"True Conversion So Young?" from march 19 2013

"True Conversion So Young?"

---

I have seen some proud parents declare how their son or daughter accepted Jesus at 4 or 7 or 10 only to have them reject Christ in their teens. Now while some might just say the children have backslidden I ask the hard question “where they truly Christian to begin with??”  Anyone who knows children knows little ones are not fully capable of comprehending such decisions even in 5th grade most are still unable to fully understand the meaning and ramifications of the decision and I don’t think God would accept as valid a decision made in ignorance. I think that is why the Age of Accountability is around 13 since at around that age they become able to understand such big decisions and what it mean to be a Christian. While some may say 11 is just a couple years shy of the AoA again if you know children you know that a couple years can make a world of difference. For example many 6th grade boys are still not too interested in girls but by 8th grade many are dating in a small since and have crushes.

While I know there are many who “came to Christ” as young children and have stayed Christian I don’t think that they were truly saved till the AoA when they were fully capable of understanding being a Christian. Once they were able to understand and still chose Christianity I believe that would be when God would count them as accepting salvation.

While I understand how proud a parent is when their 4 year old accepts Christ young children want to please their parents and would say things they believe would please them. While it is wonderful that at a young age they are excited about Jesus one must keep in mind that they are still young and you must continue there education and spiritual growth and religious education so that when they reach the AoA they will want to accept Christ with full understanding of what that means and will want to keep growing as a Christian. Remember the world is greatly secular so you have to keep up their education and fight any Anti-Christian bias they encounter be it in schools or in clubs or friends or friends parents (and this last one is important as they may feel they are ‘helping’ your child my getting him to stop believing what they consider myths).

Your work isn’t done because your toddler says he is Christian you must keep helping him so that he can when the AoA come he will be able to able to make the commitment for a lifetime eyes fully open.

Paul

PS I know children and especially boys so I am not just saying this to burst bubbles I am trying to help make sure that kids aren’t left adrift spiritually once you think they are firmly moored to the Christian dock.