What Is The Age Of Accountability In The Bible?
Every person is created with the built in knowledge of God. Some people have chosen not to believe in God. Worse yet, some have chosen to deny the existence of God (more about atheists here). Some people say that we are all the children of God, however that is not true. John 17:17 says that God’s Word, the Bible, is truth. Jesus and the Bible are one. Jesus Christ is called “the Word” in John 1 as well as in Revelation. We are not all children of God, John 1:12 says,
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
If you don’t believe in God, love Him, and follow His ways, you are not a child of God. Romans 1:18 says that knowledge of the truth is built into all of us.
A New Person
A person is created by the union of a husband and wife when the sperm and the egg unite in sexual intimacy. There are some ideas that humans are spirits floating around in heaven until conception, when their spirits go to their new bodies, however this is not true. A person’s life begins when we are conceived by our parents. This is why abortion is so evil. Abortion is hell’s attempt to wipe people from the earth even before they leave their mother’s womb.
A new person is conceived physically when their father and mother come together. The body is conceived and so is the spirit. Genesis 2:24 says the two people become one flesh, and conceive a new human being.
The Age Of Accountability
That child grows in the womb and after 9 months is birthed by the expecting parents. The child develops and grows from baby to toddler, toddler to child, child to teen ager and to young adult. There is a time in the process of growing up that everyone asks themselves, “Why am I here?” or “Why do I exist?” The timing of when people begin to wonder why they are here varies. Girls tend to mature quicker than boys in their youth, therefore they usually come to the age of accountability and maturity before boys. Many people consider this time when people question their existence to be 12-13 years old. In actuality, this timing varies depending on the child.
Once a child questions their existence, they have a choice. They can either deny that desire to know and understand God or they can suppress that desire. Romans 1:18 talks about those people who have suppressed the truth. Those who have essentially thought or said, “God, I don’t know if you’re out there, but please talk to me”. These people are going to start running into people who know God. They are going to start hearing the gospel (translated ‘good news’). This time of choosing is called the age of accountability. This is the time when every human being goes from being a clueless child to a person who is accountable for their life decision.
What Happens To Those Babies And Young Children Who Have Died Prematurely?
What about those babies and children who have died before they had a chance to choose eternal life and a relationship with God? Many couples have lost babies to miscarriages or other prenatal diseases. Others have lost young toddlers in accidents and other tragedies. Jesus came to bring us long (Psalm 91:16) and abundant life (John 10:10).
The good news is that your child is in Heaven. They left before they had a chance to choose therefore they were not accountable. We are very sad to see people have their lives shortened but God is just and He is faithful.
The Age Of Accountabilty is very real. You can read a list of some of the related scripture here on Bible Passages On The Age Of Accountability.
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