Austin's Blog

[THIS IS A LONG ARTICLE INTENDED TO OFFER AN EXTENDED DISCUSSION ON A DEEPLY IMPORTANT THEOLOGICAL AND PASTORAL ISSUE.]

Why do I believe infants, small children, and severely handicapped people go to Heaven when they die? This is easily one of the most emotionally charged discussions one can have. The death of any man is a terrible thing. The death of a child is a tragedy beyond words. Furthermore, this is one of those practical questions that shake us to our core. If you are a Christian ministering to a broken and fallen world, eventually someone is going to ask you this question. This is not a theoretical question for many people. This is the most important question they have in light of their circumstances. This is one of the most important questions I have ever asked, given the early death of my precious son. There really are only three answers to this question: to Heaven, to Hell, and agnosticism. My answer is a definitive, “They immediately go to Heaven.”

I will admit that Scripture never speaks directly to this question. There is no chapter of Scripture where the context is clearly aimed at answering this question. Yet, that does not mean we cannot deduce the answer from indirect statements and teachings. The Westminster Confession of Faith 1:6 says, “The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture.” Not everything we believe as Christians is taught explicitly but believed because we can reason to them from Scripture’s other explicit teachings. I believe the heavenly state of infants, small children, and the severely handicapped who die fit into this category. Why do I believe they are in Heaven?

First, Scripture teaches there is a time in one’s life where children are viewed or treated as innocent, not being able to tell right from wrong. They are not culpable for their actions because they lack the ability to know right and wrong (neither bearing the weight of Adam’s sin nor their own). God treats them accordingly because of the work of Christ. Moses describes children as having no knowledge of good or evil (Deut. 1:37-39). There are other passages that may imply or hint that infants and young children are reckoned as possessing relative innocence (Isa. 7:14-17; Ezek. 28:15; Rom. 7:7-11, 9:10-11). Pilgram Marpeck writes, “We excuse young, innocent children from guilt and the remnants of their inheritance through none other than Christ . . . [for] the wrath of God is not upon such children until they reach understanding, that is, the common knowledge of good and evil.” There’s a strong notion of corporate, covenantal responsibility taught throughout the Scriptures, but there are also passing statements about special classes of people who are treated or reckoned differently.

Second, children are treated differently in judgment according to Scripture. In 1 Kings 14, Jeroboam and all his family are being judged by the Lord. His whole family line would be broken, judged, and refused a proper burial with one exception–Jeroboam’s infant son. The infant is spared the humiliation from a lack of proper burial because “…in him there is found something pleasing to the Lord (1 Kings 14:12-13).” Again, in Numbers 14, God is judging the Israelites for grumbling against Him in the wilderness. Because of their sin, those who grumbled would be judged by God and not allowed to enter the Promiseland. Only Caleb, Joshua, and all the Israelite children would be spared the judgment. The children are deemed innocent within the matter entirely. God treated them different from the adults (Num. 14:26-33).

Third, Jesus extolled children as examples of those the kingdom of heaven is for. He says in Matthew 19:14, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” The kingdom of heaven belongs to them. Jesus was radical in how he treated and taught about children. In Matthew 18:1-6, Jesus argues that you must become like a child to enter into the kingdom of Heaven. He goes on to say, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” Jesus receives the child when they die. Jesus even says that angels assigned to children, “…continually see the face of my father in heaven (Matt. 18:10).” He seems to treat children differently with a special love and care.

Fourth, twice the Old Testament describes the state of infants who pass away as going to a place of rest. As Job is lamenting his devastating suffering, he says in Job 3:16-19, ”Or why was I not as a hidden stillborn child, as infants who never see the light? There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary are at rest. There the prisoners are at ease together; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster. The small and the great are there, and the slave is free from his master.” The writer of Ecclesiastes also makes a passing comment about infants being at rest in death. Ecclesiastes 6:3-5 says, “If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life’s good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he.” The point within these two passages is that the infants find rest, not torment.

Fifth, God seems to consistently save children of believers. Dr. Wayne A. Grudem has pointed out that it is a frequent pattern in the Scriptures that God saves the children of those who believe in him (Gen. 7:1; Heb. 11:7; Josh. 2:18; Psa. 103:17; John 4:53; Acts 2:39, 11:14 (?) ,16:31, 18:8; 1 Cor. 1:16, 7:14; Titus 1:6). These passages do not provide conclusive proof of infant salvation, but they do indicate that God’s ordinary pattern, the “normal” or expected way in which he acts, is to bring children of believers to himself. If God would show such mercy to believers who have children who live, how much more can we infer about children who die prematurely? It would seem in light of the fatherhood of God that He would save all the children who die in infancy.

Sixth, child sacrifice was an affront to the Lord because the children belonged to Him. One of the vilest acts recorded in Scripture is child sacrifice in which a pagan believed that the sacrificing of his son or daughter placated a deity. This is one of many practices the Israelites were warned against. Worshiping false gods led to debase and dehumanizing actions. Occasionally and tragically, when an Israelite leader abandoned the covenant, this practice followed. The prophets do not just record this in a blasé fashion as if it is an accepted norm—they condemn the practice. Of relevance for the present discussion are Ezekiel’s condemnations of the practice. In an extended allegory concerning Israel’s unfaithfulness, the LORD asked, “And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your whorings so small a matter that you slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering by fire to them? (Ezek. 16:20-21).” Whose children were they? They belonged to the Lord. Again in chapter 23, the prophet said, “For they [Israel & Samaria] have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery, and they have even offered up to them for food the children whom they had borne to me (Ezek. 23:37).” Jeremiah goes even further calling the children who were sacrificed to false gods “the innocents (Jer. 19:4-5).”

Seventh, John the Baptist and possibly David were regenerated from the womb. Luke 1:4-5 says, “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.” David even said that “Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God (Psa. 22:9-10).” David and John could not exercise faith and yet they were spiritually alive very early on. God’s applying Christ’s death to those who cannot believe would seem consistent with His love and mercy.

Eighth, judgment seems to be based upon knowledge and actions. In Romans 1:18-32, Paul is bringing all the Gentiles under God’s just condemnation. Within his argument, he said that all men are without excuse because they can clearly see and respond to God’s attributes within the creation. They are said to do the following: suppress the truth (vs. 18), know stuff because God has shown it (vs. 19), clearly perceive certain attributes (vs. 20), know certain things about God (vs. 21), know, thank, and honor God (vs. 21), claim to be wise (vs. 22), become foolish in their thinking (vs. 23), and commit idolatry in their hearts and mind (vs. 23). Judgment seems to be based upon the knowledge given and a person’s response to that knowledge. How does this apply to infants? John Piper writes, “God only executes this judgment on those who have the natural capacity to see his glory and understand his will, and refuse to embrace it as their treasure. Infants, I believe, do not yet have that capacity; and therefore, in God’s inscrutable way, he brings them under the forgiving blood of his Son.” Even Jesus taught that sufficient knowledge and rejection of that knowledge is what makes one blameworthy and guilty before God (John 9:40-41, 15:21-24).

Ninth, an infant would lack the understanding of why they were suffering in Hell, which seems unjust. God is a loving God who has made us in His image. I cannot imagine God treating infants in such a manner without it offending my moral sensibilities. R.A. Webb writes, “[If a deceased infant] were sent to hell on no other account than that of original sin, there would be a good reason to the divine mind for the judgment, but the child’s mind would be a perfect blank as to the reason of its suffering. Under such circumstances, it would know suffering, but it would have no understanding of the reason for its suffering. It could not tell its neighbor – it could not tell itself – why it was so awfully smitten; and consequently the whole meaning and significance of its sufferings, being to it a conscious enigma, the very essence of penalty would be absent, and justice would be disappointed of its vindication. Such an infant could feel that it was in hell, but it could not explain, to its own conscience, why it was there.” The Bible tells us that “God is Love (1 John 4:8).” It would just seem out of character for a loving God to send an infant to Hell for all eternity without the ability to even understand right from wrong.

Tenth, David believed he would see his infant son in Heaven one day. In 2 Samuel 12:19-23, David is told his baby would die because of the consequences of his own actions. Before the child passes, he weeps, fasts, and prays. David notices the servants whispering because they did not want to inform him that the child had passed. The story records, “And David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.” Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” David had confidence that he would see his child one day after he died. Some have said that David and the Jewish people in general did not have a systematic concept of the afterlife and David meant merely that he would go to the grave like his son. This is clearly refuted when one reads Davidic psalms and realizes that David had full confidence in seeing God face-to-face when he died. Furthermore, David’s statement makes no sense if he merely means he will die just like the child. What comfort or joy would that bring?

Eleventh, an innumerable multitude from every tribe, nation, and tongue will be present around the throne in worship at the end. Revelation 7:9-10 says, “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Many tribes, nations, and tongues have perished ever before the Gospel reached them. How will they be present? It is likely the case that infants and children would have gone to heaven after their premature deaths.

Twelfth, the Bible describes God as having intimate knowledge of us before we are ever born. David extols the Lord in Psalm 139:13-16 saying, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them (Psa. 139:13-16).” If God has such personal, intimate, and deep love of infants in utero, it seems reasonable to assume that His love neither waxes or wanes when they come to Him through death.

Thirteenth, Matthew’s quotation of Jeremiah 31 in the account of the massacre of the innocents in chapter 2:16-18 holds out the promise of infant salvation. In the account, Herod knew that the Messiah was to overthrow the oppressive regime and reign as a king in Jerusalem. That meant that his inglorious rule was to come to an end. To prevent such matters, he murdered the babies of Bethlehem. Despite the context being different (exile versus child loss), Matthew quotes Jeremiah 31 because the pain of the children being murdered was like the pain the Israelites felt during the exile in Babylon. They often would even lose their children in the process of exile. Oftentimes when New Testament writers quote the Old, they highlight a verse but assume the whole passage. The Lord promises those bereaved mothers in exile that, “Thus says the Lord: Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work, declares the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope for your future, declares the Lord, and your children shall come back to their own country (Jer 31:16-17).” This appears to be an eschatological promise that those mothers would have their children in the end. Their arms wouldn’t always be empty, even though that was the case in their earthly lives.

Fourteenth, the arguments against this position are unconvincing. People usually need to express conscious faith in Jesus Christ to appropriate and receive the benefits of His work. Infants, young children, and the handicapped cannot do such a thing. Therefore, some argue they are cut off from His saving work and condemned. How would I respond to this argument? God is sovereign. Faith is a gift of God (Phil. 1:29; Eph. 2:8-10; Acts 13:48; John 6:37; Rom. 9:15-18; 2 Tim. 2:25; John 1:13; 1 John 5:1) that He can sovereignly bestow upon them. R.C. Sproul Jr. notes, “Babies are guilty, and there is only one way in. The good news is that God is able to give the gift of faith to whomever He pleases… Yes, that faith must have an object. There is content that we must believe. But it is believing that content, not expressing that belief that puts us in union with Christ.” David says in Psalm 8:2 that, “Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have ordained praise…” Jesus quotes this Psalm in Matthew 21:16. Randy Alcorn notes, “The inclusion of infants is significant because they would not be conscious of giving praise; it would have to be something instinctive.”

Furthermore, the Bible teaches a doctrine of unconditional election that says before history began in eternity God sovereignly chooses those whom He will save irrespective of anything within them. It seems completely reasonable to believe God does this with all those who die early, young deaths. Theologian B.B. Warfield writes, “Their destiny is determined irrespective of their choice, by an unconditional decree of God, suspended for its execution on no act of their own; and their salvation is wrought by an unconditional application of the grace of Christ to their souls, through the immediate and irresistible operation of the Holy Spirit prior to and apart from any action of their own proper wills . . . This is but to say that they are unconditionally predestined to salvation from the foundation of the world.” Another argument is pointing out the notion that even infants share in Adam’s guilt and sin and are not really innocent. I would agree that no one is innocent (Rom. 3:23) but this position is built not upon infants being truly innocent but upon the notion that God offers a special administration of grace wherein He imputes the work of Christ to infants, young children, and the handicapped.

For these reasons, it seems to be the case that God saves all infants, young children, and the deeply mentally impaired. I agree with Pastor John MacArthur who writes, “So here’s a final summary: all children who die before they reach the condition of accountability, by which they convincingly understand their sin and corruption and embrace the gospel by faith, are graciously saved eternally by God through the work of Jesus Christ, being elect by sovereign choice, innocent of willful sin, rebellion, and unbelief, by which works they would be justly condemned to eternal punishment. So, when an infant dies, he or she is elect to eternal salvation and eternal glory.”

I want to close this article answering two other practical questions: 1) Why does the Bible not speak more directly to this issue? And 2) What if I’m not saved myself? On the first, I must honestly answer with, “I don’t know.” A cumulative case can obviously be built but the Bible never flatly says, “All infants, young children, and deeply handicapped people automatically go to Heaven when they die.” Randy Alcorn surmises the following answer: “If children do go to Heaven when they die, why doesn’t God tell us that directly? It may be that he anticipates the twisted logic and rationalization it might foster in us. It might take from us the sense of urgency to see our children come to faith in Christ. It might cause us to be less concerned about the sacred God—given task of extending physical and financial help to the underprivileged and getting the gospel to children around the world. We must do what God has called us to do, which includes protecting, rescuing, feeding, evangelizing, and discipling children. In Heaven, both we and they will be grateful for all we did on their behalf.” Maybe he is correct.

Concerning the second question, salvation is open to you. In Charles Spurgeon’s great sermon on infant salvation, he admonishes unbelieving parents to not miss Heaven themselves. He says of bereaved mothers that “…from the battlements of heaven your child beckons you to Paradise.” He says of bereaved fathers, “…the little eyes that once looked joyously on you, look down upon you now, and the lips which had scarcely learned to call you father, they were sealed by the silence of death, may be heard as with a still small voice, saying to you this morning, ‘Father, must we be forever divided by the great gulf [death] which no man can pass?’” We yearn and long for our children with everything within us. This is Heaven calling to you. This is an invitation from the King of Heaven, Jesus Christ. J. Vernon McGee writes, “The Great Shepherd of the sheep, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, has reached into the flock and He has picked up your little lamb. He did not do it to rob you but to lead you out and upward. He has richer and greener pastures for you, and He wants you to follow. Will you follow Him?”