The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Are those who die young always part of the elect?

So, if I understand your reasoning here, it would be "unfair" on God's part to condemn a foetus to hell because there was no "chance" to hear the gospel and if there had been, this person might have made a decision for Christ and been saved? Along the same line of thinking, are you saying that if a person hasn't had the time to understand, then it would be "unfair" on God's part to send them to hell?

Of course, you probably knew I was going to have to question these things, eh? Where in the Scripture does it say that everyone/anyone is owed an "opportunity" to hear the gospel and make a decision to believe on Christ? If this were true, then it must also be true that all who have never heard the gospel are saved? or perhaps Billy Graham is right and there will be a "second chance" after death for such as have not heard the gospel in this life? Same could be posited for the "understanding" qualification as well.

But what I read in Scripture is that ALL are conceived in sin, ALL are born spiritually dead, ALL have the guilt of Adam's transgression imputed to them, ALL our under the wrath of God and condemnation, ALL are void of any goodness, etc. And I also read that unless God in His mercy regenerates a person, there is no hope for them nor any justification to believe that they can or will be saved. So again, I ask you, what is there in an infant that would negate the corruption of nature, guilt and sentence of condemnation that would commend them to God? Can you point to even one single verse that would perhaps even hint that all infants are elect?

And how would one "see evidence"? Have anyone seen evidence that anyone has gone to heaven? If an infant is elect, then no evidence is needed to say that they have gone to heaven, is there? Isn't God's infallible Word evidence enough? God's promise of salvation isn't restricted to one group of the elect and not another. Elect is elect . . .!

I think you have me confused with someone else? I have never said anything like that, i.e., "mysteriously, an 'elect' infant goes to heaven". I certainly believe that elect infants go to heaven by virtue of not only their election but that their sins have been atoned for by Christ and that they are "mysteriously" united to Him by faith. As to the second part of your statement, I would refer you back to the paragraph above concerning the state of ALL of the human race at conception. What we can say is ALL are by nature "children of wrath". We can also say that a "remnant" of mankind is saved by grace. And we can say that the elect are those who believe upon Christ. Anything more is basicly wishful thinking; a hope that infants are included. And even this hope must be undeniably restricted to the infants of believers. Should God save any others, it is by grace. But whether He does has not been revealed in Scripture.