Do babies and others incapable of professing faith in Christ automatically go to heaven?

2 Samuel 12:23; Luke 10:16; John 12:48
Code: QA101

People often wonder about the eternal destiny of the unborn, babies, and those unable to intellectually understand the gospel. That question is a difficult one. Unfortunately, the Bible offers us no explicit answer. However, based on several passages, as well as an understanding of God's character and His dealings with men, we can develop a good idea of how He works in such situations.

Second Samuel 12:23 is one of the passages often quoted to imply that babies go to heaven. Though the verse doesn't explicitly say that, David clearly does expect to one day be reunited with his departed child. Since we know David is a believer whose destiny was heaven, we can infer that his hope of reunion means he expected his child to be in heaven. Thus, 2 Samuel 12:23 suggests strong evidence for a heavenly destiny of the unborn and children who die young.

If this were all we had to support our position, it would be admittedly less than stalwart. However, there are other evidences that point us to the same conclusion. First, the Bible clearly teaches that God cares deeply for children. Passages like Matthew 18:1-6 and 19:13-15 affirm the Lord's love for them. Those verses don't state that children go to heaven, but they do show God's heart toward children. He created and cares for children, and beyond that, He always accomplishes His perfect will in every circumstance.

The psalmist reminds us that God is "full of compassion and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth" (Ps. 86:15). He is the God who became flesh that He might carry our sins away by His death on the cross (2 Cor. 5:21). He is the God who will comfort Christians in heaven, for "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death; nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain" (Rev. 21:4). We can be assured that God will do what is right and loving because He is the standard of rightness and love. Those considerations alone seem to be evidence enough of God's particular, electing love shown to the unborn and those who die young.

However, another point may be helpful in answering this question. While infants and children have neither sensed their personal sin and need for salvation nor placed their faith in Christ, Scripture teaches that condemnation is based on the clear rejection of God's revelation--whether general or specific--not simple ignorance of it (Luke 10:16; John 12:48; 1 Thess. 4:8).

Can we definitely say that the unborn and young children have comprehended the truth displayed by God's general revelation that renders them "without excuse" (Rom. 1:18-20)? They will be judged according to the light they received. Scripture is clear that children and the unborn have original sin--including both the propensity to sin as well as the inherent guilt of original sin. But could it be that somehow Christ's atonement did pay for the guilt for these helpless ones throughout all time? Yes, and therefore it is a credible assumption that a child who dies at an age too young to have made a conscious, willful rejection of Jesus Christ will be taken to be with the Lord.

 What happens to children during and after the rapture?

Selected Scriptures
Code: QA206

People say, "All those little kids!" They’re beautiful and I mean, not only my three up here, but everybody’s, they're just super little, little guys. I can appreciate the rest of the kids more than mine, because I don’t see the other kids when they’re not like they ought to be. You know, I see them up here and they look, you know, all hearts and flowers and everything else. They are beautiful kids, and we love these children, and they mean so much to us. And we say, "Well, what happens in the rapture?" If they’re all here singing a concert, do we all leave and they’re just sort of standing here? What happens to children? It’s a fair question.

The answer to that question is that there is no Scripture that says anything in particular about children in the rapture. But there are some Scriptures that say something about children. There are many in the gospels. Jesus said regarding little children, "Of such is the..." what? "Kingdom of Heaven." Jesus said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not." Jesus said, "These little ones are mine."

Now its my personal conviction, my personal belief that in the rapture every child that is too young to have made a conscience, willful, rebellious, sinful rejection of Jesus Christ will be taken to be with the Lord. I believe that it would be just the same if a little child died before he reached that age; he would instantly go to be with the Lord. David’s little boy died (2 Samuel), he says, "He cannot come to me but I shall go to him." He knew where he was; he knew he was in the presence of God. I believe when the rapture happens all the little kids that are under the age where they made a conscience, willful, sinful, rebellion against God, where they willfully turned their back on him, I believe the Lord will just take them right with us. You say do you believe that about the children of the unsaved parents? Yes, that’s just my personal opinion cause the Bible doesn’t say. But, if Jesus said, "If anybody offends one of these little ones, it would be better for him..." what? "That a millstone were hanged around his neck and he would drown in the sea. He said if anyone offends one of these MY little ones." I think he possesses them. I think they belong to him, and I think they will go in the rapture.

Now those who have grown past the age where, or to the age where they have made a decision, I think if that decision has been against Christ, or if they have never come to know Christ, they’ll be left in the rapture, and perhaps in the grace of God, be a part of the great revival that occurs after the rapture, in coming to the Lord Jesus Christ. But that’s the best we can do with that question. Any unregenerate children, who are old enough to have made that decision, and I don’t know where that age level is, but God does, will be left as any one else would who refused Christ, hopefully to open their heart to Christ in the great revival that occurs during the tribulation recorded in Revelation 7 and chapter 14 as well.