Tag: Abortion

Could there be another great awakening coming?

THE IMPETUS

In recent days I have spoken with people whom I greatly respect as mentors and dedicated followers of Christ who mentioned to me that they are anticipating another Great Spiritual Awakening in America and around the world. The impetus? The mistreatment of children.

One of the darkest expressions of human depravity today is found in human trafficking.  According to the definition of the United Nations, human trafficking means, “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons for the purpose of exploitation.” 1 Victims of human trafficking are exploited through different types of human slavery such as sex work, forced labor, or organ removal and selling.

According to The International Labour Organization, there are approximately 40.3 million victims of human trafficking globally. 2  The Fox News Investigative Unit also confirms this, saying, “Every year more than 40 million people are forced into the world of human trafficking across the globe and it’s someone’s son or daughter that is trapped in this modern-day slavery.” 3 Of these millions of victims, 25 percent are children, 75 percent are female, and 81 percent are trapped in some form of forced labor. 4

The 24.9 million people exploited for forced labor includes those caught in one of the most common forms of trafficking: sex trafficking. 5 Women and girls are overwhelmingly affected by exploitation of this sort, making up 99 percent of victims in the commercial sex industry. 6 Sex trafficking alone generates an estimated $99 million per year. 7

While human trafficking affects victims of all ages, children are especially vulnerable. About one out of seven endangered runaways reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 2017 were likely child sex trafficking victims. 8 Of the 15.4 million forced into marriage worldwide, 37 percent are children. 9

Human trafficking is also a serious problem in the USA. According to the Fox News Investigative Unit, America is among one of the worst nations for human trafficking along with Mexico and the Philippines. 10 Geoff Rogers, co-founder of the United States Institute Against Human Trafficking (USIAHT), said in an interview with Fox News, “We have a major issue here in the United States. The United States is the No. 1 consumer of sex worldwide. So we are driving the demand as a society… We do have men traveling the globe to go to places like Thailand and other places in East Asia to purchase sex with kids. But, in fact, the demand is so great that the supply has needed to be filled here in the United States.” Rogers also said that 50% to 60 % of these kids are coming out of the foster care industry in America. 11

According to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report, over 300,000 of America’s young population is considered at risk for sexual exploitation. It’s also estimated that 199,000 incidents occur within the U.S. each year. 12

According to DeliverFund’s website, in the USA, every 2.5 hours a child is taken by traffickers; every trafficked child is purchased for sex 5.4 times a day; 7 years is the average lifespan of a child victim once taken. 13

One teenage sex trafficking survivor known as “C” says, “Five men came in and it went from a Friday night to a Sunday morning — constantly. There was no sleep or break or anything it was just constantly being attacked by these men, and they kept giving me drugs and giving me liquor. And they just kept me hopped up.” 14

Sex trafficking is also connected to politicians in the USA as the more recent Jeffrey Epstein case has shown. 15 I wonder how many political candidates will address the pandemic of child trafficking along with the COVID pandemic as the November Presidential elections draw near?!!! This is not likely if they are also connected to this shameful industry.

The global pandemic of COVID-19 is causing an increase in isolation and human vulnerabilities that traffickers are eager to exploit. 16 “With many people stuck at home, stressed, or bored, pornography use has increased – Pornhub’s traffic shot up nearly 20 percent in late March. Sites like OnlyFans, a subscription-based social media platform used heavily by sex workers, have increasingly drawn unemployed people desperate for cash. OnlyFans saw a 75 percent increase in signups in March and April. Glamour magazine reported that up to 10,000 creators were joining OnlyFans daily during the month of May.” 17

Pornography has become an entryway for purchasing people for sex. 18 Amanda Eckhardt, the executive director of Restore NYC, a faith-based nonprofit that works with immigrant survivors of sex trafficking, says, “It’s important for the church to know that beyond the shutdown and pandemic, there will likely be a whole new cohort of people who will increase beyond traditional pornography viewing to purchasing sex, which will intersect with the trafficking of women and girls.” 19

I do not want to leave out the fact that child sexual abuse is also a problem in churches. Countless children have been sexually exploited by Catholic priests, nuns, and members of religious orders around the world. 20  Even among evangelical churches, there are young people being exploited sexually by their church leaders. 21 Regardless of culture or religion, the sexual exploitation of children is a very dark reality.

Let’s not forget the horrific treatment of unborn children worldwide. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 73 million abortions took place each year around the world between 2015 and 2019. 22 Since the legalization of abortion on demand in the USA, over 50 million unborn children have been torn apart in their mother’s womb through abortion procedures. 23

WHAT IS GOD’S RESPONSE TO THE MISTREATMENT OF CHILDREN?

Young children are very valuable to Jesus. They have a special place of love and respect from Him. Jesus said, “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10). Little children are very valuable to God as demonstrated by how close their guardian angels stand to the throne of God. Christ said, “It is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” (Matthew 18:14). God the Father does not want any little child to perish forever in hell.

We also see Jesus’ concern for little children in Matthew 19:13-15: “Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’ And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.” Jesus rebukes those who forbid little children from coming to Him. He says not to forbid little children from coming to Him because “the kingdom of heaven” is occupied by those who possess childlike faith in Jesus.

One of Jesus’ strongest statements against the mistreatment of children is seen in Matthew 18. “5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. 6 But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matthew 18:5-6). To welcome children and serve them is to welcome and serve Jesus (18:5). So if you want fellowship with Jesus, you must treat children and those who are childlike with tender love and care. Otherwise, Jesus warns of the great danger of causing them to stumble. He says it would be better to drown in the depth of the sea with a heavy stone hung around your neck than to cause a child to get tripped up (18:6). I can think of nothing worse that exploiting children sexually! Those who do so without getting right with God, must face the wrath of Jesus Christ!

In the Old Testament when God’s people sacrificed their children to pagan gods, the Lord’s wrath was kindled against them. “36 They served their idols, which became a snare to them. 37 They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons, 38 and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood. 39 Thus they were defiled by their own works, and playedthe harlot by their own deeds. 40 Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against His people, so that He abhorred His own inheritance.” (Psalm 103:36-40; cf. Deuteronomy 18:10; 2 Kings 16:3; 17:17). What we are seeing in the world today with children being sacrificed on the altars of sexual exploitation and abortion is equally abhorrent to the Lord and invites His wrath.

The God of the Bible is holy and cannot be around our sin (Psalm 5:4; 66:18; Isaiah 59:2;Romans 3:23; 6:23). He hates sin (Psalm 45:7; Proverbs 6:16; Zechariah 8:17), but He does not hate sinners. God loves sinners and wants to save them from sin’s penalty (eternal death) and give them everlasting life. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). Christ died for us “while we were still sinners,” not saints. The idea that we must clean ourselves up and stop sinning before we come to Christ is not found in the Bible!

Jesus loved and died for all sinners including the pedophile, the child molester, sex traffickers, the abortionist, and the parents or grandparents who sell their children’s bodies to make money. No exceptions!!! God’s grace is greater and stronger than our sin through the blood of Jesus Christ! “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” (Romans 5:20). If Jesus’ blood can wash away the sin of all nations from all time in all of history (Hebrews 9:14; Revelation 1:5; 5:9; 12:11), certainly His blood can wash away the sin and shame of those who are caught up in human trafficking the moment they believe in Him for His gift of forgiveness and everlasting life (John 3:16; Acts 10:43; 16:31)!

WHAT IS OUR RESPONSE?

My prayer is that God will use the darkness of human trafficking to awaken the world for its need for the redeeming grace of Jesus Christ! All of us have sinned against God with our words, our thoughts, and our actions (Romans 3:23). All of us deserve to be separated from God forever because of our sins (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15). In the sight of a holy God, the people who spend more time in a church or a mosque or a temple are no better than those who spend more time in human trafficking. We all have sinned against God.

How will we respond to the mistreatment of children worldwide? Will we try to justify our participation in these very dark practices by saying “everyone is doing it” or “no one has to know as long as I can keep it a secret”? Are we so desperate for money that we are willing to sacrifice the innocence of our children or grandchildren on the altar of human trafficking?

We may think that this does not apply to us because we do not participate in such atrocities. But are we any better than those who practice such evil as we turn the other way and pretend that such wickedness does not exist or perhaps we assume someone else will fix it? The Bible says, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10). Sins of omission are just as evil in God’s sight as sins of commission.

The Bible says, “Deliver the poor and needy; free them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 82:4). Are we delivering “the poor and needy” children of this world from human trafficking when we turn the other way and pretend this does not involve us? When the Bible says, “8 Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy” in Proverbs 31:8-9, are we obeying the Lord when we remain silent concerning the millions of children who are speechless and needy in the human trafficking industry? Oh may the Lord have mercy on all of us!!!

Human trafficking is one of the darkest expressions of our human sinfulness. Children are being robbed of their innocence through this very dark industry. Whether you are a victim of human trafficking or a consumer, you are probably silenced by your shame.

If you do not have Jesus Christ in your life, God invites you right now to come into the light of His love so He can set you free from your shame. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). Jesus did not say, “Come to a church or a mosque or a temple.” No. He said, “Come to Me.” Jesus is the One who can deliver us from the burden of our sin and shame.

Nor does Jesus say, “Come to Me and I will give you stress and shame.” Human trafficking will give you unbearable stress and shame whether you are a victim or a consumer. But not Jesus. He says, “Come to Me and I will give you rest.” You may be suffering in silence feeling horrible about what has been done to you as a victim of sex trafficking. Or, you may be coming apart on the inside with shame because you purchased children for sex. Please know that Jesus invites you to come to Him just as you are to receive the spiritual “rest” of His cleansing forgiveness and everlasting life. The “rest” Jesus offers here refers to a state of mind that exists when a non-Christian realizes he or she does not have to earn or work for their salvation. This refers to the positional rest of eternal life that is based on trusting in Christ’s accomplishment on the cross (John 3:14-16). Jesus finished the work of paying our sin debt in full when He died in our place on the cross and rose from the dead (John 19:30; I Corinthians 15:3-6). Jesus is alive today and He knows how deeply you are hurt or ashamed. He loves you infinitely and invites you to come to Him for rest.

If you have never understood and believed this before, and now you do, you can tell Jesus this through prayer.

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I come to you deeply burdened by my sin and my shame. I have sunk deeply into darkness. Before today, I thought no one could ever love me or want a relationship with me. But I am realizing that You showed me how much You love me by dying in my place on a cross for all of my sins. Thank You, Jesus, for taking all my punishment when You died and rose from the dead. I am now trusting You, Jesus, alone to forgive all my sins and cleanse me of all my shame. Thank You for the forgiveness and complete cleansing I now have. Please help me to see myself as You do now – as a dearly loved child of God who will never be alone again. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you are a believer in Jesus who is a survivor of sex trafficking, please know that Christ loves you infinitely for who you are. What was done to you was terribly wrong, but that does not mean you are wrong. Jesus wants to walk with you through your pain and shame so you can be free from the past. Since you were deeply injured through relationships, you will need to experience healing in the context of relationships with people who will love and care for you regardless of your past. Please see the “NEED HELP?” section for contact information of those who can help you.

If you are a believer in Jesus who enabled human trafficking or purchased children for sex, you also need to know that Jesus loves you very much and He wants to shine His love in the dark places of your soul. Yes, what you did was wrong, but you are not wrong in the sight of Jesus! You are still God’s beloved child who may have unresolved trauma that has led you to medicate your pain and shame with these dark practices. Jesus wants to heal you in the context of loving relationships. Please see the “NEED HELP?” section for contact information of those who can help you.

May all of us pray for the God of all grace to bring to light the darkness of human trafficking in the world so children and consumers will be rescued from the chains of shame through the grace and truth of the Lord Jesus Christ! Only Jesus can replace the enemy’s darkness with His marvelous light and hope!

 NEED HELP?

If you are being trafficked or suspect that someone you know is being trafficked contact:

– The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678) or CYBERTIPLINE.ORG.

– National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1 (888) 373-7888

If you are a survivor of sex trafficking or a consumer thereof and would like healing, please contact one of the following Christian Counseling services:  

– NewLife Ministries at www.newlife.com or call 800-NEW-LIFE (639-5433)

– Agape International Missions at www.agapewebsite.org

– Rahab’s Daughters at www.rahabsdaughters.org

– Bethany Christian services at www.bethany.org

ENDNOTES:

1. https://www.glowbalact.com/en/humantrafficking/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwp4j 6BRCRARIsAGq4yMHiB6KnaVuFSaP2hgwYWxfJ7qWRLRy4EHUq6ukzo60rf4m56KBY190aAt6NEALw_wcB

2. https://www.forgottenchildren.org/human-trafficking-by-the-numbers

3. https://www.foxnews.com/world/human-trafficking-victims-are-mostly-underage-children-from-within-the-us

4. https://www.forgottenchildren.org/human-trafficking-by-the-numbers

5. Ibid.

6. Ibid.

7. Ibid.

8. Ibid.

9. Ibid.

10. https://www.foxnews.com/us/human-trafficking-in-america-among-worst-in-world-report

11. Ibid.

12. Ibid.

13. https://deliverfund.org/the-human-trafficking-problem-in-america/

14. https://www.foxnews.com/world/human-trafficking-victims-are-mostly-underage-children-from-within-the-us

15. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mitchell-richardson-accused; https://www.foxnews. com/politics/christine-pelosi-jeffrey-epstein-democrats-faves-implicated

16. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/july-web-only/coronavirus-human-trafficking-ministries-face-crisis.html

17. Ibid.

18. Ibid.

19. Ibid.

20. https://www.bbc.com/news/10407559; https://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/ Catholic_Church_ sexual_abuse_cases

21. https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2019/may/lifeway-protestant-abuse-survey-young-christians-leave-chur.html; https://www.washington post.com/news/posteverything/wp /2018/05/31/feature/the-epidemic-of-denial-about-sexual-abuse-in-the-evangelical-church/; http://www.religion watch.com/sexual-abuse-crisis-in-the-sbc-also-an-evangelical-problem/

22. https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-worldwide?gclid= CjwKCAjwyo 36BRAXEiwA24CwGX3b5DXx9cfcMf-7pwvl7eu-cgonf whHVwLrMSTlEAg98qbpdX_76RoCK1 YQAvD_BwE

23. https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/reality-check/2015/03/06/million-abortions-claim-checks/24530159/

Why does God know me so well?

WHY DOES GOD KNOW ME SO WELL?

“13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You.” Psalm 139:13-18

The reason God knows me so completely and thoroughly (139:1-12) is because He formed me in the womb and scheduled the course of my life (139:13-18). God “formed my inward parts” – the real me. He “covered” or wove my veins and arteries (139:13). Notice the word “me” in reference to the embryonic development of a baby. This is a person in the eyes of God, not a piece of tissue or a glob of cells. Do you realize that at the embryo stage of development, your arms, legs, eyes, ears, brain, heart, liver, and lungs were already developing? Your chromosomes were all set to make you a boy or girl. If we could read God’s plan in our DNA, we could tell even at this stage whether we would be tall or short, have light or dark skin. We could tell if we would talk and sing with a high or low voice, and many other things. God knit our body parts together according to the plan He wrote in our DNA code.

We are not the product of a series of genetic mistakes as evolution teaches. We did not evolve from dead stuff to a living being. No. We are the result of an all-wise and all-powerful Creator who carefully formed us in the womb. This is why God knows me intimately because He carefully formed me in my mother’s womb.

This is why I will praise God because I am the product of His awe-inspiring handiwork (139:14). Are you able to say with David, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well”? God’s written plan for you in your DNA is unique. There is only one you. Your face, your features, your voice, your style, your background, your peculiarities, your abilities, your smile, your walk, your handshake, your manner of expression, your view point – everything about you is found in only one individual since humankind began – you!!! You will not find another you throughout human history. Why? Because God wanted you to be you and no one else! Your mold was broken, never to be used again.

When was the last time you praised God for you? All of you? When was the last time you praised Him for your looks, abilities, mannerisms, etc? Let me encourage you to look in a mirror today and say, “Thank You, Lord, for making me, me!” Praise Him because you are a product of His awe-inspiring handiwork!

When David says, “My frame was not hidden from You” (139:15a), the word “frame” refers to his bones or skeleton. When he says, “When I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth” (139:15b), he is referring to the fact that the development of a human being is hidden to the human eye. Even though he was unseen to the human eye, he was still a person (“I”). In David’s day there were no sonograms or ultrasounds like we have today. So you could not watch the development of a baby in the womb. God alone saw the development of a person in the womb. Thanks to technology today, we can observe the prenatal development of children and see that they are fully human from the moment of conception.

When David says, “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed” (139:16a), he is referring to the egg cell stage of development. Life truly begins at fertilization when the sperm and ovum meet to form a single cell. All the characteristics of each person – sex, eye color, shoe size, intelligence, etc. – are determined at fertilization by the baby’s genetic code in his or her chromosomes. Every person begins as a separate single cell. Nothing new is added but oxygen and nutrition. All of us, from the moment of fertilization were a unique human being never to be repeated in all of history. When an abortion is performed, the abortionist is slapping the hand of God and destroying our Maker’s handiwork. He is destroying a person, a human being.

During the egg cell stage of development God scheduled the course of my life. “And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them” (139:16b). God planned all the days of our lives including all the things that would happen to us before we were even born. That is how special each of us is to God. Each of us began as an idea in the mind of God. He was thinking about us before our lives began. Since God is the One who has planned a human life, it is not our place to decide when that life should end. Only God has the right to give or take life (Deut. 32:39).

The “thoughts” God has toward us probably refer to His forming of our bodies and planning our lives (139:17-18). These thoughts God has toward each of us are “precious” and innumerable. Do you ever feel alone and insignificant? All of us can and do. Please know that God is always thinking about you. Why? Because He is your loving Creator. The best parents in the world cannot give constant attention to their children twenty-four hours per day, but God can. He is with us all the time giving us His whole attention. The Lord is constantly thinking an uninterrupted stream of loving thoughts toward us as though nobody else in the world existed.

How can God be personally involved with over 7 billion individuals at the same time? I do not know for sure, but I do believe it is no problem for the Creator of the universe. Perhaps the answer is in the speed of His thought. There are approximately 7.8 billion people in the world today.[1] God created things in nature that pulsate at incredible speeds. I learned recently that strontium atoms vibrate 430 trillion times per second.[2] If God thinks that fast, He could think of 55,128 loving thoughts toward you and every person on earth every second. Who knows how He does it. Just enjoy it!

Do you ever wake up in the morning feeling insecure? David reminds us, “When I awake, I am still with You” (139:18b). God has not only been thinking loving thoughts of you throughout the night, but when you wake up in the morning, He is still there with you giving you His loving attention. Let’s take a moment to worship our all-loving, all-wise, and all-powerful Creator.

Prayer: Precious Lord, I bow before You as my Creator God. You know me so intimately and thoroughly because You painstakingly formed me in my mother’s womb. I am fearfully and wonderfully made by You and I praise You for this. Thank You for making me, me! Thank You for my face, my eyes, my ears, my nose, my voice, my background, my peculiarities, my abilities, my smile, my walk, my handshake, my mannerisms, my view points. Thank You for everything about me. Thank You for planning the course of my life with Your innumerable loving thoughts toward me. Knowing how much You love me and care for me invites me to trust You every moment of my life. I look forward to spending today with You. Help me to see myself as You do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

[1] https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/

[2] https://www.vox.com/2016/5/26/11784888/atomic-clock-strontium

What Happens to Babies or Toddlers who die?

We need to remember that all people are born as sinners (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23; 5:12) and that no one is righteous before a holy God (Roman 3:10-11). All people deserve eternal “death” or separation from God forever because of their sin (Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15). In addition, the only requirement for deliverance from eternal death and condemnation is belief in Jesus (John 3:16-18, 36). 

With these truths in mind, what does the Bible say about babies or children who die in infancy? Will they go to heaven or hell? 

1. The very nature of God prevents Him from being unfair. He will always do what is right and fair in His judgment (Genesis 18:25; Psalm 7:11; 9:18; I Peter 1:17). 

2. God is also love (I John 4:7-8). As a loving Creator He “desires all people to be saved” and has made provision for them through His Son’s death on the cross (I Timothy 2:3-6; cf. 2 Peter 3:9).  All people are savable because Christ “gave Himself as a ransom for all” (I Timothy 2:6; cf. I John 2:2).

3. Nowhere in the Bible does it say a person who is not old enough to believe in Jesus will go to hell. Because God is just and gracious (Psalm 9:8; John 1:14), He will not punish someone who is incapable of believing in Christ because of a lack of mental development (whether through immaturity or mental impairment). 

4. Young children are very valuable to Jesus. They have a special place of love and respect from Jesus. Jesus said, “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven”(Matthew 18:10). Little children are very valuable to God as demonstrated by how close their guardian angels stand to the throne of God. Christ also said, “It is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish”(Matthew 18:14). God the Father does not want any little child to perish forever in hell. In the context (18:6) Jesus is speaking of “little”children who are old enough to believe in Him. We also see Jesus’ concern for little children in Matthew 19:13-15: “Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’ And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.” Jesus rebukes those who forbid little children from coming to Him. He says not to forbid little children from coming to Him because “the kingdom of heaven” is occupied by those who possess childlike faith in Jesus. 

5. The Bible does seem to teach that a baby who dies in infancy will go to heaven (2 Samuel 12:22-23). In the context of this passage, King David committed adultery with Bathsheba.  The prophet Nathan boldly confronts David about his adultery and tells him that the child that Bathsheba has conceived will die.  As a result of the confrontation, David confesses his sin, puts on sackcloth and ashes, fasts, and grieves the fact that he will lose his child.  When David receives news that the child has died, he quits grieving and fasting and changes his clothing.  The prophet Nathan comes to David and asks him why he quit mourning the loss of his son. David replies, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell 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 shall not return to me.”(2 Sam. 12:22-23).  David is confident that the child went to heaven since David says, “I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me”; and other verses indicate that David went to heaven (Psalm 16:10-11; Romans 4:5-8; Hebrews 11:32-33).

Conclusion:While I cannot be dogmatic here, I do believe that infants or toddlers who die before they are old enough to believe in Jesus will go to heaven because:

1. The character of God (holy, just, gracious, merciful, loving) does not allow Him to punish a person for something they cannot do (i.e. believe in Jesus) whether it is because of immaturity or mental impairment (Genesis 18:25; Psalm 7:11; 9:8, 18; John 1:14-17; 3:14-18; I Timothy 2:3-6; Hebrews 4:14-16; I Peter 1:15-17; 2 Peter 3:9; I John 2:2; 4:7-8). No one will question God’s final judgment about the eternal destiny of infants and toddlers because only God is qualified to make this decision!

2. Little children are of special concern to Jesus and He does not want any of these little ones to perish in hell (Matthew 18:1-14; 19:13-15).

3. King David expected to see his dead infant son again in heaven (2 Samuel 2:22-23).

With this said, the number of babies, toddlers, and mentally impaired people from all human history who are “safe” in the arms of Jesus will greatly increase the population of heaven. When considering the infant mortality rate (the number of deaths of infants under one year old per 1,000 live births) which was far greater in the past than the present, it is quite possible that there will be far more people in heaven than in hell.