You said.........
"You see, when we start making exceptions to the absolute commands of Christ, where do we stop?"
Totally agreed. The same thing applies to the idea of your comment of........"and the Millennium is an excellent time for that point in their lives on this earth, in this life, to take place."
That is also Not a Bible mandate or suggestion. I think that if what you are implying does not work one way it then can not work the other way.
Well, not really, Major. I'm not presenting this as a concept that is at all stated or implied. It's the result of considering a possibility (meaning that it's not dogmatic at all) derived from the following:
1) The absoluteness of one having to be born again has no caveats, no exceptions, no side doors for access to Heaven to get around this requirement...nothing.
2) Nowhere does scripture suggest that babies, children, or even the mentally handicapped, in spite of the sin from their being at conception, that this is a consideration for getting around the mandate for having to be born again.
3) Where the Lord pointed to the requirement for us to be AS the children, and that of such is the Kingdom of Heaven, the language of that text doesn't lend to an idea of them, in spite of their sin, being granted absolute entrance into Heaven.
4) The majority, like all others throughout human history, of babies, children and the mentally handicapped, will reject Christ if given the opportunity to reach that point, as is evidenced in what Christ said about the broadness of the path of destruction, and the narrowness of the path leading to the straight gate and life.
We could add to that list, but I'm trying to keep these posts short enough so as to not lose those who have limited attention span and/or time to read these posts.
This, then, creates a paradox worthy of consideration. Most apply their emotions to this topic, and therefore assume what is contrary to, and even does violence to, the absolutes the Lord has given to us. I'm not saying they are doing this outside of a well-meaning nature toward the Lord's word, but as emotional creatures, we sometimes fail to recognize our tendency to grasp at things and beliefs that run counter to the Bible's absolute teachings. It almost falls into the ditch of Paul's definition for sin, which he defined as "missing the mark."
Therein is the prime point in all this...staying on track with the absolutes of which we are instructed and commanded by our Lord.
So, when I spoke of the Millennium as an excellent potential for how it plays out, that's only saying that I can't think of any other that would ensure that ALL of humanity, no matter what point at which any died, will justifiably make that decision for or against the Lord, and thus doing their self-determination as to if they are for or against the Lord.
(Generally speaking, for those of the hyper-Calvinist stripe, I'm not inserting into this an opportunity for anyone to try and argue such things as total depravity, and therefore allegedly no such thing as choice, or ability to make that choice. That's not a topic we will discuss here! It's a meaningless endeavor!)
MM