Tag: romans 1:20

Do Babies Go To Heaven When They Die?

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This question is one close to our hearts. As the Bible does not spell out the answer in any particular manner, I will render my opinion based on the “big picture” of God’s revelation.

First, we understand that no circumstance is unused by God; He “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11, ESV). Therefore, we trust that even the tragedy of the death of King David’s little child had many purposes. One reason, I believe, is for countless people to glean hope regarding the death of children. After praying and fasting that His child not die, David arose and ate upon hearing of the death of his son. When criticized by his servants for rising and eating, David explained, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” (II Samuel 12:22-23, ESV, emphasis mine)

King David certainly knew the depths of God’s mercy and salvation. The Holy Spirit has chosen to reveal through the situation the fact that David believed he would one day go to his child. The man of God was obviously convinced that he would be reunited with his son in an actual way. In David’s heart, there existed a comfort in knowing the reality of a place called Heaven and his child’s location and safety there.

Second, in the New Testament we catch the heartbeat of Jesus when children were brought to Him to be prayed for and to have the Son of God lay hands on them. The disciples rebuked people for bothering Jesus with children, but our Lord proclaimed, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14, ESV)

The Greek word for “children” here includes little ones and infants. Jesus made one thing abundantly clear to both his disciples and the broader public – God wants children coming to Him! He even speaks metaphorically of the need for people of all ages to trust and be vulnerable as children, for this represents the heart of those who enter the Kingdom of Heaven. In terms of the issue at hand, we see – most importantly – that Jesus is very much for children coming to Him and against their being held back from His presence.

Third, Romans 1:18-20 concisely explains that people are without excuse before God because they knowingly suppress the truth that is before them and refuse to acknowledge the existence of a Creator to whom we are accountable, in light of the evidence of the created universe. How could infants and small children possibly apprehend the truth revealed in creation and the attributes of God made evident by what He has designed? How could babies suppress truth? We logically begin to see that small children could not fit into the category of those “without excuse.” For that matter, nor could the severely mentally challenged people of the world. And although God does not go on to explicitly outline a sub-category for infants and those without sufficient mental capacity, we catch glimpses of His heart elsewhere.

For the three main reasons outlined above, I believe we will be joyfully reunited in Heaven with the people we have known here on earth for such a short period of time because of their death in infancy or childhood. Ultimately, we stand on the words of Abraham in Genesis 18:25 (NIV, 1984), “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

God of the Lilies

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As a person fascinated by nature, I love that the Father tells us to “lift up [our] eyes on high and see who has created these stars” (Isaiah 40:26, NASB); and the Son tells us, “Observe how the lilies of the field grow” (Matthew 6:28). Clearly, our Creator uses His creation to teach us things about Himself. Romans 1:20 assures us that God is intimating His eternality and divinity through the created order. In other words, the astounding and detailed workings of this world on both a microscopic and telescopic level point to a being who is both infinitely greater than me ontologically speaking and whose length of existence I cannot fathom.

Yet, let us go back to the lilies. Jesus spoke to His followers and said, “Why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these” (Matthew 26:28-29). Jesus asks us to observe a component of nature – flowers – in order to understand a deeper truth. Jesus will employ the gladiolus or the iris to shake our world on a spiritual level, so that we come to grips with reality as it truly is – defined by the God of Genesis.

Christ directs us to a specific part of creation in order to affect us in the soul. While Psalm 19:1-4 assures us that the glory of creation speaks to all humans at some level about God’s qualities, Psalm 19:7-9 declares that it is the direct Word of God that can restore a soul and give a heart reason to rejoice. Only a radical fear of the Lord is pure, lasts forever, and can make a man or woman fit for everlasting existence. So we ought to heed Jesus’ admonition to observe the lily and digest the eternal truth of His verbal instruction.

Jesus tells us that the flower does not toil or spin in order to be made so beautiful. The flower simply exists as God called it to exist. Plants do not have a spirit inside with which to rebel against their Maker, and so they simply do as He directs. In being what God called them to be, the flowers find themselves clothed spectacularly. Who of us has not marveled at the living color, majesty, and intricacy of a wild flower? Jesus reminds us that no human – not even the wildly rich and powerful King Solomon – could ever adorn himself or herself in such a genuine and fitting way. We could attempt to use every monetary and material resource available – wasting time and energy – and still we could not look as splendid as a simple flower clothed by its Creator.

In fact, Jesus goes on to tell us that it is the Gentiles (pagans) who eagerly seek clothing and food (Matthew 6:32). The root word for the pagan search implies “to crave, demand, or clamor for.” In other words, the godless go about loudly, continuously, and vehemently seeking to fulfill material needs. However, they seem never to actually be fulfilled. It reminds me of Philippians 3:19, where the enemies of Jesus are described as having their god be their stomach. No sooner is their desire satisfied, than they are empty again and need more.

Are we this way? Do we spend much time and effort trying to “look good”? Do we use too much of our resources trying to accumulate the “right” clothes or the “right” look? How much of our being is absorbed in outward appearances? How much of our thoughts? How much of our disappointment stems from this kind of preoccupation?

Jesus contrasts the clamoring of the Gentiles to the trust of God’s children. Christ says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (Matthew 6:32). Our Father is heavenly; He stands above and beyond this universe and can make things happen for us on an entirely different level! If we honestly “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, all these things will be added to [us]” (Matthew 6:33).

The key is that my heart’s desire for God’s kingdom must be at the forefront, and then the supply of the needs of life will automatically follow. Clothing, food, and external appearances are secondary to what is eternal and right – the kingdom of God. He actually reigns supreme! His kingdom has no end! If I make His rule my aim, I have no justified anxieties. If I make His will my goal, I have purpose to live that is grounded in reality and eternality.

All human toiling and wealth cannot do for a person what God can do. He clothes the grass of the field in beauty 24/7. He can provide not only for the physical needs of His own people, but He can supernaturally grant an inner beauty that shines forth on the darkest of days. Money can buy designer clothes and manicures, but only God can restore a soul and fill it with the hope of His kingdom. Where His righteousness prevails, all things necessary to live are granted as a by-product. Do you need a beautiful smile today? Seek His kingdom.

Imperishable Seed Beyond the Boundary of Science

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My recent trip to the local library led to my finding a new non-fiction book, “Long for this World,” by Jonathan Weiner. I have not read the volume, only its inside front cover. The book’s subtitle is “The Strange Science of Immortality,” and the last sentences of its main description are “could we live forever? And if we could . . . would we want to?”

The pursuit of immortality has always intrigued mortals precisely because we are just that – mortal. Created by an eternal God, we long for the everlasting. Having had death introduced to us with the commencement of human sinfulness, we most naturally long to regain what has been lost – eternal life. Those of an atheistic bent seek immortality by walking the path of science, hoping for continued advancements right up to the point of deathlessness. The problem is that science can only investigate the natural world, which – for the astute Christian – hints persistently at the attributes of the biblical God (Romans 1:20). However, the natural world alone contains not the solution for death. For the obliteration of ultimate human demise, we must turn to the supernatural. Science is limited by God; its boundaries are set in such a way that it cannot fix the human spirit. Only the Maker of both natural and supernatural things can reach into the depths of the unseen spirit of men and women, and only He can do work there. Death comes to the natural body because death has come to the spirit. The spirit must be fixed for the body to live.

Enter the glorious words of I Peter 1:23-25 (NIV), “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For ‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you.” As God’s Word proclaims, not only are we as fleeting as the grass in the field, but our glory is as transitory as the flower’s blossom. One day we see it, and the next day it is withered. In stark contrast stands the mighty Word of God that literally endures forever.

The key for our help comes from verse twenty-three, which declares that we can be born again of a seed that never perishes. Inside a person, an eternal seed of life can be planted through the Word of God that has the power to carry a mortal over the chasm of earthly death into the astonishing reality of life everlasting. Moreover, this precious, indescribable Word is very close. Peter declares that this living and enduring Word of God “is the word which was preached to you” (I Peter 1:25, NIV). The Word that enables a sinful, dead spirit to be reborn into a righteous, living spirit is the Word about which you are reading right now! God has not kept this Word from us, but He has sent it to us!

The Bible is God’s written Word, and Jesus Christ is God’s living Word. At this very moment, He has come to you to deliver the incorruptible seed of life. A human spirit is dead because of sin; it needs a living seed planted in it in order to live and last forever. No string of scientific breakthroughs can ever blast through the impenetrable wall of mortality; only the eternal Word of God, Jesus, can carry a mortal past death to life.

Jesus said, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!” (Revelation 1:18, NIV). Jesus begins alive. We begin dead. We are born into corruption by our very nature. Jesus is God, and so “Before the mountains were born or [He] gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, [He] is God” (Psalm 90:2, NASB). Jesus was alive before He came to earth, and He rose from death after bearing the penalty for our sin. Notice God’s Word says Jesus is the Living One, that He was physically dead for a brief period, and that He is presently alive forever and ever.

Jesus can plant the imperishable seed of His salvation in us. Then, we can follow Him in this world. Ultimately, we can follow Him in His pattern of life after death. One amazing day, we will be able to stand with Him in Heaven and say, “I was dead, but now I am alive forever because of Jesus!”

Back to the inside cover description of “Long for this World.” The last question is, “And if we could [live forever] . . . would we want to? In a world that is itself crying out for redemption and restoration (Romans 8:20-23), I believe we realize we would not want to live forever in the present state of things; with disaster, disease, and disappointment abounding in every direction. “This world” needs changed, just as we do. We long to be immortal, but in a perfect world. The flawless world is coming, my friends. In the same way that we are made imperishable – by the Word of God – this creation will be rendered right. II Peter 3:5, 7, 12-13 (NIV) tells us, “Long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water . . . By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men . . . That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”

There it is . . . crystal clear. The Word of God brings an imperishable seed to humans and to the universe. Immortality is not so much a “strange science” as it is the loving work of a redeeming God. Our supernatural God blasts through the natural to deliver to us immortality and an unbroken cosmos, something science can never do. Though you may have enjoyed or endured many science classes, know also that the Word of God has come to you this day, offering an imperishable seed!