Are infants of Calvinist's saved?

Hammster · Aug 9, 2008

Those are your views. But what does Calvinism teach? I would guess that if one holds to a particular theology, then they would know what it says. So can you tell me if a child, whose parents are saved, will be saved whether or not they die in infancy? What is the Calvinist position?

larryjf · Aug 9, 2008

Hammster said:
Those are your views. But what does Calvinism teach? I would guess that if one holds to a particular theology, then they would know what it says. So can you tell me if a child, whose parents are saved, will be saved whether or not they die in infancy? What is the Calvinist position?

Calvinists, also called Augustinians, are not as monolithic as you would make out. There is difference of opinion on this question among Calvinists.

If you are wanting to know what Calvin believed, that's a different question as Calvinists don't agree with everything that Calvin taught...it's just a name that they were given because they adhere to the overall doctrine that he teaches, not to every point.

Hammster · Aug 9, 2008

Maybe this is deserving of another thread, then, but how do you you decide which doctrines of Calvin to believe and which ones to ignore?

larryjf · Aug 9, 2008

Hammster said:
Maybe this is deserving of another thread, then, but how do you you decide which doctrines of Calvin to believe and which ones to ignore?

Calvinism is often defined as a system of doctrine best summed up in the following...

T.U.L.I.P.
T = Total Depravity
U = Unconditional Election
L = Limited Atonement (I prefer the term particular atonement)
I = Irresistible Grace
P = Perseverance of the Saints

Hammster · Aug 9, 2008

That didn't really answer the question about which doctrines you choose to believe.

edie19 · Aug 9, 2008

Hammster said:
Maybe this is deserving of another thread, then, but how do you you decide which doctrines of Calvin to believe and which ones to ignore?

how do you decide which Baptist tenets/doctrines to believe and which to ignore? I doubt you agree with them all 100% After all, once upon a time most, if not all, Baptists were reformed.

larryjf · Aug 9, 2008

Hammster said:
That didn't really answer the question about which doctrines you choose to believe.

If the question is which doctrines one has to believe to be consider a Calvinist then i did answer it...it's the T.U.L.I.P.

Personally, i am a bit more well defined in my theology than the basic "Calvinism" label. I consider myself Reformed Presbyterian, and i adhere to the Westminster Standards.

Iosias · Aug 10, 2008

Hammster said:
That didn't really answer the question about which doctrines you choose to believe.

I am sure we would all agree with Calvin in so far as what he said was biblical.

Hammster · Aug 10, 2008

So what did Calvin say that was unbiblical?

ReformedChapin · Aug 14, 2008

Hammster said:
So what did Calvin say that was unbiblical?

I haven't found anything yet. Although some of our reformed baptists friends would say that they don't agree with paedobaptism.

archshrk · Aug 20, 2008

This is a complicated topic since the concept of Total Depravity suggests that since infants are born in sin and thus deserving of God's wrath, they are not saved (at least be default). But the concept of Unconditional Election suggests they are "eligible" (for lack of a better term) to be saved by God's grace, just like you, and me, and Jeffrey Dahmer.

But the question was, Are infants of Calvinist's saved? which I would answer, no more than anyone else. Salvation is by grace alone and always will be, regardless of your parents' status or beliefs. Here's an article that discusses Calvinist views on Infant Salvation in greater detail. (read through the page breaks)

ccel.org/ccel/boettner/predest.iv.iii.xi.html

archshrk · Aug 20, 2008

Here's a better version of the above article...
ccel.org/ccel/boettner/predest.iv.iii.xi.html
(already edited the previous post)

BBAS 64 · Aug 22, 2008

Hammster said:
This kinda spun off of my infant baptism thread. Some things I read seem to indicate that the infants of the saved are saved. This is to give comfort to parents whose children die in infancy. What say you?

Good Day, Hammster

One's salvation has nothing to do with the parent being or not being a Calvinist, but has every thing to do with the Grace of God.

In Him,

Bill

*Jubilee* · Nov 15, 2008

Hammster said:
This kinda spun off of my infant baptism thread. Some things I read seem to indicate that the infants of the saved are saved. This is to give comfort to parents whose children die in infancy. What say you?

No infant is automatically saved. Each person must individually choose to believe in Jesus Christ and his death on the cross in his/her place. Then God will give them the gift of salvation.

timbo81 · Dec 16, 2008

interesting question.

if I had a child that died I would just have to trust in the perfect justice of God as to their ultimate fate

I'm sure there have been many many christian parents out there throughout history who's children have not been saved. So what age they died at wouldn't have made the thought any easier. If your child lived to 100 and still died unsaved would it of mattered if he'd died as a baby and still gone to the same place.

Even a man like David, favoured by God, had some pretty rebellious and no doubt unsaved children.

Are infants of Calvinist's saved?

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