Note the mixture of doctrine and practice. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: ‘I spend half my time telling Christians to study doctrine and the other half telling them that doctrine is not enough.’
- The covenant and its sign.
- 7:14. Why raise the issue of the children? God often blesses in families – Gen.6:18. With Abraham, that relationship is accompanied by a sign – Gen.17:7, 9-12, 26.
- in the Old Testament circumcision went to infant males, but not females. Children of believing parents or a believing parent are baptized because they are unholy and because they are holy. Baptism signifies washing from sin – Eph.2:3; Ps.51:5. But note 1 Cor.7:14/
- Covenant holiness is important.
- In the Old Testament, the altar made holy (Ex.29:35-37). But it was more likely to go the other way – Haggai 2:11-14. But with the coming of the Messiah, He makes the unclean clean – Matt.8:1-4.
- Calvin: ‘The godliness of the one does more to sanctify the marriage than the ungodliness of the other to make it unclean.’ Note Rom.9:1-5; Acts 2:38-39; 16:31 (to a Gentile); 1 Cor.1:16.
- The covenant does not save.
- 1 Cor.7:14, 16. Matthew Henry: ‘Grace is not in the blood, but it is often in the line.’
- coming to Christ certainly saves – John 6:37. Charles Wesley wrote of being ‘self-desperate, I believe.’ Not so in 1 Cor.7:16. That is the language of optimism, but not of certainty. Be encouraged to pray and persevere, no matter how hard they seem to be. Do not give up.