real Hope vs. wishful thinking

I've recently been listening to a lot of Jonathan David Helser. His music touches the inward parts of my heart, the deep spaces that long for greater intimacy with Jesus. On his album, Walk Through the Walls, there is a song called Amy's Song which after hearing the backstory to the song has made the deep desire in my heart, to see every child dancing free and singing before the Throne of God, burn with even greater passion. These are Jonathan's own words, "This song came in the middle of one of the most intense circumstances we have ever been a part of. Two of our closest friends lost their baby girl, Amy, before she came into this world. Months after she was gone, the Lord allowed me to hear Amy's song from heaven. I wept over the keys of our upright piano as I heard her song of hope coming from the streets of gold" (from album notes).

There is a Scripture verse that comforts me when I hear tragic stories like this one where a child for whatever reason doesn't make it out of the womb. Romans 1:20 (TNIV) says this, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." What screams out of this verse is that those who are able to see and understand creation have no excuse to not believe in God. So, when it comes to babies who have for whatever reason not made it out of the womb and into this world, if we are to cry out to God for mercy on their behalf this would be a good place to start.

John Piper says this, "In other words: if a person did not have access to the revelation of God's glory - did not have the natural capacity to see it and understand it, then Paul implies they would have an excuse at the judgment. The point for us is that even though we human beings are under the penalty of everlasting judgment and death because of the fall of our race into sin and the sinful nature that we all have, nevertheless God only executes this judgment on those who have the natural capacity to see his glory and understand his will, and refuse to embrace it as their treasure. Infants, I believe, do not yet have that capacity; and therefore, in God's inscrutable way, he brings them under the forgiving blood of his Son....It is important to emphasize that, in our view, God is not saving infants because they are innocent. They are not innocent, but guilty. He is saving them because, although they are sinful, in his mercy he desires that compassion be exercised upon those who are sinful and yet lack the capacity to grasp the truth revealed about Him in nature and to the human heart." Read the full article .

I believe God saves all unborn babies, even infants who die.This is not just wishful thinking, but consistent with what the Bible says who God is. He is loving, holy, merciful, just and gracious and whatever He does will always be right and good. The Bible doesn't directly say that God applies Christ's atoning sacrifice to those who didn't have a chance to believe. Even so, God’s applying Christ’s sacrifice to unborn babies who cannot believe would be consistent with His love and mercy while still remaining just and righteous. This is where I find comfort. Our hope must be rooted in God's Word. If not, then our hope becomes hollow wishful thinking. So, when I hear this song and read the backstory vision, I believe Amy is dancing free and singing in heaven around the Throne of God.