What happens when a infant/child dies and is infant baptism necessary?

 What happens when a infant/child dies and is infant baptism necessary?

By Jake Kohl

     The Bible is not clear on what happens to a child when he or she dies but when looking at the context of being sinful, we can see from scripture that there are two distinctive areas that must be observed; sinful nature and sinful actions. Sin is inherited through our ancestors, even back to Adam and Eve, and passed on to us from the moment of birth. Psalm 51:5, David says, “Look, I was guilty of sin from birth, a sinner the moment my mother conceived me.”[1] This in essence would be what is viewed as sinful nature – the seed of sin. Paul said in Romans 5:13, "before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law."[2] Meaning, God did not impute men with their sins before the time of Moses. He bestowed grace upon them the same way that he operates with us today. 

     When the law came, so did our awareness of God's holiness. This understanding of God's righteousness brought about our separation from Him. Once the commandments came, so did our comprehension of what our sin was and therefore our sinful nature is transferred by way of knowledge into sinful action(s) which then carries the understanding of exclusivism/restrictivism as applied to sinful actions (only). 

     In conclusion, it is this writers beliefs that infant baptism is not necessary based on textual implications of the grace of God and the knowingly act of sin. Grace further argues for the eternal destiny of both child and the unborn in Heaven when the mind unknowingly does not know Gods Law, hence inclusivism.

Bibliography

Biblical Studies Press. (2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Ps 51:5). Biblical Studies Press.

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[1] Biblical Studies Press. (2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Ps 51:5). Biblical Studies Press.

[2] Romans 5:13