Switched at Birth and BiC


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This topic I blame on my husband, who woke up with this strange question after a dream. This is not based on any event but said dream, though if anyone knows of a real-life case, please bring it up.

Two couples are at the hospital, wives giving birth. The nurse accidentally switches the babies, and the couples bring home the wrong baby.

Scenario 1: Both couples were sealed in the temple, therefore both babies were BiC.

Scenario 2: One couple was sealed in the temple, making one baby BiC, and the other couple was not, making one baby not sealed to anyone.

In either scenario, who gets the babies in the eternites? Who are these babies sealed to? And what if the non-LDS family later converts and is sealed?

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Since this is a dream, I say that each child is split in half and then the couples can formulate their own child but taking whatever halves they wish. In order to determine which couple chooses first, they must go through a grudge match involving guacomole, jumper cables, and ramps.

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Two couples are at the hospital, wives giving birth. The nurse accidentally switches the babies, and the couples bring home the wrong baby.

Scenario 1: Both couples were sealed in the temple, therefore both babies were BiC.

Scenario 2: One couple was sealed in the temple, making one baby BiC, and the other couple was not, making one baby not sealed to anyone.

Scenario 1: The babies are sealed to the family that they are sealed to, we are all spiritual childrens of Heavenly Father. The babies faith good works and deeds will prove which kingdom they will inherit.

Scenario 2: I would think is in accordance to when the non-lds become converted and sealed.

What a interesting dream, however, there is baptism for the dead if this was a circumstance that was from the past.

Heavenly Father provides a way for all his children that hearken and seeks him.

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Part of it is understanding the sealing covenant. The point isn't to seal you to your earthly family, though it does and it's important, the main focus is to seal you back to heavenly father. If heavenly father is the focus then it really doesn't matter who you are sealed to, just so long as you are.

No one "gets the baby" for eternity. We are one big family, all heavenly father's children. That is the goal of the sealing covenant. In the eternities we will all be adults, hopefully living like father in exaltation having our own families. When looking at the sealing and eternal families we don't need to look at it as we do now with our young children living in our house raising our kids. We need to look at it like we do our siblings, as adults, all living our own life connected through the emotional bonds of family. "The baby" will be an adult (your sibling not child) with their own family, not a possession. They will be sealed to heavenly father and we will have relationships with each other based on experiences in this life.

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If that's how God sorts things out in the eternities, I'm going with a yes.

Fair enough. I brought it up with a co-worker. It's making for fun conversation.

I'm thinking intent might count for a lot here. If the sealed couple assumed their-baby-that-wasn't-biologically-theirs was BIC, God might let it slide. These people probably raised that baby as if it were sealed to them.

My one concern is if there's going to have to be some last-minute sealings for anyone who thought they were sealed and... weren't. Just to keep things in order.

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Everyone will have to be sealed, that is why we do proxy work in the temple, that is why there will be a period where the veil is lifted and work will be done in conjunction with the other side. There are a lot of ppl that have lived and died and there is no record of them and was no chance to receive the saving ordinances. There is a time set out for them to come to us (us being those who are worthy and still here) and say "hey, this is me, this is when/where/etc i lived, please do my work". So yes a time would come when the family would know they had the wrong child and they would be able to take care of the sealing at that time.

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Sounds like the sealed baby lucks out in this situation. Parents join the church at this time of the lifted veil, kid can say "been there, done that".

Well, obviously not so simple.

But having person sealed has to make it easier to continue sealings. One link is in place...

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Part of it is understanding the sealing covenant. The point isn't to seal you to your earthly family, though it does and it's important, the main focus is to seal you back to heavenly father. If heavenly father is the focus then it really doesn't matter who you are sealed to, just so long as you are.

No one "gets the baby" for eternity. We are one big family, all heavenly father's children. That is the goal of the sealing covenant. In the eternities we will all be adults, hopefully living like father in exaltation having our own families. When looking at the sealing and eternal families we don't need to look at it as we do now with our young children living in our house raising our kids. We need to look at it like we do our siblings, as adults, all living our own life connected through the emotional bonds of family. "The baby" will be an adult (your sibling not child) with their own family, not a possession. They will be sealed to heavenly father and we will have relationships with each other based on experiences in this life.

Amen!

I think what you said here gets pushed under the carpet a lot whenever we talk about families can be together forever. I think people envision this little family unit of themselves as the mom or dad and living with their kids as they were when they were under 18 years old, or something of that sort.

This also emphasis the issue of the sealing not being a genetic thing. Being born under the covenant we emphasize the word 'covenant' not 'born'. Who one was related to genetically in the mortal sphere makes very little differences in the eternities as far as I can tell. For example, if one is a descendant of Joseph Smith, how would that make any difference to another if they were not a descendant of Joseph Smith but the both make it to the Celestial Kingdom and as such are "sealed" to each other and Joseph Smith and all those who make it into the Celestial Kingdom?

I don't see our earthly heritage as being an important factor after (and I express the word after) the group is all together in the Celestial Kingdom as one family. The sealed relationship I would have as a 'sealed sibling' to my great great great great grandfather would be a greater title and relationship than some distantly related mortal heritage title.

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For some reason, this is a somewhat sensitive topic for me. Maybe I was switched at birth in a previous life. After the births of each of my children, I insisted on staying with them through all cleanup and everything else just to make sure this kind of thing did not happen.

I take "born in the covenant" very literally and assume that any child born into his parents' covenant is sealed to them, regardless of who raises him. Were it my own child taken from me, even accidentally, I would insist in whatever manner I possibly could that he was mine, and I don't care if it has been months or years since the switch. I have always been quite possessive about my children in this sense, and I don't foresee that changing.

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For some reason, this is a somewhat sensitive topic for me. Maybe I was switched at birth in a previous life. After the births of each of my children, I insisted on staying with them through all cleanup and everything else just to make sure this kind of thing did not happen.

I take "born in the covenant" very literally and assume that any child born into his parents' covenant is sealed to them, regardless of who raises him. Were it my own child taken from me, even accidentally, I would insist in whatever manner I possibly could that he was mine, and I don't care if it has been months or years since the switch. I have always been quite possessive about my children in this sense, and I don't foresee that changing.

And my husband and I were taking the BiC literally as well.

Thanks for the responses, y'all.

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This topic I blame on my husband, who woke up with this strange question after a dream. This is not based on any event but said dream, though if anyone knows of a real-life case, please bring it up.

Two couples are at the hospital, wives giving birth. The nurse accidentally switches the babies, and the couples bring home the wrong baby.

Scenario 1: Both couples were sealed in the temple, therefore both babies were BiC.

Scenario 2: One couple was sealed in the temple, making one baby BiC, and the other couple was not, making one baby not sealed to anyone.

In either scenario, who gets the babies in the eternites? Who are these babies sealed to? And what if the non-LDS family later converts and is sealed?

Scenario 1:

First I would like to say this, thank goodness God is perfect and He knows best!

The sealing is definitely a sealing guaranteeing, if we are faithful, your children will be yours in the eternities. Yes, children become adults, however just because I am an adult it does not mean I am no longer my father's and mother's son.

I would like to believe that the sealing of my children is no different than the sealing of my wife. Just as she will be, and I will be hers, mine --- our children will be ours as a part of the Heavenly family. Otherwise, I see no point in the promise made in the temple, and as spoken by prophets, that the righteousness of the parent has an ability, in the next life, to bring salvation to their children (Both Brigham Young and Joseph Fielding Smith spoke regarding these things, and it was mentioned in General Conference).

However, in this situation, I believe that agency is more important and the decision of which family the child will belong to, will probably be given to the child (or the adult). At least this is what makes sense to me.

Scenario 2:

The sealing never took place with regard to the baby switched to the couple who are members. There is no guarantee that this child will be sealed to the parents, however this is why we do work in the temple, and probably one of those things that will be solved during the millennium.

The sealed child, or BiC, as with scenario 1 will probably be given a choice. In this scenario though, my heart goes out to the child who was born in the covenant and then had to experience a life outside of the covenant.

However, in saying this, I wonder if the Lord happened to put the "wrong" spirit in the beginning with the BiC family, knowing that the child would be switched anyway. Thus, the intended baby either way ended up with the right family. He does know all things, and is able to see all things, thus it definitely is plausible, however not saying it is, just random thought.

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A choice for what?

Great question Seminary, I revert to Scenario 1 and my answer there:

"However, in this situation, I believe that agency is more important and the decision of which family the child will belong to, will probably be given to the child (or the adult). At least this is what makes sense to me."

A choice to the child to choose which family he/she chooses to be with.

If I had a child switched at birth, I would want my child in the eternities, however, if this child was raised in a loving home, loved his/her parents, and in the next life wanted to be with the family who raised him/her; then as a loving father I would accept the decision of that child.

I believe, agency is one of the most important gifts we have, as such, I don't see the Lord forcing one of his children to be with a family who didn't raise him/her. I believe the decision will be left unto the child.

So, a choice between the actual birth family, or the family he/she was switched at birth, but thoroughly loved and would still call them mother and father.

Cheers.

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Great question Seminary, I revert to Scenario 1 and my answer there:

"However, in this situation, I believe that agency is more important and the decision of which family the child will belong to, will probably be given to the child (or the adult). At least this is what makes sense to me."

A choice to the child to choose which family he/she chooses to be with.

If I had a child switched at birth, I would want my child in the eternities, however, if this child was raised in a loving home, loved his/her parents, and in the next life wanted to be with the family who raised him/her; then as a loving father I would accept the decision of that child.

I believe, agency is one of the most important gifts we have, as such, I don't see the Lord forcing one of his children to be with a family who didn't raise him/her. I believe the decision will be left unto the child.

So, a choice between the actual birth family, or the family he/she was switched at birth, but thoroughly loved and would still call them mother and father.

Cheers.

I guess the question exposes a presumption that I am not that familiar with, that there is a choice to "be" with one family or another. I guess the next question would be, how would one distinguish one Celestial family from another?

I suppose I am under the assumption that all those that make it into the Celestial Kingdom and maybe we are just talking about the highest level of the Celestial Kingdom will be part of a family that is eternal, i.e. "the Celestial family". I am not sure how one would "be" with only their mortal mother and father and not also "be" with their 2,356th mortal cousin twice removed and still think of them as close family either way, they would both be thought of as a brother or sister (granted all of them are in the Celestial kingdom).

I guess a related question would be, what is the value of an eternal "mortal" son over simply calling that individual an eternal brother who also happened to be a mortal son? What is it that makes those relationships different or one greater than another?

To me that would be like saying I have 2 brothers, one of which went to the same Kindergarten I did and the other one did not, so the one that went to the same Kindergarten I did will always be more special to me simply because we share that experience.

Edited by Seminarysnoozer
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I guess the question exposes a presumption that I am not that familiar with, that there is a choice to "be" with one family or another. I guess the next question would be, how would one distinguish one Celestial family from another?

I suppose I am under the assumption that all those that make it into the Celestial Kingdom and maybe we are just talking about the highest level of the Celestial Kingdom will be part of a family that is eternal, i.e. "the Celestial family". I am not sure how one would "be" with only their mortal mother and father and not also "be" with their 2,356th mortal cousin twice removed and still think of them as close family either way, they would both be thought of as a brother or sister (granted all of them are in the Celestial kingdom).

Well, Seminary... you are one deep thinker and I like it :D . First, I hope that I am understanding your question correctly such that my answers actually answer your question.

I would assume we would distinguish one Celestial family from another the same we we distinguish one temporal family from another. Although I am one member of a huge temporal family, my brothers children are not mine, and mine are not his. I would assume, the same way people are able to distinguish my brothers children from mine will be the same way a Celestial family will distinguish my children from theirs. Otherwise, I see no point to the sealing of children, if in the end their is no distingushing factor since we are all one big Celestial family.

My mind draws to the words provided by Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, where he mentions that the righteousness of a parent may have the ability to draw a wayward child, after death, to live in the Celestial Kingdom, even though the life they lived on earth was telestial or terrestial (Note: he didn't mention a kingdom, except that the child was not in the Celestial Kingdom). This points to a connection between father, mother, and offspring even though we are all connected as one Celestial Family.

I don't ever remember suggesting that a child would only be with his or her mother/father. Although my children are mine, it does not exclude them from being my father's and mother's grandchildren, or my brothers and sister's nephew's and nieces.

Might I ask, where this conclusion was drawn from my words?

I guess a related question would be, what is the value of an eternal "mortal" son over simply calling that individual an eternal brother who also happened to be a mortal son? What is it that makes those relationships different or one greater than another?

To me that would be like saying I have 2 brothers, one of which went to the same Kindergarten I did and the other one did not, so the one that went to the same Kindergarten I did will always be more special to me simply because we share that experience.

I see the "value" in the sealing, and even more so in the sealing of a child that is adopted. One of my dearest friends, had the unfortunate experience of burying their 4 year old son. They tried for 5 years to have an additional baby. The day their other child was baptized was the same day they received a call that a child was available for adoption. I had the opportunity to be at the sealing of their new daughter. I have a hard time believing, or even seeing, that this child will just be another child in the Celestial Kingdom. It is more convincing to me, that a sealing seals on earth as well as in Heaven. If so, then this sealing that took place signifies that their daughter will not only be theirs in this life, but will be a sealed daughter "as in Heaven". Or better said, binds on earth as it is bound in heaven.

To me, the sealing makes the whole difference. As to your analogy, I apologize, I think am totally missing it and I am not seeing the correlation.

However, in what I am understanding and if this is correct, my brothers children will be just as special as they are to me right now, but for me to say I do not love my own children more, would be a lie. My own children are more special to me, but this does not negate my love for my nephews and nieces, which belong to another family or another kindergarten.

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I don't ever remember suggesting that a child would only be with his or her mother/father. Although my children are mine, it does not exclude them from being my father's and mother's grandchildren, or my brothers and sister's nephew's and nieces.

Might I ask, where this conclusion was drawn from my words?

To me, the sealing makes the whole difference. As to your analogy, I apologize, I think am totally missing it and I am not seeing the correlation.

However, in what I am understanding and if this is correct, my brothers children will be just as special as they are to me right now, but for me to say I do not love my own children more, would be a lie. My own children are more special to me, but this does not negate my love for my nephews and nieces, which belong to another family or another kindergarten.

Thanks for your response. I don't want you to think that my comments are to suggest that the sealing power is not effective or needed or very powerful. My suggestion is the opposite, that the sealing power is so strong as to make all those that are sealed to each other through this sealing power as one family. You even accept the sealing power passing through generations. How is it that a great great grandfather would have any more closeness with a descendent he never knew in this life than he would to a person that he was only sealed to by way of his connection through our common father Abraham? Or for that matter, do you think there is anything different about your future relationship with one of your own earthly children that you are sealed versus the grandfather-grandson sealed relationship you mentioned. Is one more powerful than another?

In other words, I am trying to understand how the strength of the sealing power is lost over generations. If it is not, then the closeness I would have with one of your children who is sealed to me via some common ancestor if not through our common father Abraham would be the same strength as the sealing relationship you have with your own earthly child. How could it differ unless it weakens based on earthly genetics and genetic distance. The sealing power maintains it's strength across generation and time or it degrades. If it does not degrade then I think we will view ourselves all as one family, brothers and sisters. ....that is of course if we all find ourselves in the Celestial Kingdom.

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My suggestion is the opposite, that the sealing power is so strong as to make all those that are sealed to each other through this sealing power as one family.

I believe this is the whole goal of sealing, that we are one huge family, and more evidence that in the gospel we refer to each other as Brother and Sister _________. Yet, I don't refer to my own children as Brother Exon or Sister Exon.

Or for that matter, do you think there is anything different about your future relationship with one of your own earthly children that you are sealed versus the grandfather-grandson sealed relationship you mentioned. Is one more powerful than another?

No, I don't believe the sealing is more powerful than another. I also do not believe there will be a difference between grand-father and grand-son relationship as with mine. This is a parental relationship.

How could it differ unless it weakens based on earthly genetics and genetic distance. The sealing power maintains it's strength across generation and time or it degrades. If it does not degrade then I think we will view ourselves all as one family, brothers and sisters. ....that is of course if we all find ourselves in the Celestial Kingdom.

I don't see how the sealing power would weaken or loose it's strength in comparison to relationships developed on earth.

I agree, we will all be one big happy family, including those who chose not to live a life worthy of the Celestial Kingdom.

I, myself, do not see the sealing power and relationships as one. The sealing power is just as strong for you and I, and in the end, and now, we are brothers and sisters. However, the relationship I have with my children is not the same relationship I have with another person's children.

I find more evidence to the relationship of posterity within the temple, otherwise, if the relaionship of father/mother and children are no different than the power of sealing for all of us, the final covenant we make and receive at the veil is moot. If you draw your mind to the covenant, and the words regarding posterity... I think this speaks more about relationships which will also exist, even though we are one big family, due to the power of the sealing, which is like our priesthood, endless and incorruptible.

I don't see much difference between the relationships which will exist in the eternities, as it does exist in a ward. One of my previous wards, we all being brothers and sisters, had four generations of family. The Bishop saw me as his brother, and did not treat me any different than his own son, yet for me to deny that relatioship, though we are brothers, I think would be inappropriate, at least to me.

Great questions, and thank you for a thoughtful discussion.

Edited by Anddenex
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I have with my children is not the same relationship I have with another person's children.

I find more evidence to the relationship of posterity within the temple, otherwise, if the relaionship of father/mother and children are no different than the power of sealing for all of us, the final covenant we make and receive at the veil is moot. If you draw your mind to the covenant, and the words regarding posterity... I think this speaks more about relationships which will also exist, even though we are one big family, due to the power of the sealing, which is like our priesthood, endless and incorruptible.

I don't see much difference between the relationships which will exist in the eternities, as it does exist in a ward. One of my previous wards, we all being brothers and sisters, had four generations of family. The Bishop saw me as his brother, and did not treat me any different than his own son, yet for me to deny that relatioship, though we are brothers, I think would be inappropriate, at least to me.

Great questions, and thank you for a thoughtful discussion.

Thanks for your response. What if the relationship you have with your children could be the same with others? I think we are given little responsibility here so that we may be given greater stewardship in the life to come. The family here is just a taste of greater things that will be multiplied way beyond this little probationary state. If we are to truly treat our neighbor as our self and even if we don't quite accomplish that here, we may be able to acquire that skill in the training and blessings to come, thus making no child any different from another.

The question in response to your statement about posterity is exactly what I am after. Is the "posterity" really referring to earthly posterity or something bigger? I think it is hard to answer that question because they are somewhat the same answer but I believe the majority of those statements refer to our eternal posterity. If that is the case, then again, those statements of "posterity" include all those connected to us through covenant connection backwards, forwards and sideways all the way back to our common connections through Abraham, Adam, Noah etc. It is not limited to how many children we have in this life. Otherwise the amount of those blessings is limited by the number of children we have here and how many children they have. A child that dies before the age of 8 and yet goes to the Celestial Kingdom would be very limited then. You and I both know that can't be the case. And if it is just posterity in a Earthly sense and in a descending direction only (in other words not ancestry) then being born in this world early in the game would be more beneficial than later as there would be greater posterity potential just by the point at which one is born into the chain and the multiplier effect from being in an earlier generation. We know that some of the greater souls have been left for the latter days, so that does not seem right either.

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What if the relationship you have with your children could be the same with others?

An intriguing thought, however, I, personally, am not able to see the relationship I have with my son and daughters, being the same type of relationship I would have with others.

It is not to say, however, that this question doesn't have any truth, it is that this idea, according to the knowledge I now possess, doesn't ring true.

The question that comes to my mind, as shared previously, if my relationship with my children will be no different as with others, then why would a parent's righteousness have the potential to spare an heir from the Terrestrial or Telestial glories, if there is no difference. Why a parent, and not a brother or sister, who died 1,000 years before me?

I think we are given little responsibility here so that we may be given greater stewardship in the life to come.

I fully agree with the principle shared here that we are given little so that we are able to receive greater in the life to come.

The family here is just a taste of greater things that will be multiplied way beyond this little probationary state. If we are to truly treat our neighbor as our self and even if we don't quite accomplish that here, we may be able to acquire that skill in the training and blessings to come, thus making no child any different from another.

This is a similar thought as presented in the aforementioned question. Our minds eye interprets this very differently. If I am understanding your statement correctly, it appears you are presenting that if there is a difference, then this cannot be a perfect love, or a perfect equality.

The best way I can share my thoughts is the example of a ward. When I get older, and my children have children, and their children have children and if, hypothetically, we are all in the same ward the ideal is that I treat my children no differently than I treat others. I would agree with this statement, however, although I would treat them no differently the bond is established between my children and my grandchildren, assuming I have reached perfection. Yet, the bond is not erased due to a perfect love for all.

Jesus is God's only begotten son, yet I do not believe this relationship between God and Jesus, denies any love he has for me. Yet, I won't deny the bond that exists between the Lord and His and our father.

The question in response to your statement about posterity is exactly what I am after. Is the "posterity" really referring to earthly posterity or something bigger? I think it is hard to answer that question because they are somewhat the same answer but I believe the majority of those statements refer to our eternal posterity. If that is the case, then again, those statements of "posterity" include all those connected to us through covenant connection backwards, forwards and sideways all the way back to our common connections through Abraham, Adam, Noah etc. It is not limited to how many children we have in this life. Otherwise the amount of those blessings is limited by the number of children we have here and how many children they have. A child that dies before the age of 8 and yet goes to the Celestial Kingdom would be very limited then. You and I both know that can't be the case. And if it is just posterity in a Earthly sense and in a descending direction only (in other words not ancestry) then being born in this world early in the game would be more beneficial than later as there would be greater posterity potential just by the point at which one is born into the chain and the multiplier effect from being in an earlier generation. We know that some of the greater souls have been left for the latter days, so that does not seem right either.

I believe it refers to both, however more so to the posterity in the next life. My children will still be my posterity in the next life, due to the sealing. However, as I now have a life of my own, separate of my parents, they too will have a life of their own, separate from me in the next life. The sealing binds on earth as in heaven. The question then, what does it truly mean that the sealing power can "bind" in heaven?

That is an interesting thought about "posterity" being a connection to our relationships with connecting fathers, on down to Adam and Eve.

I agree, it isn't limited and pertains more to the generations of posterity in our future lives should we find ourselves worthy before our Lord at judgement.

If, posterity only referred to this life, then children or anybody who died before they were married and had children would be limited, yet we have been taught, that these blessings won't be denied in the next life, but will be granted. So we know it isn't just in this Earth life.

However, in saying this, I don't feel it negates my relationship with my sons and daughters that I have now, and by which I feel the promise is both temporal and spiritual.

Thank you for the discussion.

Edited by Anddenex
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An intriguing thought, however, I, personally, am not able to see the relationship I have with my son and daughters, being the same type of relationship I would have with others.

Jesus is God's only begotten son, yet I do not believe this relationship between God and Jesus, denies any love he has for me. Yet, I won't deny the bond that exists between the Lord and His and our father.

However, in saying this, I don't feel it negates my relationship with my sons and daughters that I have now, and by which I feel the promise is both temporal and spiritual.

Thank you for the discussion.

Thanks for your response.

You are suggesting there is a certain type of relationship with sons and daughters that can be separated from personal involvement with them, as we were talking about the possibility of a child being separated at birth never to know his/her real biological parents and a relationship that is different from just being sealed together as that would be found with anyone who is sealed with others in the Celestial Kingdom, we are all sealed to each other.

So, the question is what is left about that relationship in which there was no personal contact, i.e.-switched at birth, and no difference based in the character of the sealing power as that would be found with all we are sealed to?

The only thing that is left is genetics. That is the only distinguishing factor that I could see that is somehow, possibly connecting a parent to a child, in terms of a unique bond between the two if separated at birth. Everything else is not unique. But then we have to ask why would we want genetics to continue through to the next life. Why would I want my child to have a unique set of genes and why would that be of value to me and my glory in the next life to be associated with someone of similar temporal corrupted, temporary stewardship genes? I cannot see a reason for that. And if we are proposing such a thing then by definition an adopted child but still sealed is not as valuable as one with shared genes. To me, this throws way to may wrenches in the works. I cannot wrap my head around that possibility that temporal genetic connections means something in the next life in and of itself without any associated real contact with the person.

Remember too that if a person obtains Celestial glory they will have all that the Father has and be "one" with both the Father and the Son. With those descriptions, I don't see how the Father's relationship with the Son would be different than His relationship with any other son or daughter who receives the same glory and the fullness thereof. If we really believe in a full inheritance then it has to be "full" not part. Remember the story of the prodigal son.

I have always been interested in this underlying, barely spoken of theme of "posterity" in our gospel. I think the desire for temporal posterity gets intermixed with the desire for eternal posterity and distinguishing the two can be hard. The lesser law tends to focus on the temporal things and so we get a dose of that teaching as if it has continued through to the higher law. But I think that is only in terms of preparation for the higher law, just like our family here is in preparation for something higher. The higher law introduces the idea of adoption being just as powerful as actual passing on of genes "posterity" and therefore does away with any value to the actual passing on of genes in the eternal perspective. I don't sacrifice any rights or privileges, in other words, by being adopted into a tribe of Israel over carrying actual genetic material directly from Abraham.

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