Monday
Jul232012
Basics of the Reformed Faith -- Baptism
Monday, July 23, 2012 at 02:47PM 
The next installment of my series on basic doctrine has been posted on the Westminster Seminary California blog.
Here's the link: Click Here
Monday, July 23, 2012 at 02:47PM
Reader Comments (27)
Thanks for your quick response. I have more questions, though. For now I'll stick to just one: What about the historic Adam? Surely he is the first human??? Surely framework propositions do not claim any other unknown races of humans or anything before Adam, right? No cave men, monkey-men, or other strange ideas? I'm just reacting here, but I thought I might as well ask.
Thanks again,
Chris Jager
Tillamook, OR
The neat thing about Framework is that it just sticks with the biblical text. The Bible teaches the creation of Adam as the first man and that all races of humans come from him (Romans 5).
The creation account cannot be a chronology for the reasons that I mention above. Framework solves the problem by using parallel days as follows:
Day 1: Light, Day 4: Luminaries.
Day 2: Skies and Seas, Day 5: Sea Creatures and Winged Creatures.
Day 3: Dry Land and Vegetation, Day 6: Land Animals and Man.
Days 1-3 are days of forming and days 4-6 are days of filling. Days 1-3 are created kingdoms and days 4-6 are are creature kings which have dominion over the created kingdoms.
Blessings,
"Claiming God’s covenant promise by faith, we believe with all our hearts that the baptized adult or child of a believer is indeed regenerate and has been washed in the blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins."
Tim
Maybe the statement which Tim quoted above is a reference to an inclusion of our children in the "visible church," where all are regarded as regenerate and believed to be "with all of our hearts" saved individuals, but where the reality is only the "invisible church," or those who have a true saving, persevering, and elect faith, will enter into everlasting life.
With the sign we regard our children as holy -- saved and redeemed as opposed to unclean and dead in sins -- and believe with all of our hearts that they are. We begin with this holy notion, rather than the unholy one. However, also knowing that the sign is not what saves, we hope and pray for their endurance of true faith...beginning, again, with the assumtion that they already have it. Just as we would pray for our endurance of faith, or another brothers.
Thus, covenant theology demonstrates a very inclusive and nurturing dynamic, including our children in the real and saved church family, rather than separating them from it UNTIL they make the decisive choice--at which point we can take a sign of relief. No, our worldview should be that our children are sealed and saved and part of the glorious family from the get-go...not that they are hanging in the balance, but that they are being discipled and brought up into the family right along with us.
If a child asks if they are saved, we don't have to ask, "Well, do you believe?" because we can simply refer back to their prayers that they have already spoken to God in true and child-like faith. It should feel almost as if they have never even made a decision, but just like they have always believed.
Hope this helps :)
Chris Jager,
Tillamook, OR
Chris Jager
Couldn't a chronology be argued in that God made and established the created kingdoms first on days 1-3, then filled these kindoms with their corresponding creature kings next on days 4-6, using the same pattern for each sequence (first: light, second: sea/sky, third: land/produce) ? So the first three days would be in order to prepare for the last three days. The first three days pertain to necessary sources and/or foundations, while the last three pertain to the things or objects which belong to those primary sources. Maybe in the first sequence He establishes the foundations, while in the last three He establishes the governance of those basic elements (light governed by luminaries, sky/sea by birds/swimmers, and land by Animals -- man being the last and only one to be created in the image of God).
Hopefully you follow what I'm saying...I'm pretty tired and headed off to bed now!
Chris Jager,
Tillamook, OR