I know of very few issues that have been harder to deal with in ministry than the death of a baby and the unbelievable grief experienced by the parents.  I do not write this article out of personal experience and therefore am not trying to act as though I know what others, who have gone through such a tragedy, may feel.  Rather, I write this article because I am asked often about what happens to babies when they die and want people to be biblically informed in handling these situations.   

When approaching an issue like this it is easy to run to emotional responses or human logic for the sake of comfort, though many times void of biblical evidence.  It is easy to be sentimental rather than biblical.  This is dangerous and unhealthy because one should not “hope something is true” but rather “know something is true” based upon the authority of Scripture.  Therefore, before I share what I believe the Bible teaches concerning infant salvation, let me first expose some of the false beliefs that many have embraced. 

False Belief #1:  Babies go to heaven because they are innocent (Pelagianism).

I have heard many who hold to an age of accountability [a term that I am not a fan of, nor use] share that they believe that children are “innocent” until they reach a certain age.  Then at a certain age they become accountable for sin.  This is far from a biblical understanding of original sin and is, in fact, an early church heresy known as Pelagianism [the belief that human beings are born morally innocent].   

The biblical reality is that no one is born innocent [minus Jesus], no not one!  No one is righteous (Rom 3), we are by nature children of wrath (Eph 2), and we are born in sin (Psalm 51).  [Other Scriptures: 1 Kings 8:46, Psalm 143:2, 1 Jn 1:8, Psalm 58:3]  So regardless about what one believes about the salvation of infants, one cannot biblically argue that babies are innocent. 

False Belief #2:  Babies go to heaven because everyone goes to heaven (Universalism).

Though not as common in evangelical circles, there are certainly some who would say that because God is a loving God he would not send anyone to hell, particular babies.  Of course this is a false view of God’s love.  God’s love is not expressed in his willingness to overlook sin and accept everybody, but in his willingness to offer his own Son so that by faith we can enter into a right relationship with God. 

The Bible is clear that not everyone will go to heaven (in fact the majority won’t).  Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

There are many other texts [Matthew 13:37-42, Luke 16, 2 Thess 1:9, Rev 20] that teach against universalism, namely the idea that all will go to heaven.  So one cannot make the argument that babies go to heaven because “God is so loving he would never do something like that.”

[One should be reminded that God is just regardless.  We do not define what is "right" and "wrong," God does.  So the idea that man, a created being, says to God, the Creator, "You can never do _______ and be just" is the clay telling the potter what to do.]

False Belief #3:  Babies go to heaven if they are “baptized” as infants (Paedo-baptism).

Some would argue that babies who have been sprinkled go to heaven because “baptism” removes original sin.  (I place baptism here in “” because I would argue that baptism is only a believer by immersion and therefore “infant baptism” is a contradiction in terms, but that’s for another article )  Luther believed that baptism “worketh forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil,” Catholicism teaches that “by baptism one enters into the kingdom of God and into the sphere of the saving work of Christ.”  Even Augustine believed that paedo-baptism released the baby from original sin [I have written a length article on Augustine’s view of baptism if you are interested]. 

The problem here is that the Bible teaches that “entering the Kingdom of God” or “being forgiven of sin” is something that is conditioned upon faith and union with Christ.  “For God so loved the world…and whoever believes will not perish (John 3:16).” “Whoever believes in him will have eternal life (John 6:35).”  “If you confess with you mouth and believe in your heart (Rom 10:17).”  In fact, the entire book of Galatians is an argument that those who inherit the blessings of Abraham are those who like Abraham believe in the promised seed (Gal 3).  [See also John 3:3, Titus 3:5]

In light of this, all baptisms in Scripture are believers who are immersed.  Therefore, in my opinion, the issue of infant “baptism” is no biblical solution at all and does not assure the baby of heaven.  In fact, such a process can give false hope to parents who assume that “because their baby was ‘baptized’” he or she is secure.  Such an approach bypasses the clear biblical teaching of personal faith in union with the death and resurrection of our Lord Christ. 

False Belief #4:  Babies go to heaven because they are given the opportunity to believe after they die.

I will not expound on this for there is simply no biblical evidence to warrant such a belief.  A relationship with Jesus Christ is a prerequisite for heaven, not something that follows it.   This position was held by Gregory of Nyssa, who claimed that all, regardless of age, would have an opportunity to believe after death. The Bible simple does not teach such a belief. 

What I believe the Bible teaches concerning babies going to heaven.

I have tried to be biblically faithful to this point, demonstrating that all are born in sin, all must have faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, and only in Jesus Christ can that forgiveness be realized.  It would seem then that I would be arguing against the salvation of infants.  However, such a conclusion would be invalid. 

In addition to the previously mentioned claims, the Bible also teaches that the judgment of God will be based upon the “deeds done in the body" (2 Cor 5:10, Matthew 16:27).  In other words, we are born in sin and as we grow will act out in rebellion towards God because of the sinful, depraved nature inherited in Adam.  When we are exposed to the General Revelation of God (law of God in our hearts and God revealed in creation) we will suppress the truth and live for our own desires (see Romans 1-3 for more on this). 

So you have two parts here: 1) Humans are born sinful, 2) Humans will act in rebellion towards God because of that sin when exposed to the General Revelation of God.  Therefore, as Paul states, man is “without excuse" (Rom 1:20).  Babies (and mentally handicapped), however, never make it to step 2.  In other words, they never advance to the stage where they act out in rebellion against the General Revelation of God.  They simple do not have the cognitive or moral capacities to do so.  This does not mean that they are born innocent; they simple never act on their guilt. 

[The emphasis on the rejection of the General Revelation of God is key here because in my view this is what separates babies from those who live in other countries and have never heard the gospel.  They, unlike babies, have rejected the General Revelation of God and are without excuse therefore subjecting them to the judgment of God.]

Though we are born in Adam’s sin, we must answer for our own personal, willful acts of rebellion towards God, something that infants have not done.  As a result, I would argue that babies/infants do not face the condemning judgment of God.  In light of Luke 18:16 where Jesus says, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” I believe that babies are objects of the mercy of Christ, purchased through the cross of Christ, therefore avoiding the condeming Judgment of Christ. 

So in summary, are babies born in sin? Yes.  Do they act on that sin? No.  As a result, they are received into heaven through the atoning work of Christ. 

When we deal with the death of infants we do not run to false beliefs, unbiblical claims, or mere sentimental appeals, for none of these can offer us hope.  For our hope must be rooted in the word of God and the work of our Christ, the One who gave His life for the old…and the young.

Pastor Wes