Anthony Pritchard
Well-Known Member
The Spiritual Life of Infants: The Meaning of Romans 7:9
Romans 7:9 is one of the clearest statements in Scripture about the spiritual condition of a person before accountability. Paul writes:
“For I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.”
Paul is not describing physical life and physical death. He is describing spiritual life and spiritual death. He says there was a time when he was spiritually alive. That time was before the law reached his understanding. When the commandment came to his knowledge, sin revived, and he died spiritually.
This single verse establishes a period of spiritual life before accountability. It establishes that spiritual death is caused by the revival of sin through the knowledge of the commandment. It establishes that infants and the preborn, who have no knowledge of the commandment, are spiritually alive.
Paul says he was alive once without the law. That cannot refer to physical life, because he was physically alive both before and after the commandment came. It must refer to spiritual life. He says he died when the commandment came. That cannot refer to physical death, because he continued living physically. It must refer to spiritual death. The entire verse is spiritual, not physical.
This means that before the knowledge of sin, there is spiritual life. Before the commandment reaches the understanding, sin does not revive. Before accountability, the person is spiritually alive. This is the condition of infants and the preborn. They have no knowledge of the commandment. They have no revival of sin. They have no spiritual death. They are spiritually alive.
Scripture confirms this truth in many places.
Psalm 22:9 says, “Thou art he that took me out of the womb. Thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.” This is not intellectual hope. It is spiritual trust. It shows that infants have a spiritual relation to God before they have knowledge of the commandment.
Psalm 139:13 says, “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.” God forms the inward parts and knows the person before birth. This is not the description of a spiritually dead soul. It is the description of one under the care and knowledge of God.
Jonah 4:11 says, “And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand.” God distinguishes between those who cannot discern. He treats them differently. He shows mercy to those without moral understanding. This includes infants.
Romans 4:15 says, “Where no law is, there is no transgression.” Infants have no knowledge of the law. They cannot transgress in the sense Paul describes. They cannot revive sin through the commandment. They cannot die spiritually.
Romans 5:13 says, “Sin is not imputed when there is no law.” Infants have no knowledge of the law. Sin is not imputed to them in the sense of personal guilt. They bear Adam’s physical death, but they do not bear personal spiritual death.
Romans 7:8 says, “Without the law sin was dead.” Infants have no knowledge of the law. Sin is dead in them. It has not revived. They are spiritually alive.
Romans 7:9 says, “I was alive once without the law.” Infants are without the law. They are spiritually alive.
Romans 7:9 says, “When the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” Infants have no knowledge of the commandment. Sin has not revived. They have not died spiritually.
Jesus Himself confirms this truth. In Matthew 19:14 He says, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Their spiritual condition is not one of death. It is one of life.
The doctrine is clear. Spiritual death requires the revival of sin through the knowledge of the commandment. Infants and the preborn have no knowledge of the commandment. Therefore they cannot experience spiritual death. They are spiritually alive. They are safe. They are under grace. They are under the covering of Christ’s atonement.
This is not sentiment. It is not emotion. It is not tradition. It is Scripture. It is the consistent witness of the Word of God. It explains the mercy of God. It explains the justice of God. It explains the spiritual condition of the smallest among us. It explains why heaven is filled with those who never reached accountability.
Romans 7:9 is the foundation. It shows the truth plainly. Before the knowledge of sin, there is spiritual life. When the commandment comes, sin revives, and spiritual death occurs. Infants and the preborn have no knowledge of the commandment. They have no revival of sin. They have no spiritual death. They are spiritually alive.
In Closing
As infants are spiritually alive, there is no need for baptism. Baptism cannot impart spiritual life, because spiritual life is already present. Baptism is given to those who have heard the gospel, believed the message, and confessed Christ. Infants and the unborn have no knowledge of the commandment, no revival of sin, and no spiritual death. They are alive before God. They are safe in His mercy. They do not need baptism to give what they already possess, and Scripture never presents baptism as a means of imparting spiritual life, especially to those who are already spiritually alive.
For a fuller treatment of this truth, please see The Hidden Multitude: The Hidden Multitude: The Little Children God Receives
This is the doctrine. This is the truth. This is the mercy of God.
~Tony
© A.K. Pritchard 1979, 2026 - Free to use with proper attribution.
Romans 7:9 is one of the clearest statements in Scripture about the spiritual condition of a person before accountability. Paul writes:
“For I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.”
Paul is not describing physical life and physical death. He is describing spiritual life and spiritual death. He says there was a time when he was spiritually alive. That time was before the law reached his understanding. When the commandment came to his knowledge, sin revived, and he died spiritually.
This single verse establishes a period of spiritual life before accountability. It establishes that spiritual death is caused by the revival of sin through the knowledge of the commandment. It establishes that infants and the preborn, who have no knowledge of the commandment, are spiritually alive.
Paul says he was alive once without the law. That cannot refer to physical life, because he was physically alive both before and after the commandment came. It must refer to spiritual life. He says he died when the commandment came. That cannot refer to physical death, because he continued living physically. It must refer to spiritual death. The entire verse is spiritual, not physical.
This means that before the knowledge of sin, there is spiritual life. Before the commandment reaches the understanding, sin does not revive. Before accountability, the person is spiritually alive. This is the condition of infants and the preborn. They have no knowledge of the commandment. They have no revival of sin. They have no spiritual death. They are spiritually alive.
Scripture confirms this truth in many places.
Psalm 22:9 says, “Thou art he that took me out of the womb. Thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.” This is not intellectual hope. It is spiritual trust. It shows that infants have a spiritual relation to God before they have knowledge of the commandment.
Psalm 139:13 says, “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.” God forms the inward parts and knows the person before birth. This is not the description of a spiritually dead soul. It is the description of one under the care and knowledge of God.
Jonah 4:11 says, “And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand.” God distinguishes between those who cannot discern. He treats them differently. He shows mercy to those without moral understanding. This includes infants.
Romans 4:15 says, “Where no law is, there is no transgression.” Infants have no knowledge of the law. They cannot transgress in the sense Paul describes. They cannot revive sin through the commandment. They cannot die spiritually.
Romans 5:13 says, “Sin is not imputed when there is no law.” Infants have no knowledge of the law. Sin is not imputed to them in the sense of personal guilt. They bear Adam’s physical death, but they do not bear personal spiritual death.
Romans 7:8 says, “Without the law sin was dead.” Infants have no knowledge of the law. Sin is dead in them. It has not revived. They are spiritually alive.
Romans 7:9 says, “I was alive once without the law.” Infants are without the law. They are spiritually alive.
Romans 7:9 says, “When the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” Infants have no knowledge of the commandment. Sin has not revived. They have not died spiritually.
Jesus Himself confirms this truth. In Matthew 19:14 He says, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Their spiritual condition is not one of death. It is one of life.
The doctrine is clear. Spiritual death requires the revival of sin through the knowledge of the commandment. Infants and the preborn have no knowledge of the commandment. Therefore they cannot experience spiritual death. They are spiritually alive. They are safe. They are under grace. They are under the covering of Christ’s atonement.
This is not sentiment. It is not emotion. It is not tradition. It is Scripture. It is the consistent witness of the Word of God. It explains the mercy of God. It explains the justice of God. It explains the spiritual condition of the smallest among us. It explains why heaven is filled with those who never reached accountability.
Romans 7:9 is the foundation. It shows the truth plainly. Before the knowledge of sin, there is spiritual life. When the commandment comes, sin revives, and spiritual death occurs. Infants and the preborn have no knowledge of the commandment. They have no revival of sin. They have no spiritual death. They are spiritually alive.
In Closing
As infants are spiritually alive, there is no need for baptism. Baptism cannot impart spiritual life, because spiritual life is already present. Baptism is given to those who have heard the gospel, believed the message, and confessed Christ. Infants and the unborn have no knowledge of the commandment, no revival of sin, and no spiritual death. They are alive before God. They are safe in His mercy. They do not need baptism to give what they already possess, and Scripture never presents baptism as a means of imparting spiritual life, especially to those who are already spiritually alive.
For a fuller treatment of this truth, please see The Hidden Multitude: The Hidden Multitude: The Little Children God Receives
This is the doctrine. This is the truth. This is the mercy of God.
~Tony
© A.K. Pritchard 1979, 2026 - Free to use with proper attribution.