It has greatly saddened, worried, and frustrated me to find recently that several well known educators do not believe that children can be truly saved before the age of accountability. This implies that before the age of accountability, children can not be held accountable for their sins. This also implies that children can not enter into the blessings of God if they can not obtain salvation. By extension, because children can not obtain salvation, they can not have spiritual gifts.
First, what is the age of accountability? One professor believes that age is about thirty years of age. Are you kidding me? I have read others who believe it is the age of twenty based on Numbers 14. Still others feel the age of accountability is at conception based on Psalm 51:5. Psalm 58 and Romans 5: 12-14. There is such discrepancy among Christians over what the age of accountability is, how in the world can we hold to the belief that children can not have salvation?
Second, seeing how Jesus interacted with children, leads me to believe that children can enter into God's blessings through salvation. In Matthew, Jesus refers to faith of children several times (Mt. 18, Mt. 19, Mt. 21).
Third, anyone that has children of their own has witness to their unadulterated faith! My son, though only six years of age, states without any doubt that Jesus is in his heart. Not only is he sure of his salvation, he knows exactly when his moment of salvation took place. Who are we to judge this faith? Shame on us who would cause a child to stumble because of our own agenda's whatever they may be!
10 comments:
Are you noticing this in your seminary studies? I haven't run across people who believe in an "age of accountability" recently.
I'd hope you would post more as to where you are seeing this.
While I do not hold to any specific understanding of the "age of accountability," I do believe that there is a time before which children cannot understand that they are an "I."
Point one: During this time, I don't believe they can intentionally sin. This means they do not earn death.
Point two: I believe Jesus' death and resurrection have payed for the penalty earned by Adam's sin.
Conclusion: Children under the alleged "age" have no sin of their own and the stain of sin has been paid for.
This has important implications. First, for those who have lost a small child, there is real hope. Second, we dare not neglect evangelizing children. We both know that children find their "I" very early. This is a frightening thought.
Honestly, the biblical/theological underpinnings are not fleshed out and, as you know, I have little time to do so. (Feel free to make this a summer project :-).
This is a hurtful memory for me: I was about six years old when I asked Jesus into my heart, however my mother did not believe children that young could be saved. She refused to allow me to be baptized or receive communion until I was nine and even then was uncertain of my ability to make such a decision. She even pestered my teachers to keep "trying to find the truth about me" which of course, they already knew - I was a Christian.
I knew even ask a six year old child that I was doomed to hell because of my sins and Jesus was there to save me. That was and is good enough for me!
Ironically, I still remember the day that most of my friends received Christ when we were four. I didn't because, as I remember saying to myself, I was good and didn't need to (self-deception begins early). Last time I checked with them, they all follow Christ and they point to that day as when they were saved.
Accountability: First lies with the parents. "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Josh 24:15 Now we know that children at some point make their own choice. Psalm 14:1 and 53:1 "The fool hath said in his heart there is no God." I read "That which cometh out of the mouth defileth a man." and "Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee," When a child is old enough to make those choices I cannot say, but knowing God the Father the little that I do, I believe He has a large heart toward the children. That children should be instructed in the way of salvation, I have no doubt. But to argue over an age of accountability, I do have doubts, for I don't know when that is. I do believe the child will know. Meanwhile, as parents, we bring them up as the Lord's knowing that no man can pluck them out of His hand! John 10:28,29
i like McArthur's recent description of a "condition of accountability" rather than a specific age.
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