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Age of
Accountability
Is My Child in Heaven?
Some people say that there is an age when children become accountable for their actions.
But the Bible does not mention an "age of
accountability."
Children are culpable for sin when they draw their first
breath, but are they accountable at that moment as well? I don't think so.
We must make a distinction between culpability (liability
for their sin nature) and accountability (liability for their sinful actions).
Isaiah said, "For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and
choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her
kings" (Isaiah 7:16).
It's evident that little children do not have the ability
to make moral decisions and to take responsibility for their sins.
Still, they are sinners and need a Savior. Perhaps the
"age of accountability" should be called "the age of moral
awareness."
Children come to a point where they become morally aware;
that is, they understand what's right and what's wrong.
So, what happens if your child dies before he is aware of
what is morally right or wrong? He is still guilty of his sins and must pay the
penalty for his sins.
That's where the blood of Jesus Christ comes in. Young
children have not rejected the blood of Jesus as the heathen have.
It is there for them, covering their sins, washing them
clean, even though they have not had the ability to exercise faith in Jesus,
which is required for the salvation of men and women who understand the
consequences of their sin.
A child's lack of understanding doesn't deter the power of
Jesus' blood. Only rejecting the blood deters its power, and babies haven't
done that.
Has God Chosen My Child?
If your child dies and goes to heaven, is that evidence
that God loves your child and has elected him to salvation? I think that is a
valid conclusion.
Ephesians 1:4 says that we are chosen "in Him before the foundation of
the world."
Babies as well as adult believers are chosen in Him before
the world began. If they die before they can understand and reject the Gospel,
that doesn't change God's choice.
They are as much a part of God's family as adults drawn to
faith by the Holy Spirit.
The blood of Jesus Christ has covered them and washed away
their sins, just as it has ours.
Just because babies cannot make a decision for God does not
prohibit Him from making a decision for them.
What Will My Little One Be Like in Heaven?
Will infants and young children be infants and young
children for all of eternity? I don't think so.
The Bible doesn't say for sure, but it does say that when
we go to heaven, we enjoy privileges that require adult minds, such as praising
and glorifying God in meaningful service to Him.
J. Vernon McGee said it this way: "I believe
with all my heart that God will raise the little ones such that the mother's
arms who have ached for them will have the opportunity of holding them. The
father's hand which never held the little hand will be given the privilege. I
believe that little ones will grow up in heaven in the care of their earthly
parents if they are saved."
There is no biblical proof for this one way or the other,
but it seems logical that babies will not have to endure eternal infancy.
If babies cannot fully enjoy this life, how could we expect
them to fully enjoy eternal life with God?
Will I Join My Child Some Day?
Have you grieved the loss of a child? If so, take heart
from the Bible.
David grieved the loss of his newborn son. He pondered, "Can I bring him back again? I
shall go to him, but he shall not return to me" (2 Samuel 12:23).
Your child was not innocent, because no innocent child can
be born from two sinful parents (Job 14:4).
But I believe your child is in heaven -- not because he or
she was baptized, but because your child was washed clean by the blood of Jesus.
Christ's death made it possible for the salvation of all
mankind, even newborn babies. Your child is in heaven!
The more difficult question is, "Will you
join your little one in heaven some day?"
Your baby or child could not make a decision to trust
Christ's death for the payment of his sin. But as a morally responsible adult,
you must make a decision.
The children of born-again parents do not automatically go
to heaven; neither do the parents of children in heaven automatically join them
there.
If you want to see your child and enjoy a heavenly reunion,
you must be born again!
Thank God He has made it possible for you to see your child
again someday, if you have received Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Taken from: “Is My Child in Heaven? What
The Bible Says About” by Back to the Bible
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