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MHeath said:
Ron,

You said, "As for the encouraging aspect, I can only imagine that God is giving his elect children the comfort of knowing this precious truth from birth. I can only wonder whether God on some occasions has ordained reprobation to covenant children by the means of also ordaining that they not be treated as Christ’s lambs by their parents from birth."

Could you explain that please?
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Michele

Michele,

Let me put it this way. If God would have us teach our children that he loves them and that Christ died for them, then we ought to. To not do so would be a means of depriving them of an early knowledge of God's love. This could work out to be the means by which they are hardened. Of course we need to square this with election, which is easy. God's means of providence are not just the means to bring to pass what he ordains (in this case election), but rather these means are ordained alongside with election. In other words, I find it quite feasible that to not treat our children as lambs of Christ is precisely what God warns Abraham of when he says that the child who is not circumcised breaks covenant with God.

Blessings,

Ron