First off....the child, that young, is way before the age of accountability. The child is incappable of recognizing their sinful nature and the need for salvation. Their place in eternity isn't really in question....
The salvation of the family...that won't help the child get into heaven. If they are saved, then they do have hope of seeing that child again.
I find your use of Romans 8:38-39 from the Phillips translation very....VERY...intersting. Especially considering that you took it out of context. Lets look at the whole passage in a translation that isn't geared for youth.
***
Romans 8: 31-39
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:
“ For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”[c]
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
***
Do you notice something intesting in that passage. Notice that it is completely focused on things that take place here on earth....distress....famine....peril....the sword. Despite all these things....we are never seperated from the love that God has for us. But that does not mean that we will not be seperated from God. As we know full well that sin does do that.
Its much like the prodigal son....even though he wronged his father and left him, his father never stopped loving him. This is a testimony to how much God loves us, not a testimony that we can do whatever we want, never repent, and still get into heaven.
And guess what...Paul (the apostile) would back that up. And in fact he does. In 2 Corinthians 7:1 & 1 thessalonians 4:3 tells us that we need to continue living a life separated from sin and dedicated to God. Hope only comes through Jesus Christ. Do not fall into the mindset that one has any type of hope without Jesus. The hope that you present is that no matter what they have done in their life, God still loves them. That no matter what has happened in their life, that they still have the hope of salvation...should they repent.
That is the hope that Paul speaks of...not some universalist "everyone gets into heaven" type of false theology. We always have hope, because no matter what we have done, God still loves us. Hence the original passage that you brought up (Romans 8:38-39). That's the hope that you should bring up.
But my original question still stands...if you are doing a funeral for someone and you know that there are unsaved people listening to you, do you present the salvation message?
~Jeordam
The salvation of the family...that won't help the child get into heaven. If they are saved, then they do have hope of seeing that child again.
I find your use of Romans 8:38-39 from the Phillips translation very....VERY...intersting. Especially considering that you took it out of context. Lets look at the whole passage in a translation that isn't geared for youth.
***
Romans 8: 31-39
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:
“ For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”[c]
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
***
Do you notice something intesting in that passage. Notice that it is completely focused on things that take place here on earth....distress....famine....peril....the sword. Despite all these things....we are never seperated from the love that God has for us. But that does not mean that we will not be seperated from God. As we know full well that sin does do that.
Its much like the prodigal son....even though he wronged his father and left him, his father never stopped loving him. This is a testimony to how much God loves us, not a testimony that we can do whatever we want, never repent, and still get into heaven.
And guess what...Paul (the apostile) would back that up. And in fact he does. In 2 Corinthians 7:1 & 1 thessalonians 4:3 tells us that we need to continue living a life separated from sin and dedicated to God. Hope only comes through Jesus Christ. Do not fall into the mindset that one has any type of hope without Jesus. The hope that you present is that no matter what they have done in their life, God still loves them. That no matter what has happened in their life, that they still have the hope of salvation...should they repent.
That is the hope that Paul speaks of...not some universalist "everyone gets into heaven" type of false theology. We always have hope, because no matter what we have done, God still loves us. Hence the original passage that you brought up (Romans 8:38-39). That's the hope that you should bring up.
But my original question still stands...if you are doing a funeral for someone and you know that there are unsaved people listening to you, do you present the salvation message?
~Jeordam
ex-Admin at wotmania (all things wot & art galleries)
Saving the Princess, Humanity, or the World-Entire since 1985
Saving the Princess, Humanity, or the World-Entire since 1985
One of the harder parts of my job...
08/11/2009 09:03:06 PM
- 963 Views
That is tough man. I am confident though you are the right person to help them through this. *NM*
08/11/2009 10:07:13 PM
- 216 Views
Re: One of the harder parts of my job...
08/11/2009 11:35:01 PM
- 600 Views
So I have some questions for you....
09/11/2009 10:05:19 PM
- 547 Views
Have I ever told you that you are confusing as hell?
10/11/2009 03:46:20 PM
- 532 Views
More interestingly....
10/11/2009 05:57:23 PM
- 506 Views
Do you think Christ would "present the salvation message" or do you think he would just live it?
10/11/2009 06:21:30 PM
- 594 Views
Funny....I remember Christ both living His message, as well as preaching
10/11/2009 07:16:12 PM
- 583 Views
It was entirely clear what you advocated Danny do at the funeral.
11/11/2009 03:02:56 AM
- 640 Views
Yes, I would.
10/11/2009 06:37:35 PM
- 550 Views
As I said to everynametaken
10/11/2009 07:32:21 PM
- 507 Views
Have fun with your strawman.
10/11/2009 07:42:37 PM
- 507 Views
*haha* (and yes, I am laughing at you)
10/11/2009 08:55:24 PM
- 549 Views
First of all - the spelling is Heresy.
10/11/2009 09:05:32 PM
- 492 Views
In regards to your questions, I had a hard time understanding exactly what you were getting at.
11/11/2009 06:09:23 PM
- 475 Views