The gospel is declaration, not investigation. We were not told to go out into the world, in order to find out where the Spirit had already begun His secret work. Rather, we were commanded to go preach, declare, and announce the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We were to do this openly, and in such a way as to reveal or bring to light the secret work of God. We declare, and all who have been appointed to eternal life believe. We preach in faith, and the response is the work of God.
In this respect, it is the same with our children. We declare over them; we do not try to peer into them. But there is more. Because we have been given particular promises concerning them (which is not true of our individual non-believing neighbors), we can say to them in all confidence that we are going to Heaven, and they are coming too. We are coming to this Table to meet here with the Lord, and they are coming too.
Â
The promises concerning our children are like the promises in the Bible concerning answered prayer. All God’s children are invited to believe them. All of us have warrant to believe them. Those who do in fact believe them receive the promised blessing—because all God’s promises are appropriated by us through the instrumentality of faith, and faith alone. We are to live by faith from first to last. God has promised that we shall see our children’s children. Do we accept that? Do we believe it?
The Table is set. Grace is before you. Come, and welcome.