Re: Jeff McGuire (6 Mar 2008) "Steve Berryman - 144,000 question"

 

http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/mar2008/jeffm36.htm

 

In particular the statement:

 

Secondly, how will all of the children be raptured if the
Rapture is limited to only 144,000?

 

With all the children in the world, obviously we are way over 144,000.  So none of us adult Christians stand a chance at going in the Rapture?  All the spots will have already been taken up by CHILDREN?

 

So we have all the dead in Christ going first and then all the Children participating in the Rapture?  That leaves all of us that have been WATCHING for the Rapture out of luck?

 

Okay - I JUST DON'T BUY IT.  I don't buy into all the Children being raptured, or even saved for that matter.  I've heard people argue how children who have died because of infanticide and aborticide are so much better off because they have an automatic ticket to Heaven.  Otherwise it would have been very doubtful, especially being unloved and unwanted, brought up under bad influences, almost decidedly to non-Christians, whether they would make it to Heaven.  So the more aborticides and infanticides, the better.  All these murderers and accomplices to murder were doing all these children a favor.

 

But what about original sin?  What about the sin nature being passed down through the male to all children from Adam, since all are sons of Adam, till now?  What does Scripture say?

 

Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.  Psalms 7:14

 

So original sin is true.  The ONLY hope for a sinful child, as we all are sinful, even from conception, is if one of their parents are saved.

 

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.  I Corinthians 7:14

 

Notice the word "sanctified".  The unbeliever is NOT SAVED because they are married to a Believer.  They are ONLY sanctified, which means "made pure".  Otherwise their offspring could not be holy.  Note that the 2nd verse following the one above verse clarifies that santification is different than salvation.

 

For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?  I Corinthians 7:16

 

People normally think of circumcision and water baptism when thinking of sanctification.  Remember, both male circumcision and water baptism are sanctification or purification rituals.  No matter what your stand is on these rituals, one or both have been practiced on infants and children inside Catholic and Protestant churches, Jewish synagogues, Muslim Mosques, and other religions going back actually before Abraham.  Achilles mother water baptized all but the foot of Achilles, i.e. Achilles heel.

 

R.C. Sproul makes a good case that just as male circumcision was done before the infant has the chance to decide for himself or become a follower of Yeshua, and is legitimate in the Bible, so is infant baptism.  I realize this was anathama to the anabaptists or re-baptizers who have since dropped the "ana" and became the Baptist denominations.  And many non-Baptists churches now also re-baptize.  But the fact remains that the Church for as far back as we can tell, has practiced Infant Baptism.  I personally did not have any strong desire to become rebaptized when I became saved after my 9th grade year of school.  But I had an unquenchable desire to be water baptized as soon as possible after I had received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit when I was a Sophomore in College.  I can't explain it but I know what happened to me.

 

But back to the original question.  Note that in the following verse:

 

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.  I Corinthians 7:14

 

Only children of at least one believing parent can be considered holy, not ALL children.  And note they are called holy, even though we know they sin, just as we sin.  But then as Christians we are considered holy before God.  We go, "You know that sin you forgave me for?", and God goes, "What sin?". 

 

For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.  Romans 11:16

 

But by the grace of God, through faith, our dirty sins are covered by the blood of Jesus, and our roots are made holy, then so are our branches, our children.  As long as our children are not broken off from our branches, or break themselves off, they are holy.  How can they be broken off?  Scripture tells us how.

 

Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:  Romans 11:20

 

So may I close with the following verse.

 

 

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  Phillipians 2:12

 

 

Shalom,

Ted Porter