THE FALSE DOCTRINE OF "THE AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY"

[Eddie Ramos]

It's interesting that this is another widely held doctrine by Christians, yet no one has ever put forth an actual age from the scriptures where children are not accountable for their sins. The fact is that when God looks at a human being, he looks at their heart and sees either righteousness or unrighteousness. If righteousness, then that means that Christ's atoning work has been applied to your life. At which point he has given that person a new and perfect heart that is free from sin, and has raised their dead soul to eternal life. If God sees unrighteousness in their heart, then it means that Christ's atoning work has not (or not yet) been applied to that individual and that individual is still in his or her sins. This applies from the moment of conception.

Psalm 51:5 (KJV 1900)
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity;
And in sin did my mother conceive me.

Can something conceived in sin be pure and clean in the eyes of God? The Bible says, no.

Job 14:4 (KJV 1900)
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.

So, how does God view a child conceived and still unsaved? The same way he views a grown up who is still unsaved, as wicked.

Psalm 58:3 (KJV 1900)
The wicked are estranged from the womb:
They go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

Most will say, "babies can't speak, so this can't be referring to babies". Yet this is parabolic language (as is the whole Bible) which is speaking of the spiritual condition (as viewed by God) of mankind who was yet in his sins.

When the Bible as a whole is taken into acount, it absolutely contradicts and therefore rejects such doctrine of any age of accountability. But why then was it invented? Because it was build upon another false doctrine, the free will doctrine which states that a person must make an informed choice if he is going to accept Christ. And since babies can't do that, they had to find a way to make them exempt. But this goes to show what happpens when someone tries to build upon a crooked foundation, everything else they build on that foundation will also be crooked.

My question for anyone who hold to this doctrine is, can you show me how the scriptures you use to support such doctrine agree witht he above Bible verses provided? Because if we isolate passages from the Bible as a whole, then we can make them say anything we want.

[myth-one.com]

So children of believers are also believers?

No. Read the scripture, does it say they have to be believers?

I've read the scriptures. I was responding to your claim that children who do not understand, of parents that made the correct choice, are also holy and protected. Here it is again:

According to the Bible, parents that make the correct choice their children who do not understand are holy and protected.

Are you now rejecting that claim?

[2timothy316]

So children of believers are also believers?

No. Read the scripture, does it say they have to be believers?

I've read the scriptures. I was responding to your claim that children who do not understand, of parents that made the correct choice, are also holy and protected. Here it is again:

According to the Bible, parents that make the correct choice their children who do not understand are holy and protected.

Are you now rejecting that claim?

Nothing has changed. I answered your question of the children where believers too. The scripture makes no mention that the child is a believer. No 2 month old is a believer but they can be counted holy if at least one parent is a believer. Its that simple. Its seems you're making this WAY more complicated than it needs to be.

[myth-one.com]

So children of believers are also believers?

No. Read the scripture, does it say they have to be believers?

I've read the scriptures. I was responding to your claim that children who do not understand, of parents that made the correct choice, are also holy and protected. Here it is again:

According to the Bible, parents that make the correct choice their children who do not understand are holy and protected.

Are you now rejecting that claim?

Nothing has changed. I answered your question of the children where believers too. The scripture makes no mention that the child is a believer. No 2 month old is a believer but they can be counted holy if at least one parent is a believer. Its that simple. Its seems you're making this WAY more complicated than it needs to be.

OK. So the 2-month-old is a holy and protected nonbeliever.

Is the 2-month-old child protected from the wages of sin?

Let's take it to a real world example:

On June 20, 2001, Andrea Yates drowned her five children to keep them from going to hell. The oldest was seven years of age.

"These were their innocent years. God would take them up."

Was she correct?

[2timothy316]

So children of believers are also believers?

No. Read the scripture, does it say they have to be believers?

I've read the scriptures. I was responding to your claim that children who do not understand, of parents that made the correct choice, are also holy and protected. Here it is again:

According to the Bible, parents that make the correct choice their children who do not understand are holy and protected.

Are you now rejecting that claim?

Nothing has changed. I answered your question of the children where believers too. The scripture makes no mention that the child is a believer. No 2 month old is a believer but they can be counted holy if at least one parent is a believer. Its that simple. Its seems you're making this WAY more complicated than it needs to be.

OK. So the 2-month-old is a holy and protected nonbeliever.

Is the 2-month-old child protected from the wages of sin?

When did we change the subject to the wages of sin? Does the scripture say they are protected from the wages of sin? Seriously, you're making this way more complicated then it should be.

Let's take it to a real world example:

On June 20, 2001, Andrea Yates drowned her five children to keep them from going to hell. The oldest was seven years of age.

"These were their innocent years. God would take them up."

Was she correct?

Are we at God's Judgement day? You keep forgetting that important point.
Also, it is my belief that there is no such thing as a firey hell and that hell is just the grave. So, no she didn't save them from the grave she sent them straight to it. Will they be resurrected? I don't know, I don't make those choices. Only Jehovah does. If He does it will not be because their mother was a faithful believer as she is a murderer. You also keep forgetting that the children need a faithful parent. Even though in your example the point is moot because the children didn't die in God's Judgement but by the hands of their own mother.

[onewithhim]

Does anyone have a comment on my post #24?

[myth-one.com]

Here is a response to your post #24. Enjoy!

The Bible is clear. A child that is under the care of a faithful believing parent is holy. Clean and protected by God. However, children are not just free and clear because they are a child. Eph 6:1 clear on that. We can either accept the scriptures or don't.

Ephesians 6:1
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

So children are not free and clear, unless they are under the care of a believing parent -- in which case they are clean and protected by God.

That's clear as dirt.

Little Johnny is a devil.

But the little demon is under the care of believing parents.

Therefore, the holy little monster is clean and protected by God.

JEHOVAH IS LOVING AND MERCIFUL. He is not going to condemn anyone who doesn't deserve it. That means anyone who will not act against Him willfully. Everyone deserves that chance to make a decision along those lines. A baby can't make a decision like that. Only when the child can choose between what is right and what is wrong will he be held accountable. That's it in a nutshell. The little demon will stand on his own before God.

Interesting Scripture: "A son will bear nothing because of the error of the father, and a father will bear nothing because of the error of the son. Upon his own self the righteousness of the righteous one will come to be, and upon his own self the very wickedness of a wicked one will come to be." (Ezekiel 18:20)

JEHOVAH set the rules when He created the New Testament Covenant. Under that Covenant between God and mankind, man may become an heir unto everlasting life by believing in Jesus as his or her Savior. In a nutshell:

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God is bound by His everlasting covenants because God cannot lie:

Titus 1:2
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

Whosoever believeth in Jesus shall have everlasting life, whether or not they act willfully against God. The New Testament Covenant eliminates the requirement of remaining sinless to gain everlasting life. So sin no longer controls our salvation:

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14)

The little monster simply has to believe in Jesus to be saved. And the requirement is the same for children under the care of a faithful believing parent.

Yes, the kid has to know enough to compare his options, and he must believe in Jesus and then act in accordance with his belief. If he's too young to appreciate the truth about Jesus and the Father, he is not accountable at that age. When he grows up more and can understand what's going on, then he will be held accountable. Did you read my quote from Ezekiel? What do you think?

Yes, the requirement is the same for all children when they reach an age that they can fully understand the importance of believing in Jesus, whether they have believing parents or not.

"For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps." (I Peter 2:21, NASB)

How can a small child know enough to follow in Jesus' steps? They don't. That comes later when they can distinguish between right and wrong.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

So when they die young as nonbelievers, they will perish for all eternity according to John 3:16.

That really does not seem fair.

Is that their ultimate fate?

[myth-one.com]

Will they be resurrected? I don't know, . . .

Here's a hint:

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. (I Corinthians 15:22-23)

[2timothy316]

Here is a response to your post #24. Enjoy!

The Bible is clear. A child that is under the care of a faithful believing parent is holy. Clean and protected by God. However, children are not just free and clear because they are a child. Eph 6:1 clear on that. We can either accept the scriptures or don't.

Ephesians 6:1
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

So children are not free and clear, unless they are under the care of a believing parent -- in which case they are clean and protected by God.

That's clear as dirt.

Little Johnny is a devil.

But the little demon is under the care of believing parents.

Therefore, the holy little monster is clean and protected by God.

JEHOVAH IS LOVING AND MERCIFUL. He is not going to condemn anyone who doesn't deserve it. That means anyone who will not act against Him willfully. Everyone deserves that chance to make a decision along those lines. A baby can't make a decision like that. Only when the child can choose between what is right and what is wrong will he be held accountable. That's it in a nutshell. The little demon will stand on his own before God.

Interesting Scripture: "A son will bear nothing because of the error of the father, and a father will bear nothing because of the error of the son. Upon his own self the righteousness of the righteous one will come to be, and upon his own self the very wickedness of a wicked one will come to be." (Ezekiel 18:20)

JEHOVAH set the rules when He created the New Testament Covenant. Under that Covenant between God and mankind, man may become an heir unto everlasting life by believing in Jesus as his or her Savior. In a nutshell:

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God is bound by His everlasting covenants because God cannot lie:

Titus 1:2
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

Whosoever believeth in Jesus shall have everlasting life, whether or not they act willfully against God. The New Testament Covenant eliminates the requirement of remaining sinless to gain everlasting life. So sin no longer controls our salvation:

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14)

The little monster simply has to believe in Jesus to be saved. And the requirement is the same for children under the care of a faithful believing parent.

Yes, the kid has to know enough to compare his options, and he must believe in Jesus and then act in accordance with his belief. If he's too young to appreciate the truth about Jesus and the Father, he is not accountable at that age. When he grows up more and can understand what's going on, then he will be held accountable. Did you read my quote from Ezekiel? What do you think?

Yes, the requirement is the same for all children when they reach an age that they can fully understand the importance of believing in Jesus, whether they have believing parents or not.

"For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps." (I Peter 2:21, NASB)

How can a small child know enough to follow in Jesus' steps? They don't. That comes later when they can distinguish between right and wrong.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

So when they die young as nonbelievers, they will perish for all eternity according to John 3:16.

That really does not seem fair.

Is that their ultimate fate?

If that is what you believe, so be it. As for me, I can't say with 100% certainty what their future is, as I don't judge others' eternal fate and Jehovah doesn't tell me His choices.

[onewithhim]

[Replying to myth-one.com in post #36]
You didn't comment on my post. You just repeated what you had said and didn't take into consideration the fact that small children cannot reason and therefore would not be accountable for death. You seem to want to believe they will die, and that's not what the Bible says.

"A son will bear nothing because of the error of the father, and a father will bear nothing because of the error of the son. Upon his own self the very righteousness of the righteous one will come to be, and upon his own self the very wickedness of a wicked one will come to be." (Ezekiel 18:20)

[2timothy316]

Will they be resurrected? I don't know, . . .

Here's a hint:

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. (I Corinthians 15:22-23)

Still, the choice is still not up to you or me. Or perhaps you think you know, in that case, I don't assume I know what my God Jehovah will do or not do.