QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - Continued

End Times Prophecy Passport

By Chuck Swindoll

Q: Where will those who die as infants spend eternity?

A: The Bible affirms that because of humanity’s physical and spiritual connection to Adam, “all sinned”—including infants, born and unborn (Romans 5:12). Without the gracious intervention of God, all humanity would be condemned forever because of sin. King David penned these words: “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5 NIV). After his newborn son died, David said, “Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Samuel 12:23 NIV). David’s words go beyond affirming the permanence of death to reveal his expectation of future fellowship with his son. David revealed that although babies are sinful from the womb, God still has a place for them in heaven. But how?

An ‘age of accountability” is not specifically found in Scripture; rather, the responsibility to repent of sin is incumbent only upon those who have a knowledge of good and evil—regardless of age (Genesis 2:17; Deuteronomy 1:39; Isaiah 7:15). Christ’s death paid for all sins, and the character of God suggests that grace is applied to those people—like infants and the mentally disabled—who cannot believe in Jesus (Matthew 18:14; Romans 5:18-19). Infants who have died go immediately to heaven with Jesus. But they will also enjoy life on earth one day—when they enter the millennial kingdom with resurrected bodies.

To be continued....