Are Children Accountable for Their Salvation from Birth?

Many Christians don't believe there is a grace period given by God because they say there isn't a verse that specifically mentions it. These folks must be reminded that the Bible doesn't reference the word 'Trinity' either, but it clearly teaches of it.

The short answer to this question is 'no,' they are not accountable for what they do not understand until they can understand it. And the specific age of accountability will vary among children based on their environment.

Both committed Christians and uncommitted skeptics often wonder whether young children can be genuinely saved. The skeptic questions it because he doubts the reality of salvation for anyone, and especially for those he deems too immature to understand the complex theological issues involved. The sincere Christian parent sometimes wonders because he knows salvation is real and he is concerned lest his child substitute youthful enthusiasm for genuine conviction and commitment.

What must be grouped with 'children' are anyone who lacks the capacity to understand Christ's offering of salvation by grace, through faith. For example, many retarded people lack an understanding of this and babies that have been aborted weren't even given the opportunity to decide their own fate.

Let's review what the Bible says about this issue:

Deuteronomy 1:39

"Moreover your little ones and your children, who you say will be victims, who today have no knowledge of good and evil, they shall go in there; to them I will give it, and they shall possess it."

Here Moses makes very clear that the little children "..have no knowledge of good and evil..."

II Samuel 12:22-23

"And he said, "While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who can tell whether *the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?' But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."

Here King David clearly knew that his child that Bathsheba bore, of whom God struck down, was in Heaven and David knew that when he died he would '..go to him (the child)..." and that the child had no way of returning to David (being resurrected). Again, this child clearly was unable to know good from evil at such a young age and David knew without any doubt his son would be with the Lord in Heaven.

Nehemiah 8:2-3

"So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law."

Here's another example of only those that could understand were held accountable to hearing the Word of God.

Isaiah 7:14-16

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Curds and honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings."

Clearly here is another example that there is a point in a child's life when they do not know the difference between good and evil - "..before the Child shall know..."

Jonah 4:11

"And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left (right and wrong) - much livestock?"

While infants and children have neither sensed their personal sin and need for salvation nor placed their faith in Christ, Scripture teaches that condemnation is based on the clear rejection of God's revelation - whether general or specific - not simple ignorance of it.

Luke 10:16

"He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."

John 12:48

"He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day."

I Thessalonians 4:8

"Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who* has also given us His Holy Spirit."

Can anyone honestly say that the unborn and young children have comprehended the truth displayed by God's general revelation that renders them "without excuse" (Rom. 1:18-20)? I think not. All will be judged according to the light they received.

Scripture is clear that children and the unborn have original sin-including both the propensity to sin as well as the inherent guilt of original sin and Christ's atonement did pay for the guilt for these helpless ones throughout all time. Therefore it is a credible assumption that a child who dies at an age too young to have made a conscious, willful rejection of Jesus Christ will be taken to be with the Lord.

Ezekiel 18:20

"The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself."

Matthew 18:2-3

"Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

Here Jesus is clearly defining the spiritually safe condition of children.

Matthew 19:13-14

"Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

While some of the children brought to Christ were no doubt too young to understand the significance of their meeting, they could at least feel His warmth and love and thus be favorably disposed toward Him when they grew older. The Greek word used for 'children' specifies that these were very young children, so was Christ's effort in vain? No, for that same Greek word is used in II Timothy 3:15 to state that from earliest childhood Timothy had "known the sacred writings which were able to give (him) the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ."

Rather than assigning an arbitrary age, one would be more consistent with Scripture to realize that at whatever age a child is capable of learning simple Biblical truths, at that age he becomes accountable to God for acting on those truths. Since children are susceptible to pressure from significant adults and peers, care must be taken to insure that their decisions are truly their own. Children can feel intimidated to 'walk the aisle' merely to please a parent or to go along with a friend. This can happen without genuine repentance over sin or personal faith in Jesus Christ, amounting to no more than merely going through the motions. However, once a child realizes his sinfulness and responds to that sinfulness in repentance and faith in Christ, he can and will be saved, regardless of his age. Christ's indignation at His disciples probably came because they thoughtlessly assumed that none of the children could understand.

Luke 18:16-17

"But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."

Romans 9:10-11

"And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls.."

Clearly aborted babies are '..not yet born..' and therefore they haven't '..done any good or evil.'

Romans 5:12-18

"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus 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 to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life."

All men are accountable for their response to the witness of God in creation (Rom. 1:18) and to the witness of God in the Bible and in the person of Christ (Acts 17:31). And since that response is based on one's ability to comprehend and respond to the message, a person becomes personally accountable when he or she reaches a point where they have the spiritual and mental facility to grasp the issues. This does not mean they are not sinful, but only that they have not reached a place where they can understand.

Of course all men are born spiritually dead (without the natural ability to respond) and under the condemnation of sin, but Christ seeks to draw all men to Himself through the ministry of the Spirit and He bore that condemnation for man by His death on the cross. The accountable issue then is turning from self trust in good works or from apathy and a denial of accountability to God to trust in Christ (John 16:8). It is significant that the Spirit's ministry of convicting and giving demonstrable proof to men relates to their trust or rejection of Christ.

John 16:8-9

"And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me."

A baby doesn't have a clue what this means. Outright denial/ rejection leads to condemnation.

John 3:36

"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Since the primary issue seems to be response to the revelation God has given, personal accountability would vary and depend on one's ability to understand the most fundamental issues. In some, this might be very young, while in others it might be much older. However, since Christ died for the world and paid the penalty for sin (1 John 2:2), and since the issue is one of responding to the revelation of God in creation (Romans 1:20) and in Christ, the issue seems to boil down to that point in time when one can understand and respond to the convicting work of the Spirit as described in John 16.