Morristown Elder Position Paper: The Eternal Fate of Babies, Infants, the Unborn, and Other Special Needs
As part of our desire to serve the church and offer clarity on commonly-asked questions, our elders study, discuss, and form a summary position on various topics.
The question of where the unborn, infants, children, and those with other special needs who perish will spend eternity is complex and emotionally charged, and rightfully so. Moms and dads, caregivers, friends, and churches care deeply about this question because of their deep care for their beloved. We believe the Bible affirms that those in these categories will spend eternity in heaven. But, as with any other question, it’s best not to begin with sentimentality. Worse, we should never base our theology on our human understanding; for instance, we may say “I could never serve a God who…” We must be careful to say what the Bible says.
That said, we affirm God’s nature is one of both grace and justice. God punishes the sin of those who intentionally turn away from Him. No one goes to hell who has not consciously rejected his offer of grace through the cross of Jesus Christ. As a loving and just God, we believe his nature is to see and know the lack of understanding possessed by an infant and to thus respond with a heavenly reward for this short life.
Conscious rejection of Jesus may mean a mental and verbal denial of his claims, or it may be a refusal to submit to what is obvious in nature (see Romans 1:20). A child who dies is without the understanding required to be “without excuse” has not rejected Jesus. He or she is then included in his gracious act of dying in the place of sinners.
But, what about Adam’s sin? We believe sin in passed, or imputed, to all people through the sin of our first parents Adam and Eve. Life begins at conception, and at conception we receive this “original sin.” Further, no one is saved apart from the righteousness of Christ being passed, or imputed, to them. So, we conclude Jesus’s death is sufficient to cover the sin of those who perish before their understanding is developed.
A few other passages give further support to this position. One, David’s confidence that he will see his dead son again implies we will be reunified with the very young who have gone before us (2 Samuel 12:15-23). Two, the promise that the next generation will enter the Promised Land in Deuteronomy 1:39 reveals a principle that there are innocent generations who do not incur God’s wrath.
These same arguments apply to situations involving the unborn, both “lost pregnancies” and the aborted, to infants, to young children, and even to those who may live longer but suffer with special mental and/or physical conditions. And, it is for these reasons we affirm God’s gracious gift of salvation through Jesus in all these circumstance.
