Babies and Death

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Tod Kennedy

Babies, Death, God’s Faithfulness, Comfort, Care, Hope, Promises, Questions

 

Tod Kennedy
Sunday, August 10 through September 21, 2003

 

  1. Preview of Lessons

    1. Babies Go To Heaven, 2 Samuel 12:15-23

    2. Every Believer Goes to Heaven, 2 Corinthians 5:7-8

    3. God is Faithful to Believers, Lamentations 3:19-24

    4. God Comforts Believers, 2 Corinthians 1:3-11

    5. God Knows, Values, and Cares for Believers, Matthew 6:25-33

    6. Hope in a Crisis, Romans 8:28-32

    7. God’s Promises for Me, 1 Peter 5:7

    8. Four Questions to Ask, Galatians 5:5

  2. Today’s Lessons

    1. God Knows, Values, and Cares for Believers, Matthew 6:25-33

    2. Hope in a Crisis, Romans 8:28-32

    3. God’s Promises for Me, 1 Peter 5:7

    4. Four Questions to Ask, Galatians 5:5

  3. Babies Go To Heaven, 2 Samuel 12:15-23

    1. The character of God dictates that a baby who dies will go to heaven. God will do the right thing. (Genesis 18:25; Exodus 34:6; Job 29:14; Psalm 9:8; Psalm 99:9). God will always treat people right, just, fair. This is especially clear when he makes man responsible to him (1 Timothy 1:17; 1 John 4:8).

    2. Furthermore, the Bible does indicate that there is an age when a person can tell the difference between right and wrong, what we call the age of accountability (Isaiah 7:15-16; Romans 2:15). God’s justice will not hold one responsible before that time.

    3. Unlimited atonement—Christ died for all the sins of the entire world—makes the salvation of babies a possibility. Sin is no longer the issue, even for babies, who are unable to believe in Christ. The demands of God’s righteousness have been met (1 John 2:1-2).

    4. God wills that all mankind believe in Christ and possess eternal life; he does not will them lost (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9; Matthew 18:14). If they are incapable of believing the gospel, he will not condemn them.

    5. Those who cannot believe are different from those who will not believe. People are condemned because they did not believe in Christ for eternal life. Christ paid for sin, so faith in him is the issue. Those incapable of believing the gospel or rejecting the gospel will not be condemned (John 16:9; John 3:16-18).

    6. The Great White Throne judgment of unbelievers is based on works, and prove that works cannot save; and babies are unable to do works (Revelation 20:11-15).

    7. David mourned and fasted while his child was alive and dying. When the baby died, David washed, anointed himself, changed his clothes, went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. David knew that there was life after physical death (Hebrews 11:32). He then went to his house and ate. He knew that he would go to the child in death and also see him in eternity (2 Samuel 12:15-23; Psalm 16:7-11 with Acts 2:24-32).

  4. Every Believer Goes to Heaven (2 Corinthians 5:7-8)

  1. God gives eternal life to every person who believes in his son, Jesus Christ, for eternal life (John 3:16-18; 11:24-27; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9).

  2. Jesus is now preparing a home for believers and looks forward to taking them home (John 14:1-3; Psalm 116:15).

  3. Believers are either alive on earth in physical bodies or face to face with the Lord in some intermediate spiritual body and awaiting their resurrection bodies (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:21-23).

  4. In the future, near in time or far, Christ will descend in the clouds with believers who have already died and we who may be alive on earth will meet them in the air, and we all shall be together and with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

  5. In the twinkling of an eye, at the time Christ comes in the air, those believers who come back with him and we who are still alive will be changed; we will gain our own resurrection body (1 Corinthians 15:51-56; Philippians 3:20).

  6. This certainty of resurrection is our Lord’s victory for us. This certainty should stabilize us, encourage us, and motivate us to service (1 Corinthians 15:57-58).

  1. God is Faithful to Believers, Lamentations 3:19-24

    1. God is faithful to his people (Deuteronomy 7:9; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 10:13; 2 Thessalonians 3:3).

    2. God’s lovingkindness, compassion, and faithfulness to his people are forever, even during our failure (Lamentations 3:19-24; 2 Timothy 2:13).

    3. God’s grace is enough for whatever we need (2 Corinthians 12:9-10; Philippians 4:11-13)

    4. God will not push us beyond our ability to cope, and he will provide us the spiritual resources so that we may win over the testing and suffering instead of suffer defeat (1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

  2. God Comforts Believers, 2 Corinthians 1:3-11

    1. God is the source of all spiritual comfort during adversity (2 Corinthians 1:3).

    2.  We bless him for this, which means to speak well or praise him and thank him (2 Corinthians 1:3).

    3. When God comforts us, he is our model for how we comfort others in their adversity (2 Corinthians 1:4).

    4. God comforts us at least equal to our sufferings because we are believers (2 Corinthians 1:5).

    5. Christian suffering and the comfort that goes with it helps us to trust God more often and in a greater degree and this is good (2 Corinthians 1:9).

  3. God Knows, Values, and Cares for Believers, Matthew 6:25-33

    1. He cares for us and values us and our service (Matthew 6:25-31; 10:31; 1 Peter 5:7-11).

    2. Our Father knows everything there is to know about us (6:32; 10:29-30).

    3. Therefore seek his kingdom (what he is about) and his righteousness (his kind of life) and he will take care of the details in life (33).

  4. Hope in a Crisis

    1. God controls the people, events, and trends of history through his direct rule and human volition (Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 103:19; Isaiah 1:16-20; Daniel 4:25; 5:21; Acts 17:24-31; Hebrews 4:1-3).

    2. Not everything that happens in history is God’s will (Exodus 32:9-10; Matthew 19:13-15; James 2:15-17).

    3. God will not always overrule bad decisions or block pain and suffering (Acts 8:1-3; 19:21-34; 1 Corinthians).

    4. God does cause things—even bad things and divine discipline—to work together for His good for the believer (Romans 8:28).

    5. The believer walking in fellowship with God (1 John 1:5-10) and living by faith, by the Holy Spirit, in the Word of God, and in love (Galatians 2:20; 5:5; 5:16-15; 2 John 4-6) can experience God’s comfort and guidance (2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Philippians 4:11-13).

    6. Faith is the necessary ingredient to be mixed with God’s word so that the believer experiences the soul calm or rest that God gives. Unbelief prevents soul calm (Hebrews 4:1-3; 11:1-3, 6, 38-40).

    7. Consistent local Church assembly is necessary for the teaching of the Word, the preparation for ministry, and encouragement of each other (Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 10:25; 1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 4:1-4; 1 Peter 4:10-11).

  5. God’s Promises for Me

    1. Psalm 116:15

    2. Proverbs 3:5-6

    3. Isaiah 40:31

    4. Isaiah 41:10

    5. Lamentations 3:22-23

    6. Matthew 6:26

    7. Matthew 6:33

    8. Matthew 10:29-31

    9. Romans 8:28

    10. Romans 8:31-32

    11. 1 Corinthians 1:9

    12. 1 Corinthians 10:13

    13. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

    14. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

    15. Philippians 4:6-7

    16. Philippians 4:13

    17. Hebrews 13:5-6

    18. 1 Peter 1:7

    19. 1 Peter 5:7

  6. Four Questions to Ask

    1. Am I believing in Jesus Christ to give me eternal life (John 3:16-18; 20:31; Romans 6:23)?

    2. Am I walking in fellowship with God (1 John 1) and living by faith, by the Holy Spirit, in the Word of God, and in love (Galatians 2:20; 5:5; 2 John 4-6)?

    3. Do I accept the fact that what I believe is more important that how I feel (Psalm 13)?

    4. Am I watching for the good (the blessing) that God is working out in my life with all its adversity and prosperity (Romans 8:28)?

  7. Review Today’s Lessons

    1. Babies Go To Heaven, 2 Samuel 12:15-23

    2. Every Believer Goes to Heaven, 2 Corinthians 5:7-8

    3. God is Faithful to Believers, Lamentations 3:19-24

    4. God Comforts Believers, 2 Corinthians 1:3-11

    5. God Knows, Values, and Cares for Believers, Matthew 6:25-33

    6. Hope in a Crisis, Romans 8:28-32

    7. God’s Promises for Me, 1 Peter 5:7

    8. Four Questions to Ask, Galatians 5:5

       

Lamentations 3:22-23
The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,

 For His compassions never fail.
23, They are new every morning;

Great is Thy faithfulness.