So many people struggle with salvation issues regarding the loss of a child or baby. Usually, people will ask whether a baby killed in an abortion or even a mentally incapacitated person will go to heaven. How could these children even grasp God’s will? Then how are they saved?
Now Calvinists, those who hold to the teachings of John Calvin (A.D. 1509–1564) had most of his beliefs and doctrines built on the theology and philosophy, which was borrowed from Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354–430). Augustine helped formulate the doctrine of original sin.
The doctrine
Chapter 23 in the Institutes of Christian Religion by Calvin contradicts God’s will and is by no means Biblical. The statements below quoted from The Institutes of Christian Religion have no Scripture to support them.
- “I admit that in this miserable condition wherein men are now bound, all of Adam’s children have fallen by God’s will.” (John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 23, paragraph 4).
- “With Augustine, I say: the Lord has created those whom he unquestionably foreknew would go to destruction. This has happened because he has willed.” (John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 23, paragraph 5).
- “…individuals are born, who are doomed from the womb to certain death, and are to glorify him by their destruction.” (John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 23, paragraph 6).
Along came death
Death spreads to all humans who naturally sin, not guilt. We are all mortal because of the sin Adam and Eve committed in the garden. The sin separated them from the source of life; God makes it clear that they will die. Romans 5:12 never reverse to guilt as inherited.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.
-Romans 5:12
Inheriting the guilt
Now Ezekiel 18 makes it very clear that we cannot inherit the guilt or sins of another. Then, according to the Bible, guilt cannot be transmitted from one to another. The passage in Ezekiel 18 removes all confusion or doubt about the transference of guilt.
However, Ezekiel is very clear that sin separates us from God and that ultimately leads to a person’s demise. We are guilty before God when we sin, that is the truth about the Word of God.
If in any sense the doctrine of original sin was true, how does this affect Jesus? This would mean that He was born a sinner (Romans 1:3), but is He also not the son of Adam. Mary too was a descendant of Adam, she was also only human, and she sinned as all men do (Romans 3:9-26).
Unavoidable sin
Sin is unavoidable, all humans sin, it is in our nature to do so (Ephesians 2:3). In the case of Jesus, it was different, because Jesus was also God (1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5). Sin is rebelling against God; sin is anything that is contrary to the law or will of God.
To have a moral transgression against the will of God, a person needs to have a will. How then can a baby, or very young child, or even a mentally incapacitated person sin and wilfully rebel against God if they have no concept of sin? Theological and Biblical arguments do exist for innocence. No person enters and goes to heaven on their merits.
Many will argue using Psalms 51:5. “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” David makes it clear that his mother was a sinner when she birthed him. All humans eventually or rather inevitably will sin against God. And therefore we are guilty and in need of God’s grace.
How goes to hell?
Then how does this affect an unborn child or baby? The Bible teaches us that a person goes to hell because they are guilty in the face of God. This means that they never participated in the means (Jesus Christ who died for our sins and offers salvation to all who believe) that could set them free and give them eternal life with God in heaven.
Jesus offers all salvation, and in so doing He removes all our guilt before God. Paul knows that sin kills, it sets sinner apart from God’s grace, “For the wages of sin is death” (Roman 6:23). The only way a person is raised to life on the last day is because of Jesus Christ.
When an aborted baby or mentally incapacitated person dies, they go to heaven. They have not merited anything, other than that they have not sinned against God. The difference between the baby (the guiltless) and a sinful man is that the sinful man has sinned and he needs Jesus to take care of his guilt.
No particular age is determined when a child becomes guilty of sin, to know how guilt is implied; we have to understand God’s view on rebellion. Thus, this could differ between people, there is particular no standard for this.
Early Church beliefs
One of the early Church Fathers, Irenaeus (A.D. 69–155) in his book ’Against Heresies Book IV, Chapter 39′ wrote that people who have apostatised from the light given by the Father and transgressed the law of liberty, have done so by their own fault. Created as free agents, we possess the power to make choices.
Humans are endowed with the faculty of distinguishing good and evil; so that, without compulsion, he has the power, by his own will and choice, to perform God’s commandments, by doing which he avoids the evils prepared for the rebellious.
Irenaeus is clear in saying that we did not inherit sin from Adam and that God is not the author thereof. Rather than each person is guilty before God through his or her own actions. We cannot place this responsibility at the feet of Adam. Therefore, to say that the origin of sin is from Adam is not biblically correct.
Some extra reading
Dr. Micheal Heiser Replies to Reader Comments on Romans 5:12.
More Replies to Reader Comments on Romans 5:12 by Dr. Micheal Heiser.
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