN OR INFANT GOES TO HELL WHEN THEY DIE)
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (dlg... THROUGH THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST).
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: (dlg... GOD'S GRACE IS GREATER THAN ADAM'S SIN).
21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
Another passage...
1 Corinthians 15:21-22
21 For since by man came (dlg... ADAM) death, by man (dlg... JESUS) came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

CHRIST INFLUENCE ON CHILDREN
Christ was not a child of Adam, since He was the Son of God and His body was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
His virgin birth is essential to His sinlessness and His ability to become the sin sacrifice that "takes away the sin of the world."

Because of Adam's sin, all humans are born with sin as part of their nature. This eventuates in sinful actions.
However, Jesus died for all men, everyone and
"The Lord...is not willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance," and
God wants, (desires, would have) "... ALL men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth" and
"He is the propitiation (sacrifice) for our sins and not for ours only, but for the sins of the WHOLE world" and
"God so loved THE WORLD, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" and
"Jesus gave Himself a ransom for ALL."
This desire of God, this provision of God is demonstrated in God's atonement that covers everyone, from the time they are conceived until God counts them as personally responsible for their actions, at which time He calls them to repentance. At that point all men answer to God for their own sins.

Where sin did abound, grace did much more abound. This does no mean or even imply that God forces anyone to be saved or that God refuses to save anyone. Salvation is His free gift but it is our choice.

No child is responsible for being born with a sinful nature and therefore no child is guilty of sin. However, the Adamic nature, polluted nature, corrupt nature, sinful nature of every child of Adam disqualifies them from entering into the presence of God.
This is why Jesus made atonement for all men. Every pre-born is covered by the blood of Jesus and will be welcomed into God's presence if they die in the womb or as an infant.

THE CHILDHOOD WALK
Also, God imparts spiritual, moral precepts to young children and instructs them in righteousness.
Contrary to the idea that men are totally without any good at all, from their birth, God instills moral and spiritual qualities within us, at least from the time of our birth.
There is Divine awareness and even awakening to positive, even good and evil.
Children are not only born with their evil predisposition from Adam covered by the atonement, they are instructed and given an understanding of, and a desire to do good. This is why children are loving, kind, tender, sensitive, generous.
Yes, children are also unloving, unkind, harsh, hard, selfish.
This is because children have inherited Adam's sinful nature and they are recipients of God's atoning grace.
Just as babies have done nothing to deserve the corruption of Adam, they have done nothing to deserve the mercy and grace of God, yet they are covered.
Infants are a mixed bag of good and evil.
This is what makes toddlers and children responsive to the gospel.
This is why it is easier to win children and youth to Christ than it is when they get older.
It is the atonement that covers their sinful nature (though they retain their sinful nature) and the atonement imparts understanding, knowledge, guidance, enablement to do the right and resist the evil.
Yes, children will come short of perfection but since they have not come to the age of accountability before God, they are not personally accountable for their sinful nature and unrighteous behavior.
Even when a very young child believes on Christ and is saved, they are not held to the same standards as a more mature person.
This is what I refer to as a Childhood Walk. Since they have been born again, they view life as a believer and the follow Christ by faith, but it is not a fully developed understanding.
There is the capacity for great love and obedient faith in children, but because their understanding is limited (because of experience and intellectual development) God is helping them, but also covering their moral failures

REPENTANCE AND TOTAL SURRENDER ESSENTIAL
Little children who have received Christ eventually mature and become personally responsible for their actions.
This is when their Childhood Walk becomes a Walk of Faith.
This is also when they become aware that they are Double Minded. Though they want to follow Jesus and the want to do that which is right, they discover that another desire, and innate evil disposition lurks deep within them.
They may continue to walk with Christ, but the have a Double Minded Walk.
This Double Mindedness does not keep them from obeying God, but it causes an inner struggle that often leads to disobedience.God will deliver believers from this inherent evil, sinful nature, if and when they surrender all.

The Bible speaks of these two works of Divine saving grace as forgiveness of sin and purity of heart.
Titus 2:14
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.