FAQ:Do children go to heaven when they die?
Intro
Some people say that children go to heaven if they die young. But what does the Bible say?
John 3:5 KJV
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Jesus says that you must be born again to enter heaven.
So if a child has been born again when it dies then it goes to heaven and if a child has not been born again when it dies then it goes to the lake of fire.
Proverbs 20:10-12 KJV
[10] Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord.
[11] Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
[12] The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.
A child that doeth evil doesn’t want to come to the light and so he or she doesn’t get saved.
John 3:19-21 KJV
[19] And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
[20] For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
[21] But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
The little children are not eternally saved necessarily but they are a picture of how it is to be a born again child of God. You trust the Father in everything.
Matthew 18:3-14 KJV
[3] And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
[4] Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
[5] And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
[6] But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
[7] Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
[8] Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
[9] And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
[10] Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
[11] For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
[12] How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
[13] And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
[14] Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
Notice it says “as” in Matthew 18:4.
“One such child” in Matthew 18:5, notice it says such, is not talking about a physical child in this world. Jesus is talking about a born again child of God.
A born again child of God is a born again person, irrespective of actual physical age, that is dependent on milk (Hebrews 5:12-13). A physical child that has not been born again is not a child of God.
Hebrews 5:12-14 KJV
[12] For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
[13] For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
[14] But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
A born again person who is of spiritual full age can discern between good and evil (Hebrews 5:14).
1 Peter 2:2 KJV
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
Milk is the word of God.
Luke 1:15 KJV
For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
It’s possible for a child to be born again before it’s physically born (Luke 1:15).
Matthew 19:13-15 KJV
[13] Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
[14] But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
[15] And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.
Jesus doesn’t say that these children in Matthew 19 are going to heaven. He makes an illustration of the kingdom of heaven. Just like the children of God are with God the Father in heaven. Similarly children are on earth with Jesus in this event.
Jesus do use the children of this world in an illustration in a negative way as opposed to the children of God which he calls “her children” (Luke 7, Matthew 11).
Luke 7:29-35 KJV
[29] And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.
[30] But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
[31] And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
[32] They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.
[33] For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.
[34] The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
[35] But wisdom is justified of all her children.
Matthew 11:11-19 KJV
[11] Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
[12] And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
[13] For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
[14] And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
[15] He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
[16] But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
[17] And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
[18] For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
[19] The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.