Short Answer
The Bible does not give a direct, explicit answer, but there is strong reason to believe that children who are incapable of understanding or exercising faith are received by God. Since they have no conscious ability to reject Him or commit willful sin, many conclude that God graciously reconciles them to Himself. This view is based on biblical principles rather than a single specific verse.
The Overview
The question of what happens to infants or those incapable of faith is one of the most sensitive and complex theological issues. Scripture teaches that all humanity is born in a fallen condition due to sin, meaning every person is in need of reconciliation with God. Normally, this reconciliation comes through faith in Christ. However, this raises a difficult question: what happens to those who are not capable of understanding or expressing faith?
The Bible also teaches that judgment is based on a person’s actions and moral responsibility. Infants and very young children do not yet have the capacity to understand right and wrong or to consciously reject God. Because of this, there is nothing in their lives that would warrant personal judgment in the same way as someone who knowingly sins.
Based on these principles, many conclude that God, in His justice and mercy, provides a way of reconciliation for those who are incapable of faith. This is not described in a single verse but is an “assembled conclusion” drawn from the character of God and the overall teaching of Scripture. It reflects the belief that God does not condemn those who never had the capacity to respond to Him.
While this view offers comfort—especially in cases of miscarriage, stillbirth, or the loss of a young child—it does not diminish the seriousness of life. The Bible emphasizes that life on earth is an opportunity to know, serve, and glorify God. Even if such children are received by God, they miss the opportunity to live out a life of faith and service that brings eternal reward.
Key Takeaways
- The Bible Does Not Give a Direct Answer
The conclusion is based on broader biblical principles, not a single explicit verse. - All People Need Reconciliation with God
Salvation normally comes through faith in Christ. - Children Lack Moral Accountability
Infants and young children do not have the capacity to knowingly reject God. - God’s Justice and Mercy Are Central
Many believe God graciously saves those incapable of faith. - Life Still Has Purpose and Value
Even if such children are received by God, earthly life is meant for knowing and serving Him.
The Source — The Speaker Transcript
00:00:01
Yes, pastor. Um, my question is this. Is any child or any person that does not reach the age of accountability, do they automatically go to heaven? And and what I’m including here is any child uh including of course, you know, some an aborted uh child um still born um a child that just any child that’s born doesn’t reach age accountability, do they automatically go to heaven? And what’s your thoughts on that, please? Yeah, and here’s why that’s a tough question. It’s a tough
00:00:42
question that I’m probably going to give the answer that a lot of people would expect me to give. But I got to start with the difficulty of it because all of us born since Adam are born in Adam’s race and we are by definition categorically separated from God at least relationally. And therefore we need that relationship uh rectified by something the Bible calls reconciliation. And God’s work of reconciliation is done through Christ. and it’s effectuated by someone putting their trust in Christ. So really what
00:01:12
we’re asking is how does that bridge get built? How does that person get reconciled to God if they’re incapable of faith and faith supposed to be the thing that that God works in someone to effectuate this reconciliation of Christ’s redemptive work? That’s the question and that’s a great question and and it’s a hard question because uh we have to come to the question of well what if he didn’t do that right to an embryionic human being that has all of the features of humanity it’s just that
00:01:40
that child doesn’t even have the ability to do math or say his or her name or have faith. He’s incapable or she’s incapable of faith. Well then we have to say okay what would happen? Well, judgment is really what comes after we face our our truth, the truth of being separated from God after this life is over. In other words, every person has to stand before God and be judged for the deeds done in the body. That’s what the Bible says. Well, what is there to punish if there’s no knowledge, right,
00:02:12
and no moral capacity to know right from wrong as the Bible clearly says little children don’t have, right? Well, then I’m going to say there’s nothing to judge other than the fact you’re separated. Well, is God going to close that gap of relational separation and bring children of Adam and daughters of Eve into a relationship with him? Right? Even though they were incapable of faith and my speculation about the nature of God and the fact that they would there would be nothing specific to judge, I’m
00:02:42
going to say yes, he does. And I just think that is an assembled argument. I can’t go to chapter and verse. I know some people like to go and quote various verses of the Bible, but I don’t think those verses are trying to teach what they’re trying to say. But I do think the truth of the Bible is that God is not going to put someone in a separated state from him in eternity after this life is over simply because they are a child of Adam and never were capable of effectuating redemption and
00:03:09
reconciliation because they didn’t have the capacity for faith. And so that’s where I think we’re we’re we’re making a good solid assumption about God’s work of re redemption without faith. And I do think that’s happening with little children. It’s a hard question, but I’m I’m I’m fairly confident that my answer is right. Plenty of people have written big toms on this. And I not modern preachers. Modern preachers usually write a little, you know, six-page
00:03:37
pamphlet. But back in the day, I have a hundred-y old book in my library of probably 600 pages of a pastor who lost a child. I may been in birth, but he wrote a book really thinking through every possible angle of how this redemptive work is effectuated without faith and does God actually do it? And his conclusion, as most people have concluded, and I would be in that camp, that I do think God is going to bring those separated, relationally separated individuals to maturity in the resurrection and reconcile them to
00:04:11
himself. And there’s nothing to judge. So, they would be in a state of not having anything to be judged for other than the imputed sin of Adam. And I’m going to say, I don’t think God’s going to do that because that’s not how it seems to work in life. Just like I don’t get paid. I don’t have to pay for the sins of my dad, my biological dad. And God makes that clear throughout the Old Testament. You can’t say that the father eats sour grapes and the children’s
00:04:35
teeth are set on edge. And I’m going to say just cuz my dad cheated on his taxes, I’m I’m not going to be punished for that before God. So God is making it clear everyone’s going to have to deal with God themselves and here’s someone who has not had any any any conscious reality of rejecting Christ. I think they’re going to be reconciled to God, but it’s an assembled argument. By that, I mean that’s principalized throughout the scripture, but not specifically addressed. That’s my view on it.
00:05:02
Michael, does that make sense? Yes, that makes sense to me very much. In fact, uh, another thing popped in my my head as as you were speaking. Yeah. I believe, you know, I I God is love. He’s a just God. So therefore, how could he, you know, if that person didn’t have a chance to, you know, do that? But and but deeper still, I’m thinking of the travesty, the tragedy of abortion, and I’m I’m very much pro-life, very against abortion. And I’m thinking, I guess the and this is going to sound kind of
00:05:41
terrible, but I I’m going to I want to say it in a in with love is The I guess the bright side is if that’s true then every aborted fetus should be in heaven. I Yes. Yes. Would that be the bright side? I And I hate to say it that way because that makes it sound like, oh my gosh, abortion. Well, there’s a bright side to it. No. I I believe it’s terrible no matter what. Yeah. But um but the the the good thing is I I maybe to give people comfort and of any child that dies before they have the age of
00:06:20
accountability that the parent or the you know surviving members of the family whatever will have some kind of peace and hope that they will see that person again. Yeah. and and and that’s fair and I think it’s right and I think pastorally that is something to inject in the comfort of those whether it’s a grandparent or whatever a spouse who didn’t wasn’t in favor of this that that is a a bright side but but remember it’s there’s much more to the Christian life than being in the kingdom what we want
00:06:48
to do is to store up treasure in heaven and and it be like us saying like here’s why it’s still a tragedy right I want you and I to live a full life of serving the Lord because the Bible says God is going to take great joy in rewarding us for that. And the wood, hay, straw, it’s all going to be burned up. But it would be like us saying, “Well, isn’t it a good thing that uh I’m just I have this uh nursing home ministry. I just I like to get people saved 5 minutes before they die.” Well, number one, that rarely
00:07:16
works. But even if it were to, we’d say, “Well, their whole life then, right, they haven’t done anything to bring glory to Christ. No, no, no reward is going to come with that.” And in that sense, right, God is going to be gracious and and the real reward is him. And I think every aborted child is going to be fully mature, fully aware, and will enjoy the Lord. But they didn’t have the chance to to serve the Lord in this life. They didn’t have chance to suffer and have the glory of of being
00:07:43
ostracized for Jesus. And all of those things are going to be rewarded. I get rewarded if I give someone a cup of cold water in Christ’s name. And and that’s a sad thing that we’re not giving those those lives an opportunity to become Christians and serve the Lord. That’s why, by the way, and by the way, Michael, whole new topic, but that’s why youth ministry should be so important in our churches. We want to see people saved, right, when they get to an age where they can be conscious of faith.
00:08:10
Uh, yeah, great, great, great question, Michael, and a hard one because it really centers around, you know, the the problem of abortion, or at least it’s one implication of this. Here’s a book I would suggest for you, and I just looked it up to see if it’s still in print. You can still get it on Amazon marketplace or whatever. But I I I like this because it’s written by a theologian and not a pastor. Although I love the pastoral books on the topic when they drive to theology. But Millard Ericson is a
00:08:37
theologian. And he wrote a book called How Shall They Be Saved? The Destiny of those who do not hear Jesus. Well, the last chapter of that book, as I recall, even though I don’t have the table of contents up here, but I remember reading this a couple of times, is those incapable of faith. And I’ve really picked up the phrase that Millard used in that in that chapter title because that’s really the question and it would include the severely handicapped, mentally handicapped, those that you
00:09:02
know there’s a lot of people that just can’t they’re not capable of faith. And Millard tackles that in the last chapter as a theologian. And theologians should worry about what the truth is. And as I often say, the truth has hard edges. And I’m not saying pastors can’t do this work because pastors should be theologians. But often times pastors are more concerned with a grieving parents feelings than they are the theology. So this is why I really recommend uh reading this good book by Millard
00:09:28
Ericson at least that last chapter on those incapable of faith. And I see you can get it just for a few bucks in Amazon marketplace.
