So, what is the Biblical alternative? Covenant. The structure of God’s covenant institutions, including the family, has not changed with the coming of Christ. Covenant headship is a reality. Just as children in the the Old Covenant could be consigned to the assembly (church) by the confession of their covenant head, a child today can be consigned to the body of Christ. Does this denote an elect status of the child? Absolutely not. Will a child’s faith or lack of it be demonstrated over time. Most certainly. As such, the boundary of the covenant community in time and space becomes ethical. We take this structure for granted in our family. Does my child have to intellectually grasp what it means to be a Crawford? No. Yet they bear my name regardless. One day they may choose to change their name, but in the meantime, I am going to relate to them as my own and as a member of my household community. We also take this structure for granted in the civil realm. Does an alien who wants citizenship in this country have to profess allegiance publically under oath? Yes. If that new citizen subsequently bears a son or daughter, do they have to become intellectually capable of taking an oath for themselves before they will be considered a citizen? Of course not. They enjoy all of the benefits of citizenship unless at some point they opt for renunciation. The same is true with our earthly citizenship in the church. We must leave the heavenly citizenship to the eyes of the only one who can see it. covenantaldivide/covenant-objectivity-a-response-to-bill-kynes-and-any-small-b-baptist/
Posted on: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 04:14:20 +0000
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