"Received by the Father" Sunday Morning March 22nd

This profound exploration tackles one of the most tender questions we face as believers: what happens to infants and young children when they die? Drawing from passages like Matthew 19 where Jesus welcomes little children and declares that the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these, we're invited to understand a beautiful theological truth. The message carefully establishes that children belong to God as His own creation, yet like all humanity, they are born with a sin nature inherited from Adam. However, those who die before developing the capacity for moral agency—the ability to consciously choose between right and wrong—are saved through the same grace that saves us all. At the moment of death, the Holy Spirit regenerates their hearts and applies Christ's atoning work to them, just as He does for believers who come to faith. This isn't salvation by innocence, but salvation by grace alone through Christ alone. The comfort found in 2 Samuel 12, where David declares of his deceased infant son, 'I will go to him,' reflects this hope. We're reminded that in Revelation's vision of heaven, an innumerable multitude stands before the throne—a multitude that includes countless children welcomed into the Father's presence. This truth should lead us to celebrate God's overwhelming goodness while examining our own hearts to ensure we too will join that eternal family reunion.