Just adding my two cents: I believe there is an age of accountability, and if you are below that age, "punishment," in the eternal sense, cannot touch you, if that makes sense. This explains it better than I can:
"Moreover your little ones and your children, who you say will be victims, who today have no knowledge of good and evil, they shall go in there; to them I will give it and they shall possess it" (Deuteronomy 1:39).
That's basically saying that little children and babies, who have no knowledge of good or evil or cannot as of yet take complete responsibility for their actions, are "exempt," you could say, from the punishment and, although their earthly lives have ended, their eternal lives still live on in heaven.
This (http://www.inplainsite.org/html/do_children_go_to_hell_.html) explains it well, but these are their ending statements, which I agree with:
In summary, I think we can conclude the following:
First, that there is some period of "grace" afforded the young before they have developed an understanding to fully comprehend the gospel message and its implications for their lives.
Second, there seems to be good scriptural support that all infants, like David’s little son, go immediately, in their innocence, into the arms of the Lord.
Third, that the likely range of such an age of "accountability " may occur around the time of puberty.
Fourth, that we are not saying children younger than this "accountability age" commit no sin (as sinful tendencies and acts occur quite early in children), and because of their fallen nature, they do these things spontaneously, things which they have definitely NOT learned from their parents or their friends). What we are saying is that up to the point when they reach clear understanding, they do not come under the judgment of the Law.
no subject
"Moreover your little ones and your children, who you say will be victims, who today have no knowledge of good and evil, they shall go in there; to them I will give it and they shall possess it" (Deuteronomy 1:39).
That's basically saying that little children and babies, who have no knowledge of good or evil or cannot as of yet take complete responsibility for their actions, are "exempt," you could say, from the punishment and, although their earthly lives have ended, their eternal lives still live on in heaven.
This (http://www.inplainsite.org/html/do_children_go_to_hell_.html) explains it well, but these are their ending statements, which I agree with:
In summary, I think we can conclude the following:
First, that there is some period of "grace" afforded the young before they have developed an understanding to fully comprehend the gospel message and its implications for their lives.
Second, there seems to be good scriptural support that all infants, like David’s little son, go immediately, in their innocence, into the arms of the Lord.
Third, that the likely range of such an age of "accountability " may occur around the time of puberty.
Fourth, that we are not saying children younger than this "accountability age" commit no sin (as sinful tendencies and acts occur quite early in children), and because of their fallen nature, they do these things spontaneously, things which they have definitely NOT learned from their parents or their friends). What we are saying is that up to the point when they reach clear understanding, they do not come under the judgment of the Law.