2. Geisler, Norman Vol. 3
Systematic Theology II
Chapter 67
“The Results of Salvation
(Infants and Heathen)”
3. Salvation includes three spectacular events:
1. The official victory over sin by the Cross;
2. The practical victory over sin within
believers;
3. The final victory over sin at the Second
Coming.
4. All humans, saved and unsaved, will be resurrected (cf.
Dan. 12:1-3; Jn. 5:28-29; Rev. 20:1-3)
Geisler argues that the condemnation of the lost is just
because all have heard the gospel and have had an
opportunity to respond. Geisler is in error here. Jesus
said the gospel would be taken to all nations,
implying that it had not been, and in fact, has not yet
reached all peoples. So condemnation is not based
on the people’s refusal to accept the gospel,
condemnation is based on the fact that all have
sinned and come short of the glory of God and there
is none righteous, no not one. All are worthy of
condemnation, but by God’s grace some have
heard the gospel and those who receive grace by
faith are delivered from condemnation.
5. Geisler is correct on the next two points:
The Condemnation of the Lost is Final—
Hebrews 9:27 teaches that every person
“is destined to die once, and after that
to face judgment.” (cf. also Lk. 16:26
and Rev. 22:11).
The Condemnation of the Lost is Eternal—
The eventual state of the wicked is not
only final, but it is also everlasting (see
Matt. 25:32-34, 41; 2 Thess. 1:7-9)
6. As Geisler says, “The eternal status of
infants has always been a thorny issue in
orthodox Christian theology.”
They are conceived in sin (Ps. 51:5) and
“by nature children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3),
and faith is the condition for receiving
salvation (Jn. 3:16-18).
7. The Sacramentalist view holds that God only
saves infants who have been baptized
because the sacraments are efficacious
and baptism is necessary for salvation.
However, in that baptism is a “work” and we
are not saved by works (Rom. 4:5; Eph. 2:8-
9; Titus 3:5-7) baptism does not save
anyone, including infants.
If only baptized infants are saved, then God is
viewed as cruel and unjust for condemning
infants who are not baptized.
8. The Elect-Infant View (God Saves Only Elect Infants)
This position assets that the only deceased babies
who go to heaven are the ones who are elect.
They argue that since the entire human race has
sinned in Adam (Rom. 5:12), the infants who are
not of the elect, will go to hell. Some of the elect
die in infancy and go to heaven, while others grow
to become adults.
Geisler argues that this view denies universally
accessible salvation. Christ died for all. God
desires that all be saved (2 Pet. 3:9). This view does
severe damage to God’s attributes of justice and
mercy.
9. The Foreknown-Infant View (God Saves Those Infants
That Would have believed)
This position assets that since God is omniscient He
knows which infant, if he or she had lived, would
have believed and as such He will save only those
infants and those who would not have believed will
not be saved from eternal torment.
One main problem (and there are many) is the
question of how someone can be saved by
“potential faith.” It also brings into question the
justice of punishing infants who have never actually
sinned.
10. All-Infant Salvation Views: God Elects All Infants and Saves them
1. All who die before the age of accountability are incapable of moral
good or evil.
2. God will only punish people (in the next life) on the basis of evils they
have committed in this life;
3. All who die before the age of accountability, then, will not be
punished in the next life (that is they will be saved);
4. Arminians, however, hold that faith is necessary condition for salvation;
5. Those who die before the age of accountability cannot believe (that
is, have faith);
6. Hence, according to Arminian doctrine, no one dying before the age
of accountability can be saved;
7. Calvinism teaches that God can regenerate people without their
consent (faith);
8. Consequently, only a Calvinist can consistently maintain that all who
die before the age of accountability will be saved
11. All-Infant Salvation Views:
God Elects All Infants and Saves them
Problem with this view. The one main problem is that
there is nothing in the Bible that specifically mentions
an “age of accountability.” Second, it suggests
salvation apart from faith. In Nash’s own view of
limited atonement he has no reliable reason to
believe that God’s election is any broader among
infants than it is among adults. If Christ only saves
some adults, as extreme Calvinists argue, then why
should we assume that He died for all infants?
12. All-Infant Salvation Views:
God Saves All Infants Because They Cannot Believe
Basically, this view is that God could not hold anyone
accountable for not believing if they do not have the
capacity to believe. This would violate God’s justice.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do
not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to
such as these” (Mk. 10:14). Lacking an delimiter, it
suggests that all children are included. David in Psalm
139:13-16 speaks of God having created him in his
mother’s womb and being written in “your [God’s]
book” (v. 16). (cf. also Isa. 7:15; Deut. 1:39)
13. All-Infant Salvation Views:
God Saves All Infants Because They Cannot Believe
Critics of this view argue that it tends toward
universalism and ignores or denies the fact of total
depravity and inherent sin. Further it eliminates the faith
as an absolutely necessary salvific condition in this life.
The merit of this view is that it both satisfies God’s justice
and magnifies His omnivbenevolence. It also has some
biblical justification.
14. The Limbo-Infant View
This view offers a third view to eternal salvation or
eternal punishment. It is limbo. Some Roman Catholic
theologians have posited limbo for babies who die
unbaptized.
However, even proponents of this view find it difficult to
defend. There is nothing in Scripture to support it. If it
existed, wouldn’t God do the same for people who
have never heard the gospel? What is the nature of
limbo? Eternal separation from God is one of the
torments of hell. Ceasing to exist is annihilation.
15. The Evangelized-After-Death View
This position contends that infants will mature after
death (perhaps immediately) and will then be given an
opportunity to believe. Those who believe will be
saved, those who do not, will be lost.
1. People are condemned to hell for their own willful sin;
2. Jesus died for all people, including young children
who die;
3. All people receive sufficient grace for salvation;
4. The act of faith is necessary for salvation.
16. The Evangelized-After-Death View
There is no Scriptural support for the position that infants
will mature after death, though this is not an uncommon
belief, i.e., that in the glorified body small children who
have believed will grow up in heaven.
Second, even if they do grow up, there is no evidence
that they will then be evangelized.
Scripture plainly teaches that there is no hope for
salvation beyond the grave.
17. What are we to conclude?
None of the views are without their difficulties. Geisler
states that there are three crucial factors in determining
which of these positions are correct:
1.Is faith an absolute condition for salvation?
2.Does God always offer everyone the opportunity to
believe?
3.Is inherited depravity alone sufficient for
condemnation?
18. The General-Revelation View (Heathen Can Be
Saved Through God’s Creation)
Those who believe today’s non-evangelized can be saved apart
from hearing the gospel reason from the following:
The Love and Justice of God. Arguing from God’s attributes it is
argued that it would be both unloving and unjust to condemn
people who never had the opportunity to hear the gospel. There
are Scriptures (e.g., Ps. 19:1-4) that appear to suggest that creation
itself, through general revelation, one can believe in God.
However, Paul references this very passage (Ps. 19) in saying that
no one can hear without a preacher (i.e., special revelation—Rom.
10:18).
19. The General-Revelation View (Heathen Can Be
Saved Through God’s Creation)
All evangelicals believe that Christ’s death and
resurrection (the fact of His finished work) are necessary
for anyone’s salvation. However, those who maintain
that salvation can be obtained through general
revelation insist that it is not necessary to know about
what Christ has done. Accordingly, all verses indicating
that Christ’s death and resurrection are soteriologically
necessary are taken to refer to the fact of Christ’s
sacrifice rather than to explicit knowledge of that truth.
~Geisler
20. The Special-Revelation View (Salvation Comes
Only Through the Gospel of Jesus Christ)
The standard orthodox position down through the
centuries—held by Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin,
and their followers—is that, in this age, salvation is not
possible apart form knowledge of and believe in the
death and resurrection of Christ.
This position seems to call into question God’s justice
and omnibenevolence. Nonetheless, there are several
biblical passages pointing in this direction.
~Geisler
21. The Special-Revelation View (Salvation Comes
Only Through the Gospel of Jesus Christ)
Biblical support:
John 3:36—“whoever believes in the Son has eternal life”
John 3:18— “whoever does not believe stand condemned”
John 8:24—”If you do not believe that I am . . . You will indeed die in your
sins”
John 10:1, 9, 11, 14—“the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the
gate . . .is a thief and a robber . . . I am the gate”
Romans 10:13-14
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How,
then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how
can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? An how
can they hear without someone preaching to them?
22. The Special-Revelation View (Salvation Comes
Only Through the Gospel of Jesus Christ)
The argument from the special-revelation view is that all humanity had
inherited sin and only through belief in through knowledge of the gospel
can one be saved. As Paul indicates, they cannot believe if they have not
heard.
General revelation declares that there is a Creator, a God, but it does not
reveal the plan of salvation, which is why evangelism and missions is so
important.
The argument that it is unjust or unloving of God to judge those who have
never heard the gospel is an argument made from a faulty premise,
namely, that somehow people merit grace. Grace by definition, is
unmerited. It is grace that anyone hears and believes. The justice is that
everyone goes to hell, because all have sinned and come short of the
glory of God. Grace and mercy is revealed in those who hear and
believe.
