Salvation for Children?

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!

Easter

Awww Easter! Such a wonderful celebration! This year I decided to put some of my training from seminary into practice. Instead of the usual classrooms, I created a tomb, such as it was, as part of a large classroom. Lying in the tomb was a sheet to represent the linen cloth wrapped around Jesus. I used the resurrection eggs, but this time handed them out to the children to bring up at the appropriate time in the story. This, I felt, would keep the children actively involved in the "story". What was surprising to me about the morning was how little the children knew of the story of our Lord Jesus and His death and resurrection. True, some of these children have not heard the Easter story every year or maybe ever. However, some of the children have been raised in a church setting from birth. I passed around vinegar and asked the children what it was. Many guessed glue! Some even were brave and tasted the vinegar but were uncertain as to what it was. After opening the egg w/ the spear, I asked what flowed out of Jesus side. They guessed blood but couldn't get the water. I even gave them hints like "it's something you drink". Then I got blood and wine, as the response. It was eye opening to me to think that this most important foundation of Christian theology, it not known by our children! When I asked why Jesus had to die on the cross, it took several attempts to come up with sin. Wow, Jesus death and resurrection is the basis of our faith! This Sunday just served as a critical reminder to me that our children don't need to just learn stories! They need to be pointed to God through every lesson that is taught! It's great if they can recite the story of Noah and his ark. But if they do not understand how this story fits into the big picture of the redemption story, then as teachers, we have NOT done our job! Many curriculum's today do not have a bible story but instead contain a moral truth. Even there, we must be ever so careful. If our children understand that they must serve others but don't understand why, then they have no foundation to stand on! We certainly have our work cut out for us as ministers of Christ! We need to remember that we do not want children that can recite bible stories and moral characteristics without understanding the why behind them.

Grace

1 a : unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification b : a virtue coming from God c : a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace (Merriam-Webster)

Grace is unmerited favor from God. How far do we as ministers of God's plan for sanctification need to carry out grace? I have been ruminating on grace because recently the subject of sexual predators in the church came up in a seminary course. Many churches struggle with what to do with those that have been convicted and are registered sex offenders.

According to the California Megan's Law website:

"90% of child victims know their offender, with almost half of the offenders being a family member. Of sexual assaults against people age 12 and up, approximately 80% of the victims know the offender".

"Wanting to change is usually not enough to be able to change the patterns that lead to sexual offenses. To create the motivation to change, some offenders need a variety of treatment and corrective interventions, and for others learning how to make the change in their own behavioral cycle of abuse is more effective".

Both of these facts are especially appropriate as churches wrestle with how to deal with convicted sex offenders. As it has been said, you do not have an alcoholic tend bar, and thus by application, convicted sexual offenders should not be around children. What about small groups or home groups? Do all members of a small group need to be made aware that there is a convicted sex offender among them? What about if there are children in the home? What about missions trips? What about the bathrooms on church campuses? The questions go on and on. Many Christians when approached with these questions simply state that we must extend grace. I beg to differ! When does God shower us with unmerited favor? It is true that "there is no one righteous, not even one" and "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rm. 3: 10,23 NIV). In 1 John 1:9 (NIV) it states: "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness". And Paul writes: "this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe" (Rm. 2:22 NIV).

What does all of this have to do with convicted sex offenders? Is it not true that we must confess our sins to have God's unmerited favor showered upon us? Most sex offenders will never admit to doing the crime. In the vast majority of cases, they will give some excuse as to why they have been convicted (for more information read "Protecting your Church Against Sexual Predators" by Glover).

If this is the case and the sin is not confessed, it is actually denied, must we then shower them with unmerited favor as God's ministers? How far do we as ministers of God's plan for sanctification need to carry out grace? This is where I am struggling.