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Occasionally I am asked the question, "If we are all born in sin then what happens to babies and to mentally disabled children who have never had the opportunity to accept Jesus" or something similar.

I want to make certain that you understand something before I give my response. You may already understand this, but I feel I should make certain. This can be kind of difficult to explain, but I'm going to try my best to make it easy:

Romans 4:15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. 

Romans 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

The fact that a child is born in trespasses and sins means nothing at all for a child who dies at birth or in infancy or for severe mentally disabled children (where there is no understanding of right and wrong) because sin isn’t charged to the child. Babies are not accountable because they are not under the law.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

If God is not willing for any to perish, then if babies die and go to hell, God is responsible, because they had no opportunity to be saved. In other words, if a child dies because of Adam’s sin (his sin brought death into the world - Romans 5:12) then the child died because of sin but not because of his own sin, therefore he can be saved without receiving Jesus Christ.

Romans 4:6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

Does what I've said make sense to you so far?  If not, go back, pray, and re-read.

So now, here is my answer and I am firm in my belief that this is correct.  The Lord does not charge sin to a severe mentally disabled child, a baby that dies or any boy or girl that died before they came to a place in their life that they had knowledge between good and evil. (What that point is and when it comes, I don't know, though I have my opinions which I will keep to myself.) The Lord does not charge sin to those of us who are saved, certainly, He would not charge sin to a baby or retarded child. If He did, it wouldn’t be right.

Genesis 18:25 says “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

What about someone who is an adult, but was never told about Jesus and never saw the Bible? Well, this is what the Bible tells us:

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse

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