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Cody2 and jculver discussed the issue of babies being saved in Cody2's thread on faith and works and both said those who die while still babies go to heaven.
I would like to offer some verses to consider that I think have a bearing on this.
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"
Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
As far as I can see, these two verses tell us that salvation depends on grace through faith. And it also depends on belief and baptism. Babies have no faith, no belief and even if they should be baptised, that baptism is not accompanied by belief and so cannot be counted as a real baptism.
I have not come across any Scripture that makes an exception to these fundamental principles of our faith.
To say that God redeems babies because He loves little children does not seem to me to be based on Scripture. We know that God loves all His children - babies and adults - and He wants them all to be saved. However, although God is love, He is also just. He has made laws and He abides by them. Because of Adam's disobedience all are subject to death, the wages of sin. However, God offers the gift of eternal life to those who are truly in Jesus. I do not see any exceptions. Unless you believe in Jesus, you have no hope of eternal life. Belief in Jesus is essential to eternal life. Babies have no beliefs, therefore it seems babies have no hope of eternal life.
Cody2 referred us to 2Samuel 12:23 "But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."
Cody2 wrote that he believes David is saying his baby son will be in heaven and David will go to him there when David dies.
However, the verse does not say the baby will be in heaven. What does David mean when he says "I shall go to him"? It seems that he is saying that his baby will be in the grave and David will one day also go to the grave and be with his baby in the dust of the earth.
In support of this, there are verses describing death as being "gathered to his people". For instance Genesis 25:8 "Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people."
Now Abraham's people were not in heaven. This is clear because they were idol worshippers and did not believe in the God that Abraham believed in. So where were Abraham's people? They were in the dust of the earth. So Abraham went to his people, just as David said he would go to his baby.
So Abraham, David's baby and David himself all went to the same place - the dust of the earth. There they stay until the great and wonderful day of the Lord when He will descend to earth, the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised.
Daniel 12:2 "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."
I would like to offer some verses to consider that I think have a bearing on this.
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"
Mark 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
As far as I can see, these two verses tell us that salvation depends on grace through faith. And it also depends on belief and baptism. Babies have no faith, no belief and even if they should be baptised, that baptism is not accompanied by belief and so cannot be counted as a real baptism.
I have not come across any Scripture that makes an exception to these fundamental principles of our faith.
To say that God redeems babies because He loves little children does not seem to me to be based on Scripture. We know that God loves all His children - babies and adults - and He wants them all to be saved. However, although God is love, He is also just. He has made laws and He abides by them. Because of Adam's disobedience all are subject to death, the wages of sin. However, God offers the gift of eternal life to those who are truly in Jesus. I do not see any exceptions. Unless you believe in Jesus, you have no hope of eternal life. Belief in Jesus is essential to eternal life. Babies have no beliefs, therefore it seems babies have no hope of eternal life.
Cody2 referred us to 2Samuel 12:23 "But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."
Cody2 wrote that he believes David is saying his baby son will be in heaven and David will go to him there when David dies.
However, the verse does not say the baby will be in heaven. What does David mean when he says "I shall go to him"? It seems that he is saying that his baby will be in the grave and David will one day also go to the grave and be with his baby in the dust of the earth.
In support of this, there are verses describing death as being "gathered to his people". For instance Genesis 25:8 "Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people."
Now Abraham's people were not in heaven. This is clear because they were idol worshippers and did not believe in the God that Abraham believed in. So where were Abraham's people? They were in the dust of the earth. So Abraham went to his people, just as David said he would go to his baby.
So Abraham, David's baby and David himself all went to the same place - the dust of the earth. There they stay until the great and wonderful day of the Lord when He will descend to earth, the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised.
Daniel 12:2 "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."
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