As a father, it is a dark nightmare to even write these words: My daughter is dying.
There is nothing that can be done for her by doctors, her parents, or any other person to prevent her death. I cannot express the pain that is in my heart and mind at this moment. One of the issues that rises in your heart when it is your child that is dying is, "How do I know that my child will have eternal life?" Most of you just read that sentence and thought, "Why would you think about that? Everyone knows that babies go to heaven." When you have never faced the death of your own child it is easy to just blindly accept that others teach that babies are covered by a special grace until an age of accountability, but trust me when it is your child that is dying, other people's teaching and belief is not enough to bring you comfort and peace. I believe that Sophie, and other children who die, are saved and given eternal life. Why do I believe that? I base what I believe not on the fact that Sophie is innocent of sin, because she is born in sin. I do not base my conviction on an age of accountability, because the Scripture does not teach any such age. Why then do I believe that my daughter will live and reign with Christ forever? I believe that Sophie will be saved by God through the sacrifice of Christ applied to her life by faith alone. The simple way to say it is that she will be saved the same way I am saved. My belief is based on the passages that speak about this subject (Psalm 139, II Samuel 12:15-23, Jeremiah 31:15-20, and Matthew 18:1-14). God is merciful, gracious, sovereign, and just. My conviction about Sophie's salvation comes from my understanding of God's character. I hope in him and him alone! One day I will see my little one again. When I see her she will be praising her savior Jesus Christ. I think of it this way. When I get to heaven if I ask her, "Sophie, how were you saved?" She will say something like this, "Dad, I was not saved because I was a baby when I died. God saved me because he chose to be gracious to me and merciful. God saved me through the blood sacrifice of his Son Jesus Christ. God saved me through giving me faith in Christ as my savior. And Dad, the best part is.. he saved me forever! I am His child and all of the kingdom is my inheritance because of who Jesus is for me. Jesus is the treasure that we all praise for now and through eternity!!!" Those thoughts bring me great joy because they are rooted in God and his character, not tradition or other's opinion. I know this has been a brief explanation without alot of Scripture references, but if you would like me to send you some more detailed explanation please post a comment and ask me for a more in depth answer. I want you to be comforted by God, Christ, and the Word. Sophie is my daughter and I love her deeply. My heart will hope in Christ who is the captain of our salvation!
Treasuring Christ for Eternity,
Carlton
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2 comments:
Carlton, my brother,
Someone, somewhere wrote that if we begin with human depravity, we will find none of our little ones in heaven with God. If we begin with human sin, and guilt, and the curse of Adam, and the punishment which should fall on our race, then we will expect to find heaven empty...
... but our faith begins and ends with the goodness and mercy of God. We trust in the compassion of Christ. We trust in the greatness of His wisdom and the comfort of the spirit.
Therefore, we should expect to find heaven filled with this display of his mercy. One day we will meet our girls (our little Hope went before us to meet Him in 1998) and we will rejoice in the greatness of His goodness.
May God richly bless you and hold you close in this time.
Keith
That is beautiful!
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