In all of our attempts to “shepherd” Elizabeth’s heart, I realize that God did no such thing to my own. He just created a new one.
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” – Ezekiel 36:26-27
If our “shepherding” is to have any good effect then God has to do the same thing in her. In a truer sense, our work is soil-tilling and seed-sowing.
There are some fundamental differences that we tend to overlook when considering my favorite book on parenting. The padeobaptist understanding of the children of believers is a little different than that of credobaptists. Covenant theology would consider children of believers to be new covenant members. The new covenant is clearly contrasted with the old specifically at this heart issue– in the new covenant God will create a new heart.
My daughters do not get a new heart because their daddy and mommy believe in Jesus. And therefore my parenting of them is not so much a “shepherding” as it is an evangelizing–an evangelizing and praying that the Father would one day work that miracle in them.
Yes!
That’s a good point. Sometimes I feel a little confused when the bible talks about a whole family being saved. Maybe you could explain this a little.
Great observation, Jonathan.
Question for you, though: Do you subscribe to Covenant Theology? Where are you on the Disp – NCT – CT spectrum?
Hey Peter, thanks for commenting. Good question. There are a few instances of household baptisms in Acts. Acts 16:15, 31-34; 18:8.
While it is more implicit with Lydia (16:15), it is clear in the other passages that the baptisms follows the hearing of the Word and faith. It seems most plausible to consider their baptisms to be the affirmation that they have all placed conscious, saving faith in Jesus Christ (cf. Rom 10:17).
Hey Mike,
No, I do not subscribe to Covenant Theology, nor am I Dispensational. I am not really sure about the NCT label at this point because I haven’t read anything by its explicit proponents.
Continuity and discontinuity are terms that seem more helpful for where I am at. And I believe there is a continuity between Israel and the Church, but also a discontinuity, an-end-of-the-ages-Jeremiah 31-Ezekiel 36-things-will-never-be-the-same discontinuity. One that underlines the glory of Jesus Christ and makes a really really really big deal about His death and resurrection.