Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I knit you together in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born I set you apart to be a prophet to the nations."
If you take an apple seed, and an orange seed, and look at them, you already know what they are. Before you plant them, and water runs through them to produce juice, you know whether it will be flavored apple juice or orange juice, and what their fruit will be like. In the same way, God knows whether a baby will be a righteous or unrighteousness person, if given the chance.
When speaking of children, the Bible says the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these- notice He didn't say all of these. Therefore, the same can be said of adults, or teens, or any age group- the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as those too, but not all of those.
Having said that though, yes there is an age of accountability- and that is when a child quits growing taller. Till then they are under the authority of their parents. The Bible says children don't know sin, and it also says even a child is known by his actions whether his conduct is pure and right. This sounds conflicting, but even as adults we are still learning about what is sin and what is not, and we are given a time to be corrected. In Revelation it says God gave Jezabelle time to change, and she would not change. But God foreknew that before she was created in the womb.
Therefore, the age of accountability is really only relevant to us. It's when a man knows to leave his father and mother and be united to his wife to start a family of his own.
If you take an apple seed, and an orange seed, and look at them, you already know what they are. Before you plant them, and water runs through them to produce juice, you know whether it will be flavored apple juice or orange juice, and what their fruit will be like. In the same way, God knows whether a baby will be a righteous or unrighteousness person, if given the chance.
When speaking of children, the Bible says the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these- notice He didn't say all of these. Therefore, the same can be said of adults, or teens, or any age group- the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as those too, but not all of those.
Having said that though, yes there is an age of accountability- and that is when a child quits growing taller. Till then they are under the authority of their parents. The Bible says children don't know sin, and it also says even a child is known by his actions whether his conduct is pure and right. This sounds conflicting, but even as adults we are still learning about what is sin and what is not, and we are given a time to be corrected. In Revelation it says God gave Jezabelle time to change, and she would not change. But God foreknew that before she was created in the womb.
Therefore, the age of accountability is really only relevant to us. It's when a man knows to leave his father and mother and be united to his wife to start a family of his own.
The above is false. God would not send a child to the lake of fire before he/she even understands what sin is!
I did not addressed that side bar topic, but I agree with OneFaith's application of Jeremiah 1:5 and your application below of 1 Corinthians 7:12-14 that God foreknows whom will believe in Him from those that will not, and that a a believer can be saved with his or her household which now I understand as applying to children, BUT still parents should share the gospel and their faith in Him daily to their children and even infants.
"To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
I still say parents should be free to share the gospel to the little children and even infants and not wait for the age of accountability since it is on God to cause the increase.
1 Corinthians 3:[SUP]5 [/SUP]Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?[SUP] 6 [/SUP]I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.[SUP]7 [/SUP]So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
Parents will have infant baptism done, but not preach the gospel to them yet, because an adult understanding is needed?
1 Corinthians 1:[SUP]17 [/SUP]For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.[SUP] 18 [/SUP]For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.[SUP] 19 [/SUP]For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.[SUP] 20 [/SUP]Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?[SUP] 21 [/SUP]For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Mark 10:[SUP]13 [/SUP]And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.[SUP] 14 [/SUP]But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.[SUP]15 [/SUP]Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
It is not funny how parents delight in telling lies about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny and the children believes it, taking them at their word, but they wait until the age of accountability to share the gospel to them for the children to take Jesus at His word? Come on.