Infants: Do they go to Heaven when they die?
King David, among others, acknowledges that infants are all born sinners because they all inherit a sinful nature.
Psalm 51:5
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. [Emphasis added]
The apostle Paul tells us something similar.
Romans 3:23
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; [Emphasis added]
Romans 5:12-13
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
But now let’s look at the very next verse in that passage.
13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. [Emphasis added]
The reason Jesus Christ was born without a sinful nature is because Joseph was bypassed in the conception. It is always through the father that the sin nature is passed from one generation to the next, not through the mother. Like Joseph, Mary, had a sinful nature. But Mary birthed the baby Jesus as a virgin, without an earthly father being involved, making it possible for her to give birth to a child without a nature to sin.
Matthew 1:18-23
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise [HOUTOS = in this way]: When as his mother Mary was espoused [MNESTEUO = promised in marriage] to Joseph, before they came together [in sexual intercourse], she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away [APOLUO = free or dismiss her of their relationship] privily.
Because they both needed more information about how she’d become pregnant, God provided that information through an angelic visitation.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus [IESUS = savior]: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying [in Isaish 7:14],
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. [Emphasis added]
So, the birth of Jesus was unique. He needed to be born without a sin nature because He would ultimately become the sin-bearer for all mankind to provide us with a way of salvation.
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For he [God the Father] hath made him [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, WHO KNEW NO SIN; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. [Emphasis added]
The law, among other things, serves to make man conscious of his sinfulness. It is because of this that a man, generally speaking, comes to have a sense of right and wrong.
Romans 2:15
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) [Emphasis added]
Knowledge of our sinfulness comes when the law serves somewhat like a mirror to help us see ourselves as we really are. It is when our conscience kicks in that we become not only aware of our sinfulness but also our need for forgiveness and a Savior. That, of course, generally occurs in people of different ages. No two people are the same. But there are all kinds of things people do to address this because no one enjoys feelings of guilt. The list of things people do to rid themselves of the guilt is long and there’s no point in trying to list those things here. However, whether people like to admit it or not, the things people do to remedy their sense of guilt all tend to come under the heading of “religious” activities. By that I don’t necessarily mean Christian activities. People may even think of what they’re doing as Christian when, in reality, it is not. History shows that most people refuse to learn and accept what God did about their sin problem to provide a true solution. God did what He did because of His love for ALL mankind, not just some.
Romans 5:8
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. [Emphasis added]
This came about because He wants all people to be saved [or delivered] from condemnation.
1 Timothy 2:5-6
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. [Emphasis added]
Peter tells us why He did this.
2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing [THELO = desiring or wishing] that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. [Emphasis added]
Because of His desire for all to be saved, He sent a Savior for all.
1 Timothy 2:5-6
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. [Emphasis added]
Doesn’t this include babies or infants? It certainly does! Therefore, the problem of man’s sin has been taken off the table of God’s justice. It is not an issue for salvation. The issue is all to do with what man’s attitude will be concerning the Savior God provided— Jesus Christ.
John 3:16-18
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [Emphasis added]
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For he [God the Father] hath made him [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us [paying the penalty for them all on the cross], who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. [Emphasis added]
Christ satisfied the justice of God by doing this for all mankind, not just believers, as some falsely claim. For more information about this please see my article about it.
Jesus Christ: For whom did He die?
Does His payment for sins include any sins a child may commit? Of course it does! Therefore, again, sin is not the issue in salvation; it is faith in what Christ did about our sins through His death, burial, and resurrection that is the issue. Fortunately for us, God provided a Savior for all of us. In the Bible, that’s spoken of as “the gospel” which means good news. It is by simply accepting this gospel message that people are saved from God’s condemnation.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel [EUAGGELION = the good news] which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: [Emphasis added]
Yes! When anyone chooses to rely on this one work He did for us all, they are then immediately saved. We also find that that person’s salvation is then sealed to be secure forever.
Ephesians 1:13
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, [Emphasis added]
But what about a person who has no knowledge of these things? As we should all know, there are some who are even physically and mentally incapable of knowing or believing these things. Would it be fair for God to still hold them responsible and accountable for something they were UNABLE to do? Even a person with a minimal sense of justice should know the answer to that. Even the English spelling of the word itself tells us something about this—response – able—responsible. Should we be held accountable for something we’re unable to respond to? Again, I think we should all know the answer to that. From the time of the Garden of Eden the way man chooses to exercise his volition toward God and His provision has always been an extremely important issue.
Genesis 2:16-17
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. [Emphasis added]
The same was true in the prophet Joshua’s day. How man chooses to exercise his own volition about this has always been extremely important.
Joshua 24:14-15
14 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. [Emphasis added]
What would be the point of the commands of Scripture if man was UNABLE to respond freely one way or the other? Again, God has always held man accountable for how he chooses to exercise his volition. Here’s one of many examples of that—
Ezekiel 18:23-24
23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?
24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. [Emphasis added]
One of the more famous passages on this is this one—
Galatians 6:7-8
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Again, life for us is all about the decisions we make.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. [Emphasis added]
How man himself chooses is clearly an issue with God. To say that he has no free will choice in matters and that God is actually the one who does all the choosing is clearly false teaching that’s to be rejected by us all.
The idea that parents or some others are to choose for infants through the ritual of infant water baptism is nowhere found in any of the 66 books of the Bible. It is by man’s decisions to obey the commands of Scripture that he gains the blessing of God. One of the most important ones is this one—
2 Timothy 2:15-16
15 Study [SPOUDAZO = be diligent] to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. [Emphasis added]
Can an infant do this? What a foolish question! Is an infant capable of exercising his volition to accept or reject the teachings of Scripture? Would you want to be held accountable for commands you didn’t even understand? The answers to all this are obvious.
In “Old Testament times” Israelites were commanded to circumcise their infants on the eighth day. Did the exercise of that ritual somehow provide the infant with salvation? No, it didn’t! For more information about circumcision, please see my article about it.
Circumcision: Is there anything we should know about it today?
There are those today who believe the rite of circumcision has now been replaced with infant baptism. But where is that taught in the Scriptures? It is not! It is nowhere there to be found. It has always amazed me how so many people don’t seem to care what the Scriptures teach about this and a lot of other things. Instead, they’re pleased to go with the traditional teachings of their church or religious entity they choose. But it is through the revelation of Scripture that we find the manner of life God’s people are to live so as to please Him. Any time someone’s teachings conflict with the teachings of Scripture, they’re to be rejected. This is particularly true with the teachings of the apostle Paul that are the ones specifically addressed to us today. Our Lord dealt with this problem of disobedience in the time of His earthly ministry.
Matthew 15:3
3 But he [Jesus Christ] answered and said unto them [the “religious” leaders of the day], Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? [Emphasis added]
His point was that we’re to let the authority of the Bible give us our norms and standards. This, of course, includes our beliefs about salvation and that of infants.
Conclusion—
It is great news to know that God is perfectly fair.
Deuteronomy 32:4
4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. [Emphasis added]
God only holds us responsible when we’re response – able. It is when a person comes to realize the truth that responsibility kicks in. It is when a person chooses to reject what he knows to be true that he is held responsible and judged for his beliefs.
For even more information about this, please see my article about it—
Accountability: When does it begin?
