Kid Talk Thoughts

At our church we love kids.  One of the ways that we seek to love them well is through “Kid Talk”.  Kid Talk is a simple message given to our children in our morning services.  The kids come up front answer questions, give their thoughts, and often ask profound questions.  

This past Sunday during Kid Talk I was speaking with our kids about eternal life for those who believe in Jesus (John 3:16).  One of the boys asked a strikingly important question in the middle of this lesson: What happens to one-year-olds that die?  The following is my attempt to answer his question; and my own.

The first week of May was supposed to be a week of celebration.  My wife and I expected this to be the beginning of a new and adventurous season in our life.  Contrary to this anticipation we now face this week with great sorrow.

What was to be a celebration is now a memorial.  What was supposed to be the arrival of our first child, will now be a haunting reminder of his or her absence.

Nine months ago my wife became pregnant with our first child.  Two months later we experienced a miscarriage.

What happened to my baby?

Throughout the course of the past seven months an unprecedented list of questions and thoughts have flooded my mind.  Many reflections have brought fear, anger, deep sadness, and even guilt.  Many others have been encouraging, inspiring, and life-giving.  However no idea has been more profoundly hopeful to me than the nature of my child’s eternal existence.

Many have classified such discussions under the title of “The Age of Accountability”.  However such a title inhibits appropriate discussion.  In order to answer the question of faith’s necessity in respect to a person’s age, one must admit that such an age exists.  Not only do I fail to see any Scriptural evidence for a specific time of responsibility, but also I would submit that such a belief is toxic to the gospel and arrogantly ignores the glorious nature of our God.

A better question is what happened to my baby?  What happened to your baby?  What happens to babies that are miscarried, infants that do not have the sufficient intellect to ascent to faith in Christ, and other people who lack ample faculties to comprehend the gospel?

In the first chapter of Romans, Paul explains that at least in part salvation is based upon a person’s knowledge of God.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.  For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 

(Romans 1:18-19)
But what happens to the unborn, infants, and others who die without the ability to understand and know what God has made plain?

To answer any question, but particularly questions concerning salvation we must first look to the nature of God.  Scripture is clear and consistent that God is love (1 John 4:8), God is just (Deuteronomy 32:4), God is sovereign (Job 42:2), and God is perfect (Psalm 18:30).  This means that every one exists under the auspices of his sovereign, loving, and just will.  Additionally, God deals with everyone — young, old, middle-aged, unborn, wise, foolish, and ignorant — with the same flawless nature of his sovereign just love.

The nature of salvation then is not a work of humanity.  The redemption of sinful men and women is a work completely under the control of the love, justice, and sovereignty of God.  Any request, faith, response, or choice that a human being makes in faith in light of the gospel is not the cause of salvation, but the result of God’s saving work.

Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9).

God chooses whom he chooses (Romans 9:1-29).

Jesus saves.

Some have suggested that at a certain age, a person becomes responsible.  However Scripture teaches that from birth wickedness has found a home in the human heart (Psalm 58:3-5).  We are accountable because of our sin, not because of our age.  All sin must be punished.  All sin results in death.  It is not a question of age, it is a question of guilt.

All of humanity is born into sin (1 Corinthians 15:22) — with no distinction concerning health, age, intellect, or awareness — and have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  At any and every age human beings are guilty and are held accountable for sin (Romans 1:18).

This reality has led others to believe that those who die without ample gospel-believing-abilities are considered on account of their families.  Meaning that those belonging to Christian families are saved and those who belong to non-Christian families are damned (What is a Christians family and/or non-Christian family anyway?).  However such a belief suggests that the power and means of salvation is the status of other humans rather than the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Infants, the unborn, and others with insufficient faculties for faith and repentance have an outstanding debt of sin which has created an eternal void between them and God — just like everyone else (Isaiah 59:2).

Their hope is not in themselves.

Their hope is not in a grace period.

Their hope is not in their parents.

Their hope rests completely on the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ.

My child’s hope is Jesus.

Hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’s blood and righteousness.  The solid rock of Christ is not only enough for those who are able to know what God has made plain (Romans 1:19), but also for those who lack the ability to understand.

God is not surprised by any situation.  In fact, the number of each person’s days are determined by God (Job 14:5).  The nature of their days are willed by God (James 4:13-17).  Their salvation is solely achieved by the sovereign choice of God: by his love, in his justice, and according to his sovereign will.

I believe that the love, justice, and sovereignty of God in Christ sufficiently redeemed my child.  Whether a person is unborn, dies in infancy, or never achieves an ability to believe, the death of Christ pays for their sins, the resurrection of Christ saves them from death, and God’s gracious sufficiency champions their deficiency.

My child has been redeemed.  Your child has been redeemed.  Infants, the unborn, and others with certain deficiencies are saved by the same loving, just, and sovereign savior as everyone else who has been, is, and ever will be saved.  His grace and power are sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9).

All those who have died without the ability to know God; whether because of the brevity of their life or the weakness of their flesh are present with God (2 Corinthians 5:8).  This is accomplished not by their innocence, nor by a grace period, nor by their parents but by Christ alone.  Jesus sufficiently died for their sins and perfectly defeated death through the resurrection.

What happened to my baby?

My baby was saved by the grace of God in Christ.

*Originally posted May 2, 2011 on Pastor Jason’s blog at contexting.net