What is the age of accountability?

[2ndTimeIsTheCharm]

I think age of accountability is different for each individual.

I know my own age of accountability. I was 11 years old when I reached it.

I knowingly said a bad word, it wasn't even the worst, but all of a sudden, I felt the world change around me like the floor under me fell out. I had a terrible sinking feeling that I said something bad.

Fortunately, I started seeking God when I was 16 and got saved when I was 17.

 

[GWH]

I thought being baptised was a profession of faith in a Baptist church. Clearly I must be wrong. It's just walking down an aisle! Why did I not know this?!

Walking down the aisle was the way to tell the pastor you wanted to be baptized.

What was your age of understanding sin against God and way of professing saving faith?

 

[GWH]

I think age of accountability is different for each individual.

I know my own age of accountability. I was 11 years old when I reached it.

I knowingly said a bad word, it wasn't even the worst, but all of a sudden, I felt the world change around me like the floor under me fell out. I had a terrible sinking feeling that I said something bad.

Fortunately, I started seeking God when I was 16 and got saved when I was 17.

Yes, the age may vary, which is why it is also referred to as a stage of accountability.

How did you profess your saving faith?

 

[2ndTimeIsTheCharm]

Yes, the age may vary, which is why it is also referred to as a stage of accountability.

How did you profess your saving faith?

When I was seeking God at 16, He revealed Himself to be truly real to me. He put people in my life to explain things I was wondering about and one of them gave me a Bible. So I started reading and studying it. Someone suggest I pray to God too, so I started doing that and learned to pray properly. God was revealed to me in all that.

So when I was 17, on February 9, 1985, at 8pm at night, I was in my room getting ready to go out. I was thinking about God when I finally realized fully that God was real. Jesus said to me in my heart, "Well, what are you going to about that?" I said, "I'm going to follow You!" The earth moved again. It felt like everything was lighter! I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

God still teaches me His ways. That will never stop. I learn and obey what He teaches me through His Holy Spirit. He really does empower to help me do God's will.

 

[GWH]

When I was seeking God at 16, He revealed Himself to be truly real to me. He put people in my life to explain things I was wondering about and one of them gave me a Bible. So I started reading and studying it. Someone suggest I pray to God too, so I started doing that and learned to pray properly. God was revealed to me in all that.

So when I was 17, on February 9, 1985, at 8pm at night, I was in my room getting ready to go out. I was thinking about God when I finally realized fully that God was real. Jesus said to me in my heart, "Well, what are you going to about that?" I said, "I'm going to follow You!" The earth moved again. It felt like everything was lighter! I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

God still teaches me His ways. That will never stop. I learn and obey what He teaches me through His Holy Spirit. He really does empower to help me do God's will.

Very good, and how/when did you begin to profess your saving faith publicly?

 

[2ndTimeIsTheCharm]

Very good, and how/when did you begin to profess your saving faith publicly?

Right away pretty much. Everyone in my high school knew I got saved. I couldn't stop talking about Jesus and how awesome He is, lol!

 

[Lanolin]

Walking down the aisle was the way to tell the pastor you wanted to be baptized.

What was your age of understanding sin against God and way of professing saving faith?

32

lol

Clearly I must be developmentally delayed.

Conviction by the Holy Spirit is what it's called. Baptism. what the gospel means - and also, reading the Bible. It's one thing to hear the gospel, but it's another thing to understand what it means/read the Bible for yourself (rather than just bits of it)

I think the seed being sown can be different in different people and at various times. eg Parable of the sower. Sometimes it doesn't take or last long because of the condition of the soil at the time.

If you want to tell the pastor you want to be baptised you just tell him. Because walking down the aisle in a church is something you do when you get married, or wanted to share something, or go up and receive the Lord's supper when it isn't being passed around.

 

[Lanolin]

Seek and ye shall find, ask and you shall receive.

I don't think anyone can be forced to become a Christian or you have to be one by a certain age. But I think it's different from age of accountability if there is such a thing. I personally think it's when you become an adult and are deemed responsible for yourself and your actions.

In my country the legal age to be recognised as an adult is 18.

But I found out airlines and other places think you are adult at 12 because thats when they start charging adult fares.

Coming of age parties is traditional when you turn 21.

In libraries generally YA (young adult) literature is anything aimed above 13 when you start high school to your early 20s --anything after that is for adults. Anything below that is for J (Juniors)

When you are senior - your books are the Large Print lol.

 

[Lanolin]

I think age of accountability is different for each individual.

I know my own age of accountability. I was 11 years old when I reached it.

I knowingly said a bad word, it wasn't even the worst, but all of a sudden, I felt the world change around me like the floor under me fell out. I had a terrible sinking feeling that I said something bad.

Fortunately, I started seeking God when I was 16 and got saved when I was 17.

Was it a bad because you intended to curse someone? i.e were you talking to someone when you said it? or was it just a swear word everyone else was saying as an expletive. Like 'dang or 'darn' for the other 'd' word.

 

[Lanolin]

'h' word is also very bad. You were never meant to say that or tell someone they were going to it.
When I hear people say that, it's horrible way to curse someone. I think it can be worse than the other ones that get bleeped out. Nowadays, in movies and on tv, and in print, they don't even censor it.

 

[GWH]

32

lol

Clearly I must be developmentally delayed.

Conviction by the Holy Spirit is what it's called. Baptism. what the gospel means - and also, reading the Bible. It's one thing to hear the gospel, but it's another thing to understand what it means/read the Bible for yourself (rather than just bits of it)

I think the seed being sown can be different in different people and at various times. eg Parable of the sower. Sometimes it doesn't take or last long because of the condition of the soil at the time.

If you want to tell the pastor you want to be baptised you just tell him. Because walking down the aisle in a church is something you do when you get married, or wanted to share something, or go up and receive the Lord's supper when it isn't being passed around.

I need to clarify that my question was at what age were you able to understand the concept of sin against God,
not when were you convicted about being a sinner or did you agree with Scripture about sin.
I think atheists are able to understand at about the age of eight, although they may not be convicted and convert to theism.

My second question was what way did you profess your saving faith publicly?

 

[Lanolin]

I need to clarify that my question was at what age were you able to understand the concept of sin against God,
not when were you convicted about being a sinner or did you agree with Scripture about sin.
I think atheists are able to understand at about the age of eight, although they may not be convicted and convert to theism.

My second question was what way did you profess your saving faith publicly?

32

Baptism, telling others about Jesus.

I knew right thing from a wrong thing is that is just common sense and certain things would just land you in jail. But it wasn't a 'sin against God' thing its was just maybe crimes against humanity, or being cruel or careless. Or not doing what you are supposed to be doing (by your parents). My parents were not 'God' to me, and both of them expected different things, so, I didn't really understand it because I didn't know who God was !!!! God was just a deity religious people believed in and I wasn't born into any religion.

 

[Lanolin]

At age eight I was in school, and a child, I didn't have any concept of God. I was mostly thinking about school and my family, and our pet cat. I thought the ruler of the universe, or my world as it was, would have been the Queen. Everyone paid her deference and bowed down to her.

And as I learned in school the Queen or King was there by 'divine right' as we learned in the middle ages and down to today it was 'the great chain of being'. Apparently lions were the top because they were the top of the food chain.

So yea, God? Had no idea but praying I assumed He was a heavenly being up in the clouds and hearing our heartfelt wishes. I didn't think of Him as someone to sin against, or have any concept of what sin was.

 

[Lanolin]

Divinity, as I saw it, was something unexplainable and invisible. I also, thought that angels were beings that helped people, and were good, while devils were naughty and bad. Of course it was better to be good than bad! Bad people were mean and wanted to kill people, Good people were kind and caring.

 

[GWH]

32

Baptism, telling others about Jesus.

I knew right thing from a wrong thing is that is just common sense and certain things would just land you in jail. But it wasn't a 'sin against God' thing its was just maybe crimes against humanity, or being cruel or careless. Or not doing what you are supposed to be doing (by your parents). My parents were not 'God' to me, and both of them expected different things, so, I didn't really understand it because I didn't know who God was !!!! God was just a deity religious people believed in and I wasn't born into any religion.

Are you saying that you did not understand the concept that God created the world and that sin was disobeying God until you were 32? Surely you mean that you did not believe in God and become convicted of sin until that age!

And parents represent God to every young child until the stage of accountability for understanding God is attained.
Your parents were a poor witness and probably the main reason for your atheism.

Right?

 

[Lanolin]

Are you saying that you did not understand the concept that God created the world and that sin was disobeying God until you were 32? Surely you mean that you did not believe in God and become convicted of sin until that age!

And parents represent God to every young child until the stage of accountability for understanding God is attained.
Your parents were a poor witness and probably the main reason for your atheism.

Right?

My parents were not Christians or religious.

My parents didn't represent God they were just my parents. They looked after me, fed and clothed me and made sure I went to school.

Now you are calling it the 'stage of accountability'?? ok whatever,

You are quite wrong in your assumptions. They did not witness God because they didn't know God.

 

[Lanolin]

The world has always been, and no not everybody was brought up with Bible bedtime stories or Genesis, plus there are a lot of different creation stories in different traditions/cultures.

You seem incredulous that people can grow up not knowing who God is. Well I have news... thats what happens when you aren't brought up in any religion.

 

[Lanolin]

Anyway I think its different for different people and also, some children lose a parent (or both) very young and consequently have to grow up pretty fast, and have adult responsiblities they may not be ready for. Others get kicked out of the house when they are 18 and parents wash their hands of them.

 

[Lanolin]

Also, as teens, it's accepted that some may fall pregnant young, as that is the age where everyone is 'experimenting' or becoming active for the first time, because...hormones.

Not everyone has a religious background. This is actually normal and for most people natural. A lot of people also ignore the spiritual side of life, and not everyone believes in ghosts/spirits. Children do have some concept of things 'out there' but most are not too concerned. They just living their lives, surviving or, as in most childhoods, having fun, and also learning and making mistakes as you do.

 

[AngieG]

I would think 13 but I can't find it in the Bible what the exact age is. 20 seems to be the age that God wanted his soldiers in the army.

Some churches talk about this but are vague on what the age is. It's either this or 'confirmation' or 'first communion' but since I didn't go to church when I was younger I missed out on all this.

Also is it different for boys and girls. Or the same?

Hi @Lanolin. I agree that every person is different, so it really depends on their maturity, understanding, and revelation of what is right or wrong, good or evil. IMO it begins with the same question that was posed to Eve in the garden.