Question:
I have always
been told if
a person dies
before the age
of accountability,
they automatically
go to heaven–
including aborted
babies and the
mentally handicapped.
Is there any
exact scriptural
evidence?
Answer:
We begin with
Part 3 of this
emotionally
charged question.
First we examined
the problem
that no scripture
explicitly addresses
this issue.
Last week we
considered the
personality
of God. Today
we consider
the possibilities.
We
may not see
chapter and
verse that adamantly
or precisely
addresses the
subject of babies
automatically
going to heaven,
but we can be
dogmatic about
the fact that
God always does
what is right.
Revelation 16:7
declares, “Yes,
O Lord God,
the Almighty,
righteous and
true are Your
judgments.”
The Bible also
says, “Love
is from God,
for God is love”
(1 Jn 4:7‑8).
Jesus did say
concerning children,
“The kingdom
of heaven belongs
to such as these”
(Mat 19:4).
Such as these
means of this
sort, and of
this sort were
the children.
That
is enough for
me to hold on
to a strong
hope and a calm
confidence that
we will see
a daughter we
named Becky
Kusner, who
died one hour
after being
born. With a
son named Tom,
we were beginning
to look a bit
like “The Adventures
of Tom Sawyer.”
Although
explicit scripture
on this subject
doesn’t exist,
I know “The
Lord is good,
and He knows
all those who
put their trust
in Him” (Nahum
1:7).
I
live like God
is for me because
He says He is.
(See Rom 8:31.)
And I can live
with the fact
that God’s grace
is sufficient
for me because
he has never,
ever, let me
down. I love
Him; but most
of all He loves
me, and He loves
you, too. Besides
all that, it
would be thoroughly
consistent with
God’s character
to allow babies
or mentally
handicapped
folks, who cannot
understand their
sinful nature
or need for
the Savior,
into heaven.
Paul
wrote, “These
things happened
to Israel as
an example,
and were written
for our instruction”
(1Cor 10:11).
When Israel
rebelled against
God’s direction
to enter the
Promised Land,
He said, “The
little ones
that you said
would be taken
captive, who
do not know
good from evil,
they will enter
the land” (Deut
1:39). God’s
example in this
text reveals
the possibility
that children
were not held
accountable.
These
scriptures make
it difficult
to understand
how God could
say these things
and then demand
children be
baptized or
be sent to limbo
or hell. God
is quoted in
Ezekiel saying,
“The soul that
sinneth, it
shall die” (Eze
18:20). It’s
not the sin
of Adam which
I inherit, but
his fallen sin
nature which
leads me to
commit my own
sin.
Well,
I hope this
helps. Parts
one through
three can be
found at the
Web site below.
Matthew
18:10
Reach
Pastor Huck
at calvarycorner.com
