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NASB | Acts 4:12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Acts 4:12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among people by which we must be saved [for God has provided the world no alternative for salvation]." |
Bible Question: I have a Preacher Say that if a childs parents have never been saved.That if the child dies it will go to Hell .Does anyone have a response to this outlandish statement??????? |
Bible Answer: That's an interesting position. A key question to ask him is, "Why do you believe that is true?" "From where in the Bible do you derive this?" The implication is that if a child's parents are believers and the child dies, it goes to heaven. That would mean that a child's eternal destiny is determined by the will of his parents. This is unthinkable, that one person determines the eternal destiny of another. Another question for this person would be, "What if the parents become Christians later?" What if just one parent is a Christian or eventually becomes a Christian? Even if he could find a place in the Bible where it infers that the faith of the parents determines eternity for a child who dies in infancy--which he cannot--he will by no means be able to point to a Scripture and answer these other questions. Yet, the question, "Where does a child who dies in infancy go?" is a great question. Unfortunately, we are not give much to go on for that. The best example is the death of the child born to David through his immoral relationship with Bathsheeba. In his prayer he states, referring to the child, "You will not return to me, but I will go to you." The question could be broadened to encompass mentally handicapped individuals who appear to be unable to understand the things of God. What I always come back to for these questions is the Cross of Christ, because I am convinced that it is the place where the character of God is most clearly revealed. If He, being God, suffered and died to purchase my pardon because of His love for me, the unloveable, then I can trust His character and know that He will do what is noble reqarding difficult questions such as these. I would be interested in hearing what this pastor has to say when asked to prove his position from the Scriptures. With all due respect, though, this is not a position that seems to have been arrived at after a great deal of study and thought. I hope this helps. |