When I took Christian Theology 2, a discussion question was, "What about those who have never heard the gospel? Further, what about children who die in infancy?" The following is my answer:
What Logic And Scripture Tell Us About The Ignorant Sinner
It seems dreadfully unfair of God to judge someone who has never had the opportunity to repent. It is, after all, the duty of God to save sinners, isn't it? First off, this phrase I have used, "Ignorant Sinner" is not an accurate one. Paul tells us in Romans that what may be known about God is quite plain to them. Strikingly, Paul says "His invisible attributes" and "His eternal power and Godhead" are things of which all men are familiar with. We are led to believe from the use of these terms that not only should all men be theists, but also strict monotheists believing in an omnipotent and omniscient God. This puts them, says Paul, in a position wherein they are "without excuse." A common phrase is "ignorance of the law is no excuse," in this case, ignorance is impossible. God's justice system, even in its controversial state, is still more just than the judge which says "thou wert ignorant, thou art not excused." Secondly, perhaps we ought to consider when asking this question, the striking miracle that God saves anyone at all. If one were unaware they had overstayed their time on a parking meter, they would have no right to complain when they discover a ticket on their windshield, even though some other person managed to avoid the fine by stopping the meter man and immediately driving away. Because in Adam all sinned, all are sinners. In this sense, God is not wrong in choosing to exercise justice when he could exercise mercy. It is an astonishing measure of mercy which lets even a few be saved.
What Logic And Scripture Tell Us About The God Who Saves
What I have proposed in the previous paragraph is likely to have many objections. God, according to my view, seems sadistic, one who loves seeing men suffer his wrath forever even though they had no opportunity to be reconciled. Though we have seen that a judge is not obligated to show mercy to one who has transgressed, we must consider for a moment who this Judge really is. Scripture tells us that this Judge is one who is far from being a sadist. In one of the most fantastic chapters in all of the Bible (Daniel chapter 4), we read of King Nebuchadnezzar, his humiliation, and his exaltation. This man was a gentile. He was not acquainted with God's laws which came up from Israel. He did not know what this God required of Him. Still, in the pleasures of God, he was given special revelation and made to act like an animal for seven years. At the end of the seven years, this man, who likely knew nothing of Aaron or the priesthood, offered up a prayer that can only come from one who is enlightened unto salvation. The King said,
"At the end of the days, I Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored Him who lives forever, for His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation;" - Verse 34
Was God obligated to give Nebuchadnezzar this revelation? Couldn't He have let the king die in his sinful "ignorance"? Of course He could've, but praise God He didn't. Though man is guilty either by his rejection or his failure to respond to what he knows, God still exercises an immeasurable amount of mercy. Though it is not His duty to save sinners, He is certainly in the business of it. This view is not narrow and limited because God is broad and illimitable. He will save His elect, even if it takes seven years of to humble them, He will gather those that are His.
In answering the second question, it is my belief that God saves those children who die as infants or who are never born. This is for three reasons:
- Jesus is quite pleasantly disposed towards small children (i.e. children too young to make moral choices). "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belong the Kingdom of God" is a phrase which appears in two gospels. Even if we take this as Jesus making a strictly metaphorical statement, one still has to wonder why He would choose children at all unless there was some purity about them. Further, in Mark 10:14 (this was mentioned in one of the lectures) we read of Jesus blessing the little children, an act which wouldn't be consistent if they weren't to be saved as well.
- Scripture seems to point to an age of accountability. Isaiah 7:16 seems to mention a time where a child is incapable of discerning morally. From this then, it would seem that God would still count as innocent those who had not exercised this ability. Further, the death of infants to idolatry is described as the "death of the innocent." This all leads us to believe that God counts infants (by this I mean very young children) as innocent because they have not been active in making moral choices.
- My final reason isn't exactly a reason but is more of a bedecking of my already constructed argument. The reason infants die prematurely is solely because of the fall. If Adam had remained upright, fatal birth defects or violence done to them would be non-existent. One can then see a reason God would save those innocent who succumb to the malfeasance of others.Jesus is quite pleasantly disposed towards small children (i.e. children too young to make moral choices). "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belong the Kingdom of God" is a phrase which appears in two gospels. Even if we take this as Jesus making a strictly metaphorical statement, one still has to wonder why He would choose children at all unless there was some purity about them. Further, in Mark 10:14 (this was mentioned in one of the lectures) we read of Jesus blessing the little children, an act which wouldn't be consistent if they weren't to be saved as well.
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