Infants & Eternity

Josh Owens

Clear Springs Baptist Church

Wednesday Night Study • Sermon • Submitted 4 months ago • Presented 4 months ago

Romans 5:12–21

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Infants & Eternity

Text: Romans 5:12-21

Introduction

I believe it is safe to say at the moment of death, God saves both the infant and the mental handicap in the moment of death is the universal response from a pastorate setting. However, the difficulty is too back this belief with a proper Biblical defense.

There are two views of how Adam’s sinful actions are imputed to someone:

Both view teach people are sinful due to their relationship with Adam.

The difference is whether “becomes” guilty or “is always guilty.”

First view: Immediate imputation

Inherited guilt (Augustinian-Calvinist tradition)

Romans 5:12 “…because all sinned,” means that all people are guilty because all people were in Adam and therefore there the moment Adam sinned and therefore Adam’s guilty is passed on to everyone.

Adam is blamed for the guilty condition of all humanity.

Second view: Mediate Imputation

Inherited sinful nature (moral responsibility)

Affirms everyone is sinful because of Adam.

Denies we are guilty due to the sin of Adam.

The individual becomes guilty the moment they act upon their inherited nature from Adam (thoughts, attitudes, and actions.

To state my position clearly from the above potential dialog is this: I take the position of what is called “mediate imputation.” Simply put, I believe every human being is born with a “sinful nature” through the disobedience of Adam, but only upon their own thoughts, attitudes, and actions from that nature do they acquire their own guilt. This position is well within the scope of Christian orthodoxy. To back up my position, I would like to comment on a couple of passages.

1) Biblical Examination

A. Romans 5

Romans 5:12-21 is probably the most vital texts to consider man’s connection with Adam’s sin and sinfulness. To reference verse 12, Paul is clearly stating that sin and death has entered the world through Adam’s disobedience. However, it is important to pay close attention to the ending of verse 12; “for that all have sinned” or “because all have sinned.”

I don’t believe infants were the reference point when Paul was dealing with imputed guilt. I think it is crucial to understand the context behind chapter 5.

“In Rom 3:10, we see a classic statement of man’s unrighteousness (sinfulness). What follows in Rom 3:11-18 is not a summary of man’s sinful nature but his sinful actions. Humankind is indicted for its failure to understand or seek God (v11); for turning aside and failing to do good (v12); for speaking sinful words (vv. 13-14); and for killing, destroying, failing to live peaceably, and failing to fear to God (vv. 15-18). These are all indictments by God against sinful actions rather than a sinful nature.”[1]

Question: When God brings judgement throughout the history of the Bible days, was it because of “nature” or “actions?”

Illustration — God created government. Does a judge declare guilty on someone due to their ability of breaking the law or the act they committed in breaking the law?

We could say it this way — The causes of the sin, guilt, and death, and death upon humanity to be found in both our link to Adam as well as our individual sinful actions.

B. Examine Psalm 51:5

David states in Psalm 51:5 “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; And in sin did my mother conceive me.”[2]

David is explaining the presence of sin in his life from the earliest moments.

It is my understanding that David is not expressing becoming guilty of sin while within his mother’s womb, but rather he was physically forming within a mother who had already acted in disobedience to God.

She was the one “in iniquity.” Due to being born from a human mother, David too had been given a sin nature of which he would soon act upon and become guilty before God.

“Under the BDB lexicon’s definition of ‘āwōn (iniquity) as “guilt of iniquity,” there is the subcategory “as a condition.””[3] When this word is being used, it can (but not always) imply guilt as a condition of iniquity. There are scriptures like Joshua 22 when referring to the sin of Achan or in Ezekiel 3 and 33 when specific moral behaviors are mentioned, ‘āwōn is used in the since of guilt. However, those and many others never refer to infants. So, sinfulness was present at the first moment of David’s life (conception), but sin guilt came later following his first act of disobedience toward God.

C. Examine Ephesians 2:3

It is vitally important to follow Pauls flow within the text: Read verses 1-3

Paul is NOT speaking about infants. Not speaking to adults about infants.

Paul is speaking to adult about adults. Comparing their past life as adults to their current life as adults.

Either you are a child of the devil or a child of God (“Children” is used as an idiom)

D. Lastly, what about the flood or death coming to David’s infant?

Genesis 6:5-6 “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”

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.”

I would say it is a classic example of how the impact of personal sin affects everyone around us.

Children who were yet to commit sinful thoughts or actions were not judged based upon their nature, but were impacted by God’s judgement toward the thoughts and actions of others who knew the difference between right and wrong and good and evil.

Concluding Thoughts

Personal sin is different from original sin. Personal sin comes when “moral accountability” has been reached and actions against God’s moral law has been done. Guilt is imputed at this point.

Quote: “Having knowingly sinned, the person must now savingly believe in the substitutionary death and resurrection of Christ for the forgiveness of sin.”

Here is the statement I would share with a potential parent. I would assure them the Lord is very much aware of whether or not your child had reached the age or had the ability to not only determine right from wrong, but more so, whether they acted wrongly in spite of knowing what was right. God would be going against His nature of justice to not allow someone (infant/incapable) into Heaven who has never acted upon their sinful nature. Meaning, even though they were born with a sinful nature, they could not be declared guilty because they have yet to knowingly act against God’s moral law. So, only because of the grace of Jesus Christ, God can allow your child (with his/her sinful nature) entrance into Heaven to eternally be with Him.

While either view does not provide a complete understanding of how God in His justice and grace accomplishes the entrance of infants into heaven, I think it is more plausible and with better balance of scripture to hold to God in His grace allowing infants, young children, mental handicap (in or outside the womb) with a sinful nature.

[1] Adam Harwood, The Spiritual Condition Of Infants (Oregon, Wipf&Stock, 2011), 39

[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Ps 51:5.

[3] Adam Harwood, The Spiritual Condition Of Infants (Oregon, Wipf&Stock, 2011), 43

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