When an Unborn or Young Child Dies

How our Father saves unborn or young children

See When Jesus Calls us Home -- When Life Begins – When Life Dies

Infant Baptism; until age of Responsibility

We can be assured

All young children who have one believing parent, from the time they were given life in the womb by the Holy Spirit, until they are old enough to accept or reject Jesus on their own, are kept holy by the Spirit.

*All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Ps 139:16 NIV+

*For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. 1Co 7:14 NKJV

There should be no fear if these young children should physically die. They are children of God and there spiritual being, their soul and spirit, are taken to Heaven.

*From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Ps 22:10 NIV

*Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matt 19:14 NIV+

We can have hope

We also have hope in the love and mercy of our Heavenly Father for young children who die without a believing parent. Our Father has a foreknowledge of those who will love Him, makes them His children, and will take them to Heaven. This includes a parent who has become a believer, yet while they were an unbeliever, had a young child die. This includes grandparents, other relatives, any in the family of God, who have a young child they nurtured in the love of Jesus die. All believers can have hope in the love and grace of Jesus, that we will be united once more in Heaven with the young child we loved so dearly.

*And the Lord said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

*who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: 1Pe 1:2 NIV

We must also realize

Yet we must also realize that God’s Word tells us that parents’ attitudes, their sins, can carry over to their young children, and those who are still in the womb. Making these young children go astray, unable to accept Jesus as their Savior. And when these young children physically die, their eternal spirit being descends into Hell.

*You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, Dt 5:9-10 NIV+ Part of 1^st commandment

*You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the fathers' sins into the laps of their children after them. O great and powerful God, whose name is the Lord Almighty, Jer 32:18 NIV+

*Surely you did not hear, Surely you did not know; Surely from long ago your ear was not opened. For I knew that you would deal very treacherously, And were called a transgressor from the womb. Isa 48:8 NKJV+

Children of God should have no fear of death, for it is the fulfillment of our physical lives. Dying is when our spiritual being, our soul and spirit, leaves our physical body, and is called home by Jesus to live with Him in Paradise. We will also have the company of all who are in the family of God, and have likewise been called home. And temporarily our physical being, our body and mind, are put to rest here on earth.

When a child of God dies, they no longer will know any pain and sorrow, only the joy of Heaven. The pain and sorrow comes to the loved ones who are left behind, and the pain may seem unbearable, especially when a young or unborn child has been taken home. Our sorrow can turn to frustration, and sometimes our frustration to anger, when our hopes, our plans are destroyed when our young child is taken home to Heaven, away from us. Even Jesus had tears of sorrow when Lazarus died. Yet Jesus will comfort us with His love, as we pray, talk, and meditate with Him. And the Spirit will show us the verses in the Word of God, which will give us the answers to help us overcome our grief.

We are children of God, and we know our real home is awaiting us in Heaven. Nothing is dependent on how long we live on earth. We may feel some are too young or important to leave us so soon. Yet our Heavenly Father alone knows when and how to use our children to help complete His family in Heaven, a family we will get to spend all eternity with. We must trust in our God above all things, including the time each of us is given here on earth.

Our Father is also showing us how precious our young children are to us. Why it is important for us to be one with Christ as we bring children into the world, for we make them holy. Why it is important for us to bring children up in a Christian home, so they can know Jesus as their Savior throughout their lives, for we never know when Jesus will call any of us home to be with Him.

We should always remember that we will have more than a trillion years, we will have forever to spend with our children in Paradise. Yes we will miss having a few more years here on earth with our children, maybe even 50. Yet 50 years compared to the trillions of years we will have with them in Heaven, is like the blink of an eye in time. When we feel despondent about a loved one who has gone home to Heaven, including an unborn child we may not have met, we must think spiritually, not worldly. We must remember we will have all of eternity to spend with them in Heaven with Jesus our Savior and Lord.

Another help is to try and imagine what the child will say when we meet them in Heaven.

“I am so glad to see you, and it was so easy for us to spiritually recognize each other. It has been great living up here in Heaven, I am always happy, there is no sickness or pain to be bothered with, and no chores or homework to do. And Jesus has taken such good care of me, and I enjoy being with him so much. There are many of our family and friends here to visit with, along with all the other brothers and sisters in Christ whom I have met. This is the best home we can ever have.”

“I am sorry we didn’t have more time to be together on earth. But I am so glad you brought me to the Lord. Jesus knew my name and gently took me in His arms while telling me my job on earth was done. That is was now time for me to come home to live with Him in Heaven.”

“I know that you were sad when Jesus called me home to Heaven so soon, but glad that you were able to accept our Father’s will. For what is living another 50 years on earth together, compared to living eternally with Jesus in Heaven. We will have more than a million, more than even a billion years to enjoy Heaven with other. I can’t even comprehend this much time, but no longer have to worry about it. For there is no time in Heaven, it’s just forever.”

“I knew deep down with the faith you have in our God, you would understand. And knew you would never want to deprive me of any time I could have with Jesus. It’s so good to be with you again. Let me show you around our God’s great Heavenly Kingdom.”

I realize how my human nature has made me slow to complete my Father’s work here on earth. That it has cost me many of the blessings my Savior wanted to give me. But I know my Master still has a small quiet corner laid away in Heaven for me. A corner that will give me joy beyond any expectations that I could ever imagine. Do not play any sad or morbid music for me after I am with my Maker. Just sing praises to our Savior for His great love for us, which can save even such a fool as I am.

We should never visit any Christian’s grave and look down at their burial plot to give them last respects, to talk to them, or feel close to them. They are not there. Look up to Heaven, that is where their residence is. They have not left us behind. They are patiently waiting to rejoice with us when Jesus calls us home to be with them in Heaven.

Remember also that through Christ we are all spiritually one, whether we are here on earth or in Heaven above. Remember when we come to the Lord’s Supper, as we eat the bread we receive the body of Christ. We are united intimately with our Savior, with all believers on earth, with all in Heaven, with our young child, who has preceded us to Paradise. And receive the ultimate assurance that we are all in the family of God, and someday will all be given glorified bodies to live in Paradise forever.

We must prayerfully come to accept the Lord’s will. Meditating, quietly talking with Jesus, so our will becomes His, His loves shows through us. Utilizing the gifts the Spirit has given us to the best of our God given abilities. Realizing that every day there is so much we can do which shows our love for our God, our love for all people. Until Jesus calls us home to be with Him, and we are united with all believers who have preceded us to Heaven, including our young children whom we will dearly miss.

*For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord.

So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

Ro 14:8 ESV+

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+ ESV “Scripture quotations marked [ESV] are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version,” copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good New Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”