Age of Accountability

[Kabowd]

Though you won't find the words in the Scripture, I do believe that the concept is taught (much like the issue of the Trinity). From what I've studied, even though there is no specific "age" given as to when a person understands, there seems to be evidence that those who are incapable of understanding will not be held accountable. I've posted this before, so I'll just quote myself:

At this point, I've come to the belief that all infants (and those who are mentally challenged) do go to heaven. BUT, I do not believe that it is because they are "innocent", as I'll show in the following Scriptures.

We are all born sinful, stained with the sin of Adam, in need of a Savior:

"Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me." ~ Psa 51:5

"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-- for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come." ~ Romans 5:12-14

The Scriptures above might lead a person to believe that all babies go to hell instead of heaven, but there's evidence that God has actively sought to save people (by His Spirit and still through His grace) while they were yet unborn. Two instances are David and John the Baptist:

"Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb; You made me trust when upon my mother's breasts. Upon You I was cast from birth; You have been my God from my mother's womb." ~Psa 22:9-10 [David speaking]

"For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb." ~Luke 1:15 [about John the Baptist]

Those scriptures alone give us reason to disbelieve the notion that all babies go to hell. However, there's still more evidence of God's goodness. The primary reason that I believe that all babies (and mentally challenged people) go to heaven is because of these verses:

"Since the creation of the world God's invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." ~Romans 1:20

"And Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind." Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, "We are not blind too, are we?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, 'We see,' your sin remains." ~John 9:39-41

These passages seem to teach us that a person who does not possess the ability to understand, or have not had opportunity to see "God's invisible attributes" would have an excuse. It's not because they are innocent, they are as guilty as the rest of us. But it appears that because they lack the understanding, or do not have access to the revelation of God's glory..God applies His goodness in the form of grace so they are not held accountable.

That all being said, I still think that this topic is often futile. I don't have all the answers and neither does anyone else. Not only that, but it has the potential of seriously wounding those who have experienced great loss. The lack of sufficient scriptural support (in either direction) could also leave us questioning God's goodness.....which I think is dangerous. So, for those who choose to participate in this discussion...please do so with grace and tenderness. It's a sensitive issue and needs to be handled as such.

Topic found here

[David from New Bern]

I asked someone else about this issue and these are the verses she gave me:

2 Samual 12:13-23

13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."

Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, [a] the son born to you will die."

15 After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 16 David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground. 17 The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them.

18 On the seventh day the child died. David's servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, "While the child was still living, we spoke to David but he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate."

19 David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and he realized the child was dead. "Is the child dead?" he asked.

"Yes," they replied, "he is dead."

20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.

21 His servants asked him, "Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!"

22 He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.' 23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

David said I will go to him, but he will not return to me. This meaning that he will never see the child again in this life, but when goes to heaven he will.

David is simply stating he cannot bring the child back to life but that he could only join him in death, as was their fear, "How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate [kill himself]." David simply accepted God's judgment and moved forward, as was written, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live." To declare beyond that is only assumption and injection of personal belief and IMHO not a proper exegesis of the text.

If you use the argument that David could not have had this an advanced a theology at this point in history, you dismiss automatically that he had a tendency to speak inspired thoughts ahead theological development. For example have you ever researched the psalms to see the advanced ideas of a "born again experience" or the idea of a Savior. The Bible calls David "a man after God's own heart". This kind of intimacy gave way to revelation of many of the mysteries.

[apothanein kerdos]

I asked someone else about this issue and these are the verses she gave me:

2 Samual 12:13-23

13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."

Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, [a] the son born to you will die."

15 After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 16 David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground. 17 The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them.

18 On the seventh day the child died. David's servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, "While the child was still living, we spoke to David but he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate."

19 David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and he realized the child was dead. "Is the child dead?" he asked.

"Yes," they replied, "he is dead."

20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.

21 His servants asked him, "Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!"

22 He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.' 23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

David said I will go to him, but he will not return to me. This meaning that he will never see the child again in this life, but when goes to heaven he will.

David is simply stating he cannot bring the child back to life but that he could only join him in death, as was their fear, "How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate [kill himself]." David simply accepted God's judgment and moved forward, as was written, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live." To declare beyond that is only assumption and injection of personal belief and IMHO not a proper exegesis of the text.

If you use the argument that David could not have had this an advanced a theology at this point in history, you dismiss automatically that he had a tendency to speak inspired thoughts ahead theological development. For example have you ever researched the psalms to see the advanced ideas of a "born again experience" or the idea of a Savior. The Bible calls David "a man after God's own heart". This kind of intimacy gave way to revelation of many of the mysteries.

[sheya joie]

To interject another verse...

This is from the passage where Abraham is talking to the LORD just before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. As Abraham pleas with the LORD to spare the cities if certain numbers of righteous are found there, he says:

Gen 18:25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee:

Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

And that is my comfort on many issues, that the Judge of all the earth will in fact do what is right.

[Kabowd]

To interject another verse...

This is from the passage where Abraham is talking to the LORD just before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. As Abraham pleas with the LORD to spare the cities if certain numbers of righteous are found there, he says:

Gen 18:25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee:

Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

And that is my comfort on many issues, that the Judge of all the earth will in fact do what is right.

That is a really great and comforting verse. I agree that we should steer clear of anything that causes us to question God's goodness. He is always good, even when we don't understand His ways.

[BlindSeeker]

If you use the argument that David could not have had this an advanced a theology at this point in history, you dismiss automatically that he had a tendency to speak inspired thoughts ahead theological development. For example have you ever researched the psalms to see the advanced ideas of a "born again experience" or the idea of a Savior. The Bible calls David "a man after God's own heart". This kind of intimacy gave way to revelation of many of the mysteries.

David wasn't writing a psalm, he was explaining his actions. I dismissed nothing and injected nothing.

If you review my other post you will find I believe in an age of accountability, I just don't agree this text supports it.

[shanbopop]

Once children can either deny or accept Christ then they come under the age of accountability.

[Smalcald]

Once children can either deny or accept Christ then they come under the age of accountability.

[EricH]

Once children can either deny or accept Christ then they come under the age of accountability.

But all children from infants on can have faith in Christ (including the unborn). Faith in Christ has nothing to do with our intellectual abilities, if it did it would be a work, faith in Christ comes through the Holy Spirit alone, not our ability to think or reason in a particular way. So God being good being the ultimate good, why would He not provide His grace to children and infants? Of course He does.

The concept of the age of accountability is not about children rejecting Christ or not, it is about a misunderstanding of the basic concepts of faith and grace.

And the b ottom line is that if one dies exist, scripture does not tell us what it is.

[WISDOM]

There is no scripture that speaks directly to this issue

Precisely....

People have been saying this for years with no substantiating biblical documentation.