we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died. 2 Cor 5:14
Do babies go to Hell?
Some people have the ridiculous idea that some of them do. But I hope after reading this you will see for yourself that to believe such a notion is beyond comprehension.
If you look at our title scripture you will notice that Paul declares that Christ died for all, thus indicating that ‘all died.’ In other words, Jesus died for us because we all have become ‘dead in our trespasses and sins.’
Now let me ask you this question: What does it mean to die? The simple answer is that it is to cease to be alive. So then, to die implies that a person was once alive, does it not? Of course, it does. You can’t die if you were never alive.
In this passage of scripture, Paul is not speaking about physical life and death, but spiritual life and death. The word ‘death’ means to be separated. Spiritual death is separation from God. Sin separates man from God and from life. If a person continues in this state of spiritual death and never accepts Jesus’ sacrifice for sins, that person will depart to Hell upon their death. But if anyone turns from their sin and puts their faith in the sacrifice that Jesus made, that person has forgiveness and eternal life.
The bible says that sin is breaking God’s law (1Jn 3:4). And we all do it. We ‘all have sinned.’ We are all born with a disposition to sin that we have inherited from our father Adam and sin comes easily to us. As a matter of fact, we start sinning from childhood. Children tend to lie and take and hit and act selfishly and so on. And because of this fact, some people have come to the conclusion that even children must be spiritually dead.
But are they?
No. Let me explain why.
Even though young children sin, their sin is not counted against them.
sin is not imputed when there is no law. Rom 5:13.
When the mind is not developed to the point of being able to understand the difference between right and wrong, sin is not held against that person by God. This is common sense and understood even in human courts. There is no law for the person that physically can’t understand it. No one is responsible for what they genuinely can’t understand. If you told your dog to stay in the yard without chaining him up or putting up a fence, would it be his fault that he left the yard? Of course not. Your ‘law’ is irrelevant because the mind of the dog is incapable of understanding it. The same is true for children, especially infants! Only when the mind is developed to the point of understanding the law is the child responsible for it. This is common sense and biblical:
I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. Rom 7:9
So you can see that Paul was spiritually alive at one point in his life until ‘the commandment came.’ This verse certainly refers to the point in his life when he finally became old enough to understand the law of God. Paul grew up in a Jewish household where the law was taught to him every day. Certainly, Paul does not mean that the law came to him in the sense that it wasn’t there in the early parts of his life. It was there, but the ‘commandment came’ when it came in it’s full force to his understanding. It was at that point that ‘sin revived’ and he died. If Paul would have physically died before ‘the commandment came’ he would have died in a state of spiritual life.
Considering all this, we can see the biblical reason that babies do not go to hell. It’s foolish to think that you have to baptize a baby for him or her to go to heaven. No, God does not count sin against those that cannot understand His law.
David confirms this when speaking about his infant son who tragically died shortly after birth:
“I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” – 2 Sam 12:23
The death of a child is very tragic. God’s plan is for us to live a full life here first, and then depart to Glory. But because of this fallen world and because of a fierce enemy, sometimes tragedy strikes. However, we can be assured that any child who dies in his innocence will meet us in our heavenly country when our life on earth is complete.
So rest assured that if you have ever had a young child or infant that passed away that God is caring for him or her. This should be even more of a motivation for you to finish your course here on earth so that you can be sure to be with them when your time has come.
More verses to consider:
John 9:41
Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would have no sin. But now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.
John 15:22
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin. But now they have no excuse for their sin.
Deuteronomy 1:39
Moreover, your little ones, who you said would be a prey, and your children, who in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in, and to them will I give it, and they shall possess it.
Matthew 18:3-4
and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself like this little child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 19:14
But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them. For to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
James 4:17
Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, it is sin.
Ezekiel 18:20
The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the punishment of the iniquity of the father, nor shall the father bear the punishment of the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
Isaiah 7:15
Curds and honey he shall eat at the time that he knows enough to refuse the evil and choose the good.
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