"At what point in time is spiritual revelation to an elect and redeemed sinner possible? The answer: Whenever one is quickened to life, or begotten again, or spiritually conceived. That “new creature” implanted within the “old man” of the flesh has ETERNAL life. This life never had a beginning. It knows the things of the Spirit of God within itself, whether it can adequately express or understand them or not. Such a person, then, “has the mind of Christ” since “Christ is in him, the hope of glory”. (1 Corinthians 2:16.) But, one may justly ask, “How early in life is this revelation possible?” The answer: Whenever it pleases God to reveal it. With John the Baptist, it was while he was yet in his mother’s womb! With David, it was “when I was upon my mother’s breasts.” (Psalm 22:9,) or as he also said, “I was cast upon Thee from the womb: Thou art my God from my mother’s belly.” (Psalms 22:10.) What David said of Himself may also be applied to Christ. (Of whom it appears to be prophetically intended.) If one suggests that these scriptures are special cases, we then present the next:
When Herod sent and killed “all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coast thereof, from two years old and under,” (which had to have been a great slaughter!), it is written of these infants, “In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they were not.” (Matthew 2:16-18.) But what was the gospel revelation relative to these little mangled infants? “Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord: and they shall come again from the land of the enemy (death). And there is hope in the end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own borders.” (In the resurrection?) In this case, at least, one hundred percent of these infants will be in the resurrection of the just, unless there can be another interpretation of these passages which is not so clearly stated. Without discussing the state of all infants dying in infancy, the point to be made here is: That at least some infants, as here, die in infancy and are saved by the death of Christ. Second, the message, or glad tidings, i.e., the gospel has no part in making this true. “It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.” (John 6:63.) There being but one way of salvation, such a salvation must invariably fulfill this prophesy. It must be able to include these infants as well as all elect adults alike. Who will argue that these infants repented and believed the gospel, or “accepted Christ as their Saviour? One must agree that (if they are saved at all) they were obviously elected, redeemed, ransomed, justified, called (in death), and quickened exactly as are all other elect who come to the age of understanding. Simply put, hearing the message of this salvation is a very great blessing to sensible sinners; but the message is about this salvation; not the cause of it! The hearing does not do the quickening, nor does the believing. Christ alone is the Saviour of sinners; not, “will be if you let Him.” It is rather too late for any “letting.” Christ has already died!" - Stanley C. Phillips
When Herod sent and killed “all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coast thereof, from two years old and under,” (which had to have been a great slaughter!), it is written of these infants, “In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they were not.” (Matthew 2:16-18.) But what was the gospel revelation relative to these little mangled infants? “Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord: and they shall come again from the land of the enemy (death). And there is hope in the end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own borders.” (In the resurrection?) In this case, at least, one hundred percent of these infants will be in the resurrection of the just, unless there can be another interpretation of these passages which is not so clearly stated. Without discussing the state of all infants dying in infancy, the point to be made here is: That at least some infants, as here, die in infancy and are saved by the death of Christ. Second, the message, or glad tidings, i.e., the gospel has no part in making this true. “It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.” (John 6:63.) There being but one way of salvation, such a salvation must invariably fulfill this prophesy. It must be able to include these infants as well as all elect adults alike. Who will argue that these infants repented and believed the gospel, or “accepted Christ as their Saviour? One must agree that (if they are saved at all) they were obviously elected, redeemed, ransomed, justified, called (in death), and quickened exactly as are all other elect who come to the age of understanding. Simply put, hearing the message of this salvation is a very great blessing to sensible sinners; but the message is about this salvation; not the cause of it! The hearing does not do the quickening, nor does the believing. Christ alone is the Saviour of sinners; not, “will be if you let Him.” It is rather too late for any “letting.” Christ has already died!" - Stanley C. Phillips
