Day 188

Of Effectual Calling.

Chapter 10, Paragraph 3.

“Elect infants dying in infancy are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit; who works when, and where, and how He pleases; so also are all elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.”

Scripture Lookup

John 3:3, 5, 6, 8

Reflection

The Lord is a merciful and compassionate God.

The Spirit works when, where, and how He pleases. He is not constrained by anything in a human. We know that the Word is the usual means by which the elect are called. Yet there are some who will never be capable of responding to an outward call. Infants who die in infancy and the severely mentally disabled are such groups of people who cannot respond to an outward call. Are these automatically excluded from being numbered among the elect?

The elect come from every tribe, tongue, and nation. They are all sinners who receive forgiveness of sins and a new heart. You do not have to have a particular IQ level to be regenerated. Elect infants who die, and the elect who are mentally disabled from birth, fit this category. The Lord knows those who are His. He regenerates them and saves them by Christ through the Spirit.

When it comes to loved ones who die in infancy, or loved ones who never have the faculties to understand the word of Scripture, we are left to trust in the goodness of God concerning their salvation. He knows them better than we ever will. He has decreed according to His most wise will all things that come to pass. His wisdom is infinite; He is abundant in goodness. Rest in who He is, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.

Questions to Consider

• Are you willing to trust God in all things?