DO CHILDREN GO TO HEAVEN ?

[PaulCyp1]

Spirit and soul are what differentiate a human being from an intelligent animal. A baby is fully human - body, soul and spirit - from the moment of conception.

 

[Daniel Martinovich]

I was having this discussion with a brother yesterday ! He asked me if I thought children went to heaven : So I gave him the verse that came to my mind and it was : Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven : So I said to him that a baby obviously has not been born again because he is just too young! I askef him if there were any verses that specifically state that a baby has a spirit : we could not find any : or verses that say babies go to heaven ! Both of us don't believe that babies go to hell though we could not find a single verse that specifically states this so there it is : what saist thou ?

The scripture says without the spirit the flesh and blood body is dead.
Also says God breathed the spirit into Adam,Eve and the animals.
Says seven times in Ecclesiastes that animals have spirits. So yes it indirectly says babies have spirits. They would not be human beings if they did not nor would their flesh and blood body’s be alive if they did not.
Babies are not accountable for sin because they don’t know how to choose right from wrong.

 

[Jenniferdiana]

what do you mean baby, if you mean a newborn baby, a newborn baby cant speak or understand anything so they cant sin with their mouth or whatever, they usually only kick their feet and smile or sleep and cry. to me that is innocency lol it is an interesting question though...

 

[Bible Highlighter]

The only babies who do not have eternal life are those babies who will grow up to be adults in the future so as to worship the beast. For those who worship the beast in the future never had their names written in the book of life since the foundation of the world (See Revelation 13:8 and Revelation 17:8). However, all other babies have eternal life, until they grow up and fall into sin (Whereby they then need a Savior, i.e. Jesus Christ).

 

[RaymondG]

Yes. This is what the Parable of the Prodigal Son is all about. We were once in the father's favor as a baby and when we grew up and went prodigal (By having the knowledge on our own to sin), we eventually in time then came back to the Lord (willing to repent or to seek the Lord's forgiveness) and be renewed (born again) and saved again back to the Father and his care.

For the father said two times in the Parable that his son was "dead" and is "alive again."

Now, how can he be alive again if he was never really dead physically?
Well, the parable is talking in spiritual terms (of course).
The prodigal son was spiritually dead when he was living in sin (i.e. when he was prodigal) and only when he came back home and when he repented (i.e. seeking forgiveness) was he said to be... "alive again" or "found."

Is there an age where you stop being saved and start being destined to hell if you do not repent?

 

[1213]

...Both of us don't believe that babies go to hell though we could not find a single verse that specifically states this so there it is : what saist thou ?

I don’t know who goes to heaven, but I know who gets eternal life.

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Mat. 25:46

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

I believe that baby could be counted righteous, but I don’t know who is really righteous.

 

[dreadnought]

I was having this discussion with a brother yesterday ! He asked me if I thought children went to heaven : So I gave him the verse that came to my mind and it was : Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven : So I said to him that a baby obviously has not been born again because he is just too young! I askef him if there were any verses that specifically state that a baby has a spirit : we could not find any : or verses that say babies go to heaven ! Both of us don't believe that babies go to hell though we could not find a single verse that specifically states this so there it is : what saist thou ?

I believe that everyone who has repented of their sin is already in heaven.

 

[miknik5]

I was having this discussion with a brother yesterday ! He asked me if I thought children went to heaven : So I gave him the verse that came to my mind and it was : Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven : So I said to him that a baby obviously has not been born again because he is just too young! I askef him if there were any verses that specifically state that a baby has a spirit : we could not find any : or verses that say babies go to heaven ! Both of us don't believe that babies go to hell though we could not find a single verse that specifically states this so there it is : what saist thou ?

“Their angels always behold the FATHER’s face” (look up that verse)


They are closer to GOD than we are.

 

[miknik5]

There is also the account of David crying over his baby son.

(Look into that account also)


Babies are in heaven

 

[Loren T.]

Romans 9:18-20 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. (19) You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” (20) But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

One of the most misused portions of scripture right there. Look up the passages Paul is referring, to, Jeremiah 18 and and Exodus 33 and you will get a clearer picture of what he is talking about. Hint: The one who is saying "Who can resist his will" is not Paul and it's not the reader. The overall context here is God bringing salvation to the gentiles through the Jews rebellion. The hardened Jew is asking why God still blames him for his sin if he is going to use it to reach the gentiles. Also see Romans three for a parallel passage that covers some of the same ground.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Is there an age where you stop being saved and start being destined to hell if you do not repent?

The age of accountability is different for each child.

While the following article (via the link below) is not a rule book or Bible, it does help us to understand where a child might be held accountable for his actions by God.

http://www.momjunction.com/articles/stages-of-moral-development-in-children_0082017/#gref

While I could be wrong, my gut tells me that for most: It is at the teenager years whereby a soul may be held accountable because they have more of an adequate sense of the world around them and they start to question whether there is a God or not. In a sense, at the teenage years, they are starting to become more like adults in their thinking.

 

[Strong in Him]

Romans 9:18-20 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills,

Yes, and I believe that God wills to show mercy to everyone, because he is love.
NOT, that everyone will be saved; but that as many people as possible get to hear the Gospel, and everyone who hears it, is given an opportunity to respond.

Jesus said that God is a loving, heavenly Father, Luke 11:11-13, and that he is perfect, Matthew 5:48.
John says that God IS love, 1 John 4:8.
What father would say of his children; "I made you, you died before you could know me, so I'm condemning you for not knowing me - even though it wasn't your choice not to know me"? We wouldn't give such a man "Father of the year"; we'd most likely report them for abuse/neglect. Why think that of God?

 

[JoeP222w]

Yes, and I believe that God wills to show mercy to everyone, because he is love.
NOT, that everyone will be saved; but that as many people as possible get to hear the Gospel, and everyone who hears it, is given an opportunity to respond.

Jesus said that God is a loving, heavenly Father, Luke 11:11-13, and that he is perfect, Matthew 5:48.
John says that God IS love, 1 John 4:8.
What father would say of his children; "I made you, you died before you could know me, so I'm condemning you for not knowing me - even though it wasn't your choice not to know me"? We wouldn't give such a man "Father of the year"; we'd most likely report them for abuse/neglect. Why think that of God?

No one goes to Hell for not knowing God. I never claimed that. They go to Hell for their sins against Him and He grants them justice. It is only by God's grace, mercy and sovereign election that anyone at all is saved. And not because they are given the opportunity, it is because God's grace is effectual and sufficient and completes what He sets His grace to do.

Yes, God is love, but that is not His only attribute. He has a righteous and holy wrath against sin and sinners.

Psalms 5:5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
Psalms 7:11 God judges the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.


And since everyone is born in Adam by nature, they are all born into sin. Does not mean that they are as evil as they can be, but no one is righteous before God, in and of themselves.

Romans 3:10-12 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; (11) no one understands; no one seeks for God. (12) All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

No age limit there. Nothing about knowing God or not knowing Him. Moreover:

Romans 1:18-20 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (19) For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. (20) For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Romans 5:12-17 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— (13) for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. (14) Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. (15) But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. (16) And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. (17) For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

 

[bling]

If babies do not sin they do not need to be saved, but are in a save condition. The sinner needs salvation. The Bible does not address those in a save condition.

 

[Blade]

age of accountability... i can understand that. Baptized go right to heaven? Yeah.. no.. not written. If we were blind we would have no sin. We say we see our sin remains. Abortion.. babies are born into sin like everyone else. Christ already died rose praise GOD for the sins of the world..took them away. What sin is God going to judge them on that made it past Christ?

Hard to judge them on the way the truth and life when they being babies or adult never hard vs them that have heard and rejected. Seems the only way out of this is to let GOD be GOD. And toss them in to HIS arms and relax.. Have faith

 

[Der Alte]

Do children and infants go to heaven?

Romans 4:15
(15) because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
Romans 5:13
(13) To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone's account where there is no law.​

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, No age limit there. Nothing about knowing God or not knowing Him.

Well, sometimes it is just more than what is on the page, my friend. God wants us to think with our heart, too. Please do not take this the wrong way, but I believe there is something seriously wrong with a person's moral compass if they believe a baby can go to hell. I don't think God needs to write out the actual words that say: "No babies will ever go to hell ever" within the Scriptures in order for a person to get the immoral nature behind an innocent baby being punished in hellfire for something that was beyond it's capabilities.

For example: That would be like kicking your dog across the room for pooping on the carpet when you know the poor animal has an uncontrollable pooping problem (because it is sick). It would be cruel to do that. Well, you should be aware that it would be cruel to do that. You shouldn't need a guide book telling that such a thing is wrong.

Romans 3 was not written to babies or younger children. It was written to adults. So when Paul says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, he is talking about adults who are able to sin. Babies cannot sin because they do not know right from wrong yet. Yes, I believe the sin of Adam was passed down to all of humanity (including babies), but I believe Jesus Christ will reverse the curse. For by His dying on the cross and by His resurrection, He will be able to set men free from sin for good once and for all by offering man the free gift of salvation (and to save the innocent) and by giving them a new life with a future bodily resurrection. For in Adam, all died, but in Christ, all shall be made alive.

 

[marineimaging]

I was having this discussion with a brother yesterday ! He asked me if I thought children went to heaven : So I gave him the verse that came to my mind and it was : Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven : So I said to him that a baby obviously has not been born again because he is just too young! I askef him if there were any verses that specifically state that a baby has a spirit : we could not find any : or verses that say babies go to heaven ! Both of us don't believe that babies go to hell though we could not find a single verse that specifically states this so there it is : what saist thou ?

I cannot quote you chapter and verse and hope you will pardon me for not. I am at work on break and wanted to answer this way. I knew when I reached the age of responsibility. Nobody told me and nobody called me out. I knew that wakening moment when it happened and I also knew that I wanted, with all of my heart, to be with Christ and not with the world. In that transition I also knew that had I died before that moment I would have been with Christ, but now that I knew the difference between right and wrong the decision I had to make was mine and mine alone. I later learned the teachings of Christ and I do believe that it is well covered in scripture. In that context, what is the difference between a child who does not know right from wrong, and a young adult in their twenties who has been afflicted with palsy or similar where they can't possibly know? Do they all go to hell? No. Our sin is the act of turning our back on God. Rejecting him. Rejecting Jesus. Rejecting and blaspheme of the Holy Spirit. How can a child reject Christ if they have not yet understood right from wrong of their own volition?

 

[Bible Highlighter]

If babies do not sin they do not need to be saved, but are in a save condition. The sinner needs salvation. The Bible does not address those in a save condition.

Babies have the sin of Adam on them (1 Corinthians 15:22) (Romans 5:12) (Psalms 51:5), so they need salvation. They are saved by Christ's death and resurrection if they were to die (John 1:29) (Romans 5:10) (John 14:19). All of humanity is doomed to die physically because of the sin of Adam. But the soul will be saved for a baby because of what Jesus did with His death and resurrection. Jesus will reverse the curse of Adam one day when He resurrects His faithful saints (and the innocent) after the likeness of His resurrection (in the future).

 

[Bible Highlighter]

We also have to understand that man will be judged according to his works, too.

Romans 2:6 says,
"Who will render to every man according to his deeds:"

Revelation 20:12 says,
"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."

So how exactly can a baby be judged by their works?
Babies really cannot bring forth works.