Quote
Straw wrote:
I wondered about whether or not a child to be born had a voice before the cells were joined. I had some vague recollection in my dream of hearing a voice say from a womb, "I want to come into this world"...(this is a consideration) but my first thought is the one that puzzled me.

What does happen to a child who dies before they are born ? (ie. aborted, still born, premature etc.)
This subject has been hashed over many times here on the board. You will find people on both ends of the spectrum and some in between. I personally stand firmly upon "middle ground" due to explicit biblical statements and not upon presumption or deduction as do others.

Simply put, the matter is not first off one of "predestination". Nor is it whether or not an unborn has a "voice", for what voice does one have even after birth? But rather, the first matter for consideration is that of man's natural state before God due to the punishment rendered upon Adam and all his progeny, aka: "Original Sin". Original Sin consists of two elements: 1) Guilt - imputed to ALL humans, and 2) Depravity - inherited by ALL humans. Thus at conception, ALL are guilty before God and possess a depraved, sinful nature. Consequently, ALL are under condemnation and the wrath of God and are in dire need of salvation in Christ.

Secondly, we KNOW that God has elected some, a remnant, to be redeemed in Christ out of the fallen human race before the foundation of the world; before they are born or do anything good or evil. Thus, there is no hindrance to anyone being saved, whether born or unborn if they are predestined to eternal life.

Lastly, I believe the framers of the Westminster Confession in much wisdom and truth set forth the biblical answer to the question in Chapter X:


III. Elect infants (emphasis mine), dying in infancy, are regenerated, and saved by Christ, through the Spirit,[12] who worketh when, and where, and how he pleaseth:[13] so also are all other elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.[14]

12. Gen. 17:7; Luke 1:15; 18:15-16; Acts 2:39; John 3:3, 5; I John 5:12
13. John 3:8
14. John 16:7-8; I John 5:12; Acts 4:12

IV. Others, not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word,[15] and may have some common operations of the Spirit,[16] yet they never truly come unto Christ, and therefore cannot be saved:[17] much less can men, not professing the Christian religion, be saved in any other way whatsoever,[17] be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the laws of that religion they do profess.[18] And, to assert and maintain that they may, is very pernicious, and to be detested.[19]

15. Matt. 13:14-15; 22:14; Acts 13:48; 28:24
16. Matt. 7:22; 13:20, 21; Heb. 6:4-5
17. John 6:37, 64-66; 8:44; 13:18; cf. 17:12
18. Acts 4:12; I John 4:2-3; II John 1:9; John 4:22; 14:6; 17:3; Eph. 2:12-13; Rom. 10:13-17
19. II John 1:9-12; I Cor. 16:22; Gal. 1:6-8


In His grace,

[Linked Image]

simul iustus et peccator

[Linked Image]