My dear friend, this is a question that many ask about, and I’m glad you brought it up because I believe that God’s Word does address this question, howbeit somewhat indirectly. What I mean by this is that I cannot point you to chapter and verse where the matter is directly spelled out, and yet there are a couple of verses that I believe will afford much comfort to parents and relatives of the pre-born and the very young who pass from this scene. I will share with you that my wife and I have experienced the death of a newborn in our own lives some 30 years ago, and as painful as this was and is for us, we have felt great assurance from these verses that our child is in fact in the glory with Christ. If any who read this response have experienced such a tragic event, I pray that the Holy Spirit may comfort you as well.

The first portion I wish to share is found in Mark 10:13-16 where we read: “And they brought young children to Him, that He should touch them: and His disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them.” There are similar passages in Matthew 19:13-15, and also in Luke 18:15-17. In the passage I have cited from Mark 10, you will note that the Lord Jesus said of the little children, “…for of such is the kingdom of God,” (verse 14). The little ones, unborn or born and very young are precious to the Savior, and we see that such as they have the kingdom of God. Going on in verse 15, we read: “Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein”. Though we are all born in sin, I do believe that the unborn and babies are not accountable in the same way that adults are, and when old enough, they are very open and receptive to the calling of the Lord Jesus, which is why Jesus was displeased with His disciples who tried to drive the children away. He encouraged that they rather be brought to Him early that they might be blessed. What’s more, we see in verse 16 that when the Lord Jesus did receive these children, He did not seek to preach to them nor baptize them, but He put His hands on them and prayed for them. This last is important, I believe, because there are some who believe that water baptism is a prerequisite for going to heaven. But there is no mention of baptism in this portion. I therefore believe that children of the age we are discussing are already possessors of the Kingdom of God, and that if they die at this point in their lives, they do in fact go to heaven, regardless of whether or not they have been baptized.

Now, I want to add in another verse which I believe demonstrates God’s love for children, but also those who are considered to be “little” in this earth. In Matthew 18:10 we read: “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven”. Over the 32 years of my career in rehabilitation, I often encountered young and old alike who were born with serious developmental disabilities, who would never have been capable of understanding the Gospel. Just like the unborn, or like babies and young children who die, I believe that these too will enjoy God’s Grace when they die, since they would not be held accountable for their understanding of God’s Word. We must never despise one of God’s little ones, because these are so important to God that guardian angels are assigned to each, who stand in the very presence of God and see His face.

I pray that this response has been helpful to you, and I also pray that you yourself have tasted the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and are saved. Always remember that God is a God of love and grace, and that He calls you to repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. We read in Ephesians 2:8,9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”  (SF)  (538.4)