Great questions. In a nutshell, I would say that the presuppostions behind dedication or infant baptism are as follows:
a. The first big question. Are we dedicated enough to pull through in our commitment to God with this child, or is God dedicated enough to help us pull through?
b. The second big question: Are we as parent(s) giving someone who already belongs to God back to him via dedication or are we making a declaration that this child by virtue of being part of a covenant family in a covenant community already belongs to him and this is simply our faithful response.
c. The third big question: Are we as the parent(s) dedicated enough to pull through for this child, or is the entire covenant community dedicated enough to pull through?
In my opinion, dedication is largely--though not entirely--a human-centered response to a gift from God and infant baptism is largely--though not entirely---an affirmation of what God has done, is doing, and will continue to do. A read through the Canons of Dort will also demonstrate the divide between a largely human driven type of theology and a God-centered type of theology.
As to the liberating part, yes. It does not all depend on the faithfulness of me and my family to raise this child, but rather depends on the faithfulness of a promise-keeping God. The first can easily lead to striving and anxiety, and the second to a steady restfulness. Of course, some Reformed people can get rather presumptuous here, and that is always the ever-present danger, as some live like hellians and think that their baptism will cause God to turn a blind eye.
I hope you listen to both of Kruger's talks as they are very enlightening, esp. his talk at the Gospel Coalition. One area he talks about is the idea that the Triune God of the Bible swears on his own name, that what He says He will do, what he does He has said. Compare that to Allah of Islam who swears 27x in the Koran. Each time it is on a created thing like a star or a mountain or even a pen. Bring both before a judge and try to find out whose word is more trustworthy and I think you would agree with me that the one who swears on his own head or his own name is the one to be believed.
Kruger also mentions that the Bible is the voice of the Living God. Not some dead deity who is a creation of someone's over-heated imagination, but a living One. It is this Living God who speaks today through a living Word. This makes it a different genus and species from all the religious texts that you cited.
It seems that you are having a hard time with this authority thing. As Christians we care about the Bible's authority as we care about the authority of its Author. See the Grudem article for a lot more on that.
Thank you for reaching out in a very vulnerable way. I believe that your desire to reach out to God is an indicator that your heart does not have a callous layer on it which makes it indifferent to Him. The advice from Mr. Miller is very wise. As you look for a pastor/church/counsellor, here are a few things to keep in mind:
a. Jesus loves broken sinners.
b. Jesus is more than willing to extend grace to those who see and express their need of him.
c. As much as it is true that you have pronounced a curse on yourself at one time, the One who took the ultimate curse on himself, for all humanity can surely have the power to set you free of this one.
d. It is likely that your curse and your actions might have opened you up to demonic bondage.
Again, Jesus who was victorious over all of the Devil's schemes, has the power, as he showed not a few times in the New Testament, over any such hold that might be on your life.
e. He/she whom the Son sets free, is free indeed. This will likely involve confession of sin, prayer for healing of many wounds, renunciation of any self-curses, being involved in a loving and gracious community, time, and more time.
My Logos Bible Software gives the following sense of the Hebrew word hesed.
Sense: loyal love - an unfailing kind of love, kindness, or goodness; often used of God’s love that is related to faithfulness to his covenant.
I find it ironic that a group that focuses on only one of God's attributes, namely his loving-kindness seems to overlook the following:
a. Unfaithfulness to the 'hesed' of YHWH was Israel's perennial problem. They continuously strayed away from the fact that the 'hesed' of YHWH required whole-hearted obedience to the laws of YHWH. Thus Israel is termed 'adulterous'/ 'a prostitute'/ and engaging in whoredom. And guess what? Most of this spiritual adultery had to do with adopting the sexual ethics of the pagan nations around them, and forsaking the sexual ethics expressed in the holiness code of YHWH.
b. One cannot cherry pick the attributes of God as to which one will be most amenable to their tastes. Sure, it is nice to think that YHWH is patient, good, loving, kind and so forth, but one must also see that His attributes also consist of holiness, wrath, judgement and a jealousy that his people will worship Him the way He wants it.
c. To make a 'project' out of hesed is simply not the role of humans. It is a contradiction in terms.
I see that there is certainly a battle for the hearts of the CRCNA.
Posted in: Infant Baptism or Dedication: What Should We Consider?
Thanks Staci:
Great questions. In a nutshell, I would say that the presuppostions behind dedication or infant baptism are as follows:
a. The first big question. Are we dedicated enough to pull through in our commitment to God with this child, or is God dedicated enough to help us pull through?
b. The second big question: Are we as parent(s) giving someone who already belongs to God back to him via dedication or are we making a declaration that this child by virtue of being part of a covenant family in a covenant community already belongs to him and this is simply our faithful response.
c. The third big question: Are we as the parent(s) dedicated enough to pull through for this child, or is the entire covenant community dedicated enough to pull through?
In my opinion, dedication is largely--though not entirely--a human-centered response to a gift from God and infant baptism is largely--though not entirely---an affirmation of what God has done, is doing, and will continue to do. A read through the Canons of Dort will also demonstrate the divide between a largely human driven type of theology and a God-centered type of theology.
As to the liberating part, yes. It does not all depend on the faithfulness of me and my family to raise this child, but rather depends on the faithfulness of a promise-keeping God. The first can easily lead to striving and anxiety, and the second to a steady restfulness. Of course, some Reformed people can get rather presumptuous here, and that is always the ever-present danger, as some live like hellians and think that their baptism will cause God to turn a blind eye.
Thanks for asking the important question.
JS
Posted in: The Issue Behind [Every?] Issue: The Authority of the Bible and Its Author
Greetings Roger:
I hope you listen to both of Kruger's talks as they are very enlightening, esp. his talk at the Gospel Coalition. One area he talks about is the idea that the Triune God of the Bible swears on his own name, that what He says He will do, what he does He has said. Compare that to Allah of Islam who swears 27x in the Koran. Each time it is on a created thing like a star or a mountain or even a pen. Bring both before a judge and try to find out whose word is more trustworthy and I think you would agree with me that the one who swears on his own head or his own name is the one to be believed.
Kruger also mentions that the Bible is the voice of the Living God. Not some dead deity who is a creation of someone's over-heated imagination, but a living One. It is this Living God who speaks today through a living Word. This makes it a different genus and species from all the religious texts that you cited.
It seems that you are having a hard time with this authority thing. As Christians we care about the Bible's authority as we care about the authority of its Author. See the Grudem article for a lot more on that.
Blessed New Year.
John
Posted in: What Is a "High-Handed" Sin and Why Should the Church Care?
Thank you for reaching out in a very vulnerable way. I believe that your desire to reach out to God is an indicator that your heart does not have a callous layer on it which makes it indifferent to Him. The advice from Mr. Miller is very wise. As you look for a pastor/church/counsellor, here are a few things to keep in mind:
a. Jesus loves broken sinners.
b. Jesus is more than willing to extend grace to those who see and express their need of him.
c. As much as it is true that you have pronounced a curse on yourself at one time, the One who took the ultimate curse on himself, for all humanity can surely have the power to set you free of this one.
d. It is likely that your curse and your actions might have opened you up to demonic bondage.
Again, Jesus who was victorious over all of the Devil's schemes, has the power, as he showed not a few times in the New Testament, over any such hold that might be on your life.
e. He/she whom the Son sets free, is free indeed. This will likely involve confession of sin, prayer for healing of many wounds, renunciation of any self-curses, being involved in a loving and gracious community, time, and more time.
Many blessings to you, Lisa.
Posted in: The Abide Project
"The Hesed Project"....mmmm
My Logos Bible Software gives the following sense of the Hebrew word hesed.
Sense: loyal love - an unfailing kind of love, kindness, or goodness; often
used of God’s love that is related to faithfulness to his covenant.
I find it ironic that a group that focuses on only one of God's attributes, namely his loving-kindness seems to overlook the following:
a. Unfaithfulness to the 'hesed' of YHWH was Israel's perennial problem. They continuously strayed away from the fact that the 'hesed' of YHWH required whole-hearted obedience to the laws of YHWH. Thus Israel is termed 'adulterous'/ 'a prostitute'/ and engaging in whoredom. And guess what? Most of this spiritual adultery had to do with adopting the sexual ethics of the pagan nations around them, and forsaking the sexual ethics expressed in the holiness code of YHWH.
b. One cannot cherry pick the attributes of God as to which one will be most amenable to their tastes. Sure, it is nice to think that YHWH is patient, good, loving, kind and so forth, but one must also see that His attributes also consist of holiness, wrath, judgement and a jealousy that his people will worship Him the way He wants it.
c. To make a 'project' out of hesed is simply not the role of humans. It is a contradiction in terms.
I see that there is certainly a battle for the hearts of the CRCNA.
Dr. John Span