Recovering a Reformed Paradigm

In a previous post, From Infancy Onward, my hope was to point toward a different paradigm of how children within the church should be treated. Our children must be taught about the promises of God that belong to them. We must exhort them to believe and follow their gracious God in faith, for all of their lives. Sadly, in most evangelical churches, the children of believers are treated no differently than the children of unbelievers. Instead of trusting that God is at work in our children, we assume that they are in the same position as pagan children. We expect for them to go through some type of gut-wrenching conversion experience before we believe that they can really know the Lord. Yet, we must take into account the words of Peter where he proclaims, "For the promise is for you and for your children" (Acts 2:39). And do not let us forget the Apostle Paul's words in which he says that the children of believers "are holy"(1 Corinthians 7:14).

Of course, I wholeheartedly affirm that all of mankind is sinful and in need of the work of the Spirit. I am certainly a black-coffee Calvinist. "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). But I also want to take into account the full scope of the Word.

Apparently, I am not alone in my thoughts. A couple of weeks ago I came across this lengthy quote from John. W. Nevin in this post called, On the Bench and Catechism. Check it out.