Saved at birth

[Elizabeth619]

Actually, we are all kinda 'saved at birth'. God doesn't generally hold us accountable on something until we decide we're smart enough to form a position on it. He says we are born innocent (really, a 2 month old has no idea what's going on at that Baptismal) and we remain that way until we think we know enough to decide on Him. Problem is, we live in a fallen world whose ruling interests include making sure we decide against God as early as possible. So we are in some way born saved, it's just up to us to make sure we stay that way by accepting Jesus's sacrafice after being made aware of it.

Being saved and not being held accountable are two different things.

For a peson to be saved they have to have the mental understanding of sin. Clearly, a baby or a young child does not have that mental capacity. While they go to Heaven if they die as a baby they are still not "saved". They are not held accountable, and of course if they are a baby then they have not sinned. I mean... they're a baby! There would be no need for them to be saved.

 

[onlinebuddy]

Actually, we are all kinda 'saved at birth'. God doesn't generally hold us accountable on something until we decide we're smart enough to form a position on it. He says we are born innocent (really, a 2 month old has no idea what's going on at that Baptismal) and we remain that way until we think we know enough to decide on Him. Problem is, we live in a fallen world whose ruling interests include making sure we decide against God as early as possible. So we are in some way born saved, it's just up to us to make sure we stay that way by accepting Jesus's sacrafice after being made aware of it.

RickyZ,
I generally agree with you. However I have a question, and this is for EVERYONE.

God doesn't generally hold us accountable on something until we decide we're smart enough to form a position on it.

and we remain that way until we think we know enough to decide on Him.

You have used the words "until we decide we're smart enough" and "until we think we know enough." These words are pretty SUBJECTIVE.

My question is: When is a child old (capable) enough to follow Christ?


I would appreciate opinions that are supported by Bible verses, if possible. I am asking for Bible verses because I would like to keep this as OBJECTIVE as possible. In this way, I would know that it is God's word and not man's opinion.

 

[Cari99]

Well, we can simply re-word that to be "When God considers us smart enough to make our own decision" because I'm sure, ever since we are born, we think we know our own minds. However, it's when we grow older that we realize when we were 5 years old or younger (or something around that age) we really had no clue what anything meant. This also implies for those who (like myself) was born in a Christian home and taught the Bible at a young age. We may have believed it in the same way as a history book, but our real relationship didn't necessarily start at that time.

 

[RickyZ]

Well, we can simply re-word that to be "When God considers us smart enough to make our own decision" because I'm sure, ever since we are born, we think we know our own minds. However, it's when we grow older that we realize when we were 5 years old or younger (or something around that age) we really had no clue what anything meant. This also implies for those who (like myself) was born in a Christian home and taught the Bible at a young age. We may have believed it in the same way as a history book, but our real relationship didn't necessarily start at that time.

Sweet. I like that, 'when God considers us smart enough...' Thank you for that insight. OnlineBuddy there's the sans-scripture answer.