# Parental Apostasy



## reformedcop (Aug 8, 2012)

A friend of mine asked a question of me today. He asked, "What happens if the parents of baptized children apostatize an evidence they were never with us… do the children then get removed from the covenant seeing their parents were impostors?" 

My knee-jerk response is that they are not - that they would still be covenant children. But there is a sense in which they would be removed, because they presumably would not be part of the visible church any longer.

Thoughts?


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## Unoriginalname (Aug 8, 2012)

Depending on the age of the children they certainly could be removed from most of the external benefits of the covenant; sound preaching, a godly upbringing, fellowship with God's people, etc.


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## GulfCoast Presbyterian (Aug 8, 2012)

My response would be: No. The covenant and the covenant community is bigger than the parents, and expressly includes the children. The covenant community exists in part to help with such situations, hopefully including support for these children, and/or intervention or discipline for the parents. My follow up question would be: Have you never seen an "apostate" return to the faith? So, were they "removed" from the covenant, or did they simply "break" the covenant? your mileage may vary.


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## Peairtach (Aug 8, 2012)

The parents are still "in the covenant" although they are showing signs that they are not "of the covenant". The fact that they are in the covenant makes their sin worse.

This is illustrated by the fact that if they showed signs of being "of the covenant" again, i.e. repented and expressed renewed faith and obedience, they would not be rebaptised.

See here:-
http://www.puritanboard.com/f31/people-covenant-life-discuss-75240/


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