children

God is love. The answer to where babies spend eternity when they die is not hard when you consider the nature of God. His love in relation to the innocence of young children is expressed in Deuteronomy 1:39, “Moreover, your little ones whom you said would become a prey, and your children who at this time cannot discern between good and evil, they shall enter Canaan, and to them I will give it and they shall possess it.” It is plain to see that God did not hold children responsible until they were old enough to recognize the difference between good and evil.

The Bible teaches parents to discipline their children in love. It also teaches that spanking can be done with the love of God, and when applied in that love, it is indeed an essential component of God’s system of discipline (Proverbs 13:24, 22:15, 23:12-14, 29:15-17).

At Eagle Mountain International Church, the church at Kenneth Copeland Ministries, our common practice is to hold baby dedication services where parents and guardians pledge to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 

Though the Bible does not answer this directly, it does tell us enough to draw an informed conclusion. 

Adam and Eve were the first and only people on the earth right after the six days’ work of Creation. They were commanded to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth (Genesis 1:26-28). They had not only Cain, Abel and Seth but numerous sons and daughters (Genesis 4:1, 5:4, 6:1) over a lengthy lifespan (Genesis 5:5).

Harmless fun is certainly what many parents would label trick-or-treating and other Halloween observances. Some Christian parents are aware of a darker side to what presents itself as innocent fun. 

That’s why each year during Halloween, Christian parents may struggle between letting their children participate in what the world calls “harmless fun” and being led by their own concerns about the spiritual significance of Halloween. Even though Halloween can seem harmless, it does have dark pagan roots, and as believers we should never celebrate fear and terror.