What About Babies That Die?
14. What About Babies That Die?
Roman Catholics, some Lutherans, and a few others teach that babies must be baptized. Here is the record:
"Children should be baptized as soon as possible because baptism is necessary for salvation. Infants who die without baptism of any kind do not suffer the punishments of those who die in mortal sin. They may enjoy a certain, natural happiness, but they will not enjoy the supernatural happiness of heaven." (Father Connell's New Baltimore Catechism, pp. 189, #324) Remember, this is their church doctrine, not the Word of God. When a baby dies, their soul and spirit goes to be with the Lord, while the body goes to the grave. As sweet as babies are, they still are born with a sinful body. Did you ever have to teach your baby to do things wrong? No. Then who taught them? The answer is, they are born with the old Adamic nature, the same as you and I. As sweet, cute, and lovable as babies are, they cannot take their bodies to Heaven. In Romans 3:23 we are told "The wages of sin are death..." Since the baby has not reached the age of accountability to perform the desires of this nature, he will go to Heaven. When children reach an age to understand fully what they are doing and can comprehend that Christ paid for their sin, they become responsible for their decision to accept or reject Christ. There is no set age given in the Bible as it varies with the child. Baptism has absolutely nothing to do with determining the destiny of a child. If that child has not reached the age of accountability, it will automatically go to Heaven upon death. In 2 Samuel 12:18 we find that David and Bathsheba’s child died on the seventh day. Then in Verse 23 we find that David said “I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me,” showing that the child went to Paradise in Sheol. Psalms 23:6 tells us that David expected to "dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Concerning infants, here is Dr. Luke’s account in Luke 18:15-16 :
“And they brought unto him ALSO infants, that he would touch them...(15). But Jesus called unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. (16)” (Luke 18:15-16).
Notice! Christ said, “Touch them,” not “Baptize them”! The Greek word for children in Luke 18:16 is “paidion” and is used of both infants and young children. Our Lord summoned both the mothers with infants and those with young children. To these He stated, “...for of such is the kingdom of God”. Should one of these infants die unbaptized, Christ assures the parents that they belong to the Kingdom of God.
Now, for those who have reached the age of accountability, the Word of God is perfectly clear! In Romans 14:12 we are told:
“So, then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” This is why it is so important to “...train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)