“I rejoice to know
that the souls of all infants, as soon as they die, speed their way to
paradise.” -Charles Spurgeon
Yesterday was an emotional and difficult day. We buried a precious six-month-old girl named
Rebekah Miller. Just a over a month ago
I had her on the platform with me at church during a baby dedication, and
yesterday I preached her funeral from that same platform. I often have received this question from
families, and the short answer is, I believe infants who die are with the
Lord. Let me give you several Biblical
reasons why I believe infants go to be with the LORD in heaven when they die:
1.
Because
God is sovereign and wise and good and trustworthy. (Psalms 25:8; 107:1;
135:3) We can always have an assurance when any of our loved ones die, because
God is good and he always does what is right.
2.
Because
in Deuteronomy 1:39, God judges the
rebellious adults of Israel differently than their little children. In this example we see that God does not
hold the sins of the parents against their children. He allows the children to go to the Promised
Land, but their parents would never see it!
3.
Because
there is a direct correlation between having knowledge of creation & God
and accountability during judgment. Romans 1:19-21 is not about children,
but it clearly shows God’s principles on justice. Infants lack the physical and cognitive
ability to know God’s glory and see his work in creation. Therefore, since this knowledge is not available
to infants, Paul implies, they really would be with “excuse” at the judgment. No adults fall into this category of
being with “excuse”, with the exception of severely mentally challenged individuals. I believe that since they are with excuse,
that God will apply to infants the blood and righteousness of Christ in a way
that we do not comprehend.
4.
Because
King David had a clear confidence he
would see his dead infant son again (2 Samuel 12:15-18). King David wept and pleaded in prayer for
his son. But when his baby died, David
confessed his confidence in seeing the
boy again and comforted his wife.
5.
Because
Scripture makes a distinction between original sin and actual sins. The Bible clearly teaches that we are all
born with a sin nature as a result of being descended from Adam (Romans
5:12). This is what is called the
doctrine of original sin. However there
is a distinction between original sin and actual (or volitional) sins. While all are guilty of original sin, moral
responsibility and understanding is necessary for our being accountable for
actual sins (James 4:17; Isaiah 7:16).
6.
Jesus
affirmed that the kingdom of God belonged to little children (Luke 18:15-17). In this passage in Luke we are called to a
childlike faith for salvation, which seems to imply children are in
heaven. Jesus loves little children!
It is important to remember that anyone who is saved is
saved because of the grace of God and the saving work of Jesus Christ. Infants need salvation just like all of
mankind who have lived, with the exception of Jesus Christ. Abraham said, “Will not the Judge of all the
earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25). The answer is a wholehearted “YES! God will always do what is right!” I look forward to seeing Rebekah Miller in
heaven again, and I look forward to greeting those who were lost in infancy or
miscarriages.
Wow. I love your clear, concise break down of these reasons. I've often struggled with answering this question. This is very helpful.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement. It is an issue that touches many families.
ReplyDelete