5. Conclusion: Children of God's people are God's people
By Gerry Straker, 25 May 2022
In these five articles we are looking at what the Bible says about the children of God’s people:
- The Status of the Children of God’s People
- Children of God’s People in the Promises of God
- Children of God’s People Join God’s People
- Children of God’s People Live as God’s People
- Conclusion: Children of God’s People are God’s People
We have been building a picture to show that in both the Old Testament and New Testament, children of believers are welcomed in by God as his people.
CONCLUSION: CHILDREN OF GOD’S PEOPLE ARE GOD’S PEOPLE
In our first article we saw the status of children in God’s people. In the second article we considered the promises that God makes about children. In the third article we considered children joining God’s people. In the fourth article we looked at how children live as God’s people, as they gather, worship and are taught.
Drawing things together, the overwhelming evidence is that children of believers are included as part of God’s people. As we summarise regularly at Church by the Bay:
- Children of believers are in God’s Promises (Psalm 103: Luke 1:50);
- Children of believers are in God’s Covenant (Deuteronomy 30:6; Jeremiah 32:38-39);
- Children of believers are in God’s Kingdom (Matthew 19:14).
So, naturally:
- Children of believers are in God’s Church (Ephesians 1:1; 6:1; 1 Corinthians 7:14).
The above references are just a handful of the verses we have considered. The weight of the Bible points to considering children ‘in’ unless and until they opt out, rather than children being ‘out’ unless and until they opt in. This has been the standard view of many Christians and churches in history. The Westminster Confession says: ‘ all those throughout the world that profess the true religion, together with their children.’[1]
At Church by the Bay, children of believers, amongst other things pray, sing and take communion. And if tragedy were to happen, there is great comfort to know they are saved because of God’s grace and promises to his people.
This does not mean that the children of believers are automatically elect. Proud assumptions of status proved to be the downfall of some of the Jews, not least many of the Pharisees, in Jesus’ day. John the Baptist had strong words for those who thought they were sons of Abraham purely by their birth! (Luke 3:7-9).
Salvation and blessings for families is all God’s mercy, and His promises are received by faith in the parents, and the growing faith in the children as they themselves grow. We have faith in the promises, and then we do the parental and Church work! Work without faith in God leads to hell. On the other hand, faith without works is dead (James 2:17) - the promises cannot be assumed. It has always been about faith: taking hold of the promise by trusting in the Promise-Maker and not relying on any inherent special status (e.g. Deuteronomy 7:7-11). Just as a Jewish child had advantages (Romans 3:1-8), so the Christian child has advantages, but they are only advantages if God’s Word of promise is received by faith – just as Jewish children needed to trust God’s promises.
Children of the new covenant are not worse off than Jewish children were. Fathers are not to decide whether their children (or which child) is elect or not. They are to bring up their children in the education of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4), trusting God’s promise. Both the parents and the children are required to believe God’s promises.
This weight of evidence points to the welcome that the Father gives to the children of his children. Throughout the Bible children are ‘in’ unless and until they, through unbelief, remove themselves. As Shedd helpfully puts it: ‘The question that confronts them at the period of discretion is not ‘will you join the visible church’ but ‘will you go out of it?’[2] This also means that a dramatic conversion or a clear-cut moment of decision time are not the norm for children of believers: rather they are brought up in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).
Children of believers are included in the covenant promises of God. Either we will treat them as part of the family or we will treat them as outsiders, and the weight of the Bible leads us to treat children as part of the family.
If children are God’s people, in the promises, in the Covenant, if they join God’s people in their household, if they are to live as God’s people, and if they enjoy all the blessings of being God’s people, then it naturally follows that they should hear God’s Word on the Lord’s Day together with all God’s people. This is what we have been doing at Church by the Bay post-Covid as we have sought to make the most of the opportunities God gave us to rethink Church for children.[3]
[1] The Westminster Confession, XXV:II, http://files1.wts.edu/uploads/pdf/about/WCF_30.pdf
[2] William Shedd, Dogmatic Theology, 818.
[3] You can read about how here: https://www.churchbythebay.org.uk/news/post/children-in-church