Alrighty.. i hope I am not beating a dead horse here lol, but I have been thinking on this thread a lot. The original point to this thread anyway. But I wanted to clear something up.

I agree that my children are not saved until they have been drawn by God and been born again. I don't "presume" they are elect, or christians or whateve terminology. I have heard someone say that God does not hear the prayers of the unsaved either, but I am not sure I agree with that 100%. There were some times in my life before I was saved that God miraculously "helped" me.

Anyway, the thing I am wondering about is how I treat my children. I do not presume them saved or elect, and I have told them about God, and Jesus, and hell etc. But I also pray with each one of them every night. I teach them scriptures and we are even starting (slowly lol) the Small Children's catechism. I tell them at night if they tell me that they are afraid, that they can pray to God and ask Him to help them to not be afraid.

Proverbs tells us to train up a child in the way he should go,and when he is old he will not depart from it. So.. I I am trying to do my part, but in praying with them, and having them pray, and encouraging prayer on their own, am I treating them like a Christian?

It's my strongest prayer that my children and my husband are saved. However, I don't treat my husband like he's saved. Before, since the bible said to "let them go and ask their husbands at home' I would ask him, but it always caused a disagreement, or I would know he had no idea what I was talking about! So I don't do that anymore!

But with my children, I guess I am wondering if I do treat them like they are christians, and is this wrong?

Michele

Michele, that is a great question. Even may be the most pertinent one of the debate.

The way you describe your treatment of your children is the perfect example of their being in the covenant. They are being immersed with the things of God, so therefore, they are receiving God's blessing via you. Although they are in the covenant, we cannot presume that they are regenerate. Keep on keepin' on with their instructions in the things of God.

I see the major problem with covenant succession is that the proponents are equalling belonging to the covenant as an act of regeneration (maybe in the future). Then you get into the covenant faithfulness mire. We are saved by grace through faith (and repentance); it is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is not by any outward work by man.