Those who can believe and place their faith in Jesus Christ will go to Heaven.
Those who do not believe and reject Christ will not go to Heaven.
What about those who cannot believe? Will they go to Heaven?
What about infants who are stillborn?
What about infants who are miscarried?
What about babies who are aborted?
What about young children who die before the age of accountability?
What about those of any age who are mentally challenged and unable to believe?
What about those who are not able to understand and not able to respond in faith to Jesus Christ?
Will those who cannot believe go to Heaven?
The Bible is clear that all persons have sinned and are sinners. Every man, woman, boy, and girl, adult and baby have sinned and need salvation.
• for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God [Romans 3:23]
• as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one” [Romans 3:10]
• For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us wither like a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. [Isaiah 64:6]
The Bible is equally clear that faith in Christ alone is required for salvation. There is only one way of salvation. This single requirement for salvation is repeatedly emphasized approximately 150x in the Bible.
• Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” [John 14:6]
• They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” [Acts 16:31]
• Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God… Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” [John 3:3, 7]
• But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. [John 1:12]
God’s Character is Just and Holy. Would God be Just and Holy if He required something that we are incapable of doing? Rejection of Christ is the final and ultimate reason for eternal separation from the presence of God. Since the price has been paid in full by Jesus Christ on the Cross, until it is rejected, the debt is cancelled.
• He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [John 3:18]
What is the unpardonable sin? Rejection of Christ’s gracious offer of salvation.
The example of David: David wept, mourned, prayed and fasted for seven days before the death of his newborn baby. Then David declared, “I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me,” anticipating future reunion and fellowship, and comforted his wife Bathsheba with these words.
• He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’ But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” [2 Samuel 12:22-23]
David was not saying “We all die,” rather David was indicating faith and confident assurance in seeing his newborn son again in the afterlife, in the Paradise side of Sheol [read Luke 16:19-31]. David’s reaction was totally different at the death of another of his sons Absalom.
• The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” [2 Samuel 18:33]
The Bible mentions guardian angels for children and for believers.
• “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” [Matthew 18:10]
• Are they [angels] not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? [Hebrews 1:14]
Jesus’ interactions with children clearly reveal their value and His love for them.
• Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them… “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea” [Mark 9:36, 42]
• And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them. [Mark 10:13-16; see also Matthew 18:1-14]
Since life begins at conception God loves and cares for babies who are stillborn, miscarried, or aborted.
• But the children struggled together within her; and she (Rebekah) said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb;
And two peoples will be separated from your body;
And one people shall be stronger than the other;
And the older shall serve the younger.” Genesis 25:22-23
• When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit… “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.”[ Luke 1:41, 44]
• For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them. [Psalm 139:13-16]
The Bible does not indicate a specific age of accountability. That age may be different for every individual. God has compassion on those who have not reached the age of accountability (including those who cannot believe regardless of age), but holds those responsible who have reached it.
• “Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?” [Jonah 4:11]
• Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. [James 4:17]
Those who die before they are mentally capable of responding to God’s offer of grace through faith in Christ’s atoning work on the Cross
are not saved through infant baptism or adult baptism [ baptism is an act of faith following salvation]
are not saved by having Christian parents [each individual is responsible for their own eternal destiny]
are not saved by being innocent or sinless [all have sinned – Romans 3:23].
Unfortunately those who willfully reject Christ’s offer of salvation will die in their sins and spend eternity separated from God in Hell.
Fortunately those who cannot believe have not rejected God’s gracious gift and will spend eternity in the presence of God in Heaven.
Where will YOU be throughout eternity?
Trust in Christ as your personal Savior NOW! Today is the day of salvation!
Source: This material was adapted from Heaven for those who can’t believe by Robert P. Lightner. Schaumburg, Illinois: Regular Baptist Press, 1977.
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