Recently I have been faced with this question of are we born sinners, and if so do babies that die go to hell? Here are my answers in concise form.
1. I believe that all children are born sinners.
- Psalms 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
- Psalms 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
- Job 14:4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
- Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
This is something I am very fresh on considering we just lost a man from our church who decided he believed we are NOT born sinners. There is no mistaking Scripture. Although the words "sin nature" do not appear in Scripture, the Bible does make clear that by our very nature we are born children of God's wrath. Ephesians 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
2. I believe that God does not IMPUTE sin to the account of a child/ mentally challenged person until they have "knowledge of the law".
- This is of course known as the age of accountability, although I believe firmly that it is NOT an age but rather an understanding. The age varies.
- Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
- God is just. Although we are born sinners (by nature) God does not impute (count sin against us) until we have a knowledge of sin, which comes by understanding the law.
- This is not to say that God creates sin. Although we know that God gives life, he has not reached in the dirt and formed a man since Adam. We are not made anymore in the image of God, but in the image of our father Adam (Genesis 5:3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: )
- Because if this we are born sinners!
- Romans 7:7-9 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
- These verses clearly show us that it was the knowledge of the law, that caused sin to "revive". Without the LAW, sin is DEAD!
- Therefore a child that does not KNOW the law, does not have his or her sin imputed to their account. This is what we call the period of innocence.
- We do not know when that light comes on, therefore it is not an age, but an understanding of accountability.
- I believe that handicapped people who became so later on in life, and lived some years with knowledge are responsible for their sin. I believe that those who were born handicapped from birth (situation dependent, and I am not the judge) are not responsible if they can not understand the law. Such is the case of the majority of the clients I work with.
- David speaking of his infant son (illegitimate child with Bathsheba) recognized that his baby went to heaven.
- 2 Samuel 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.
Conclusion: We are all born sinners, based on the Biblical facts. God, being just, does not impute that sin to us until we have knowledge of the law, according to the Scripture. Therefore there IS a period of innocence. If a child was to die within that period, they would go to heaven, having no sin imputed unto them.
1. I believe that all children are born sinners.
- Psalms 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
- Psalms 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
- Job 14:4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
- Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
This is something I am very fresh on considering we just lost a man from our church who decided he believed we are NOT born sinners. There is no mistaking Scripture. Although the words "sin nature" do not appear in Scripture, the Bible does make clear that by our very nature we are born children of God's wrath. Ephesians 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
2. I believe that God does not IMPUTE sin to the account of a child/ mentally challenged person until they have "knowledge of the law".
- This is of course known as the age of accountability, although I believe firmly that it is NOT an age but rather an understanding. The age varies.
- Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
- God is just. Although we are born sinners (by nature) God does not impute (count sin against us) until we have a knowledge of sin, which comes by understanding the law.
- This is not to say that God creates sin. Although we know that God gives life, he has not reached in the dirt and formed a man since Adam. We are not made anymore in the image of God, but in the image of our father Adam (Genesis 5:3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: )
- Because if this we are born sinners!
- Romans 7:7-9 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
- These verses clearly show us that it was the knowledge of the law, that caused sin to "revive". Without the LAW, sin is DEAD!
- Therefore a child that does not KNOW the law, does not have his or her sin imputed to their account. This is what we call the period of innocence.
- We do not know when that light comes on, therefore it is not an age, but an understanding of accountability.
- I believe that handicapped people who became so later on in life, and lived some years with knowledge are responsible for their sin. I believe that those who were born handicapped from birth (situation dependent, and I am not the judge) are not responsible if they can not understand the law. Such is the case of the majority of the clients I work with.
- David speaking of his infant son (illegitimate child with Bathsheba) recognized that his baby went to heaven.
- 2 Samuel 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.
Conclusion: We are all born sinners, based on the Biblical facts. God, being just, does not impute that sin to us until we have knowledge of the law, according to the Scripture. Therefore there IS a period of innocence. If a child was to die within that period, they would go to heaven, having no sin imputed unto them.
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