Age of Accountability?

[e-man]

Hello All, I'm new so if I'm posting this in the wrong section, I apologize, but it has to do with witnessing, sort of. I was wondering if anybody can explain the age of accountability to me, because I'm not really sure of what it means. I have a 5 year old daughter, and my wife and I want to raise her to be a good Christian young lady. I brought up a few days ago to my wife that I feel that our daughter is starting to reach the age of accountability where she can understand the message of the Bible, and more importantly the message of Salvation and start to think about the decisions that she needs to make. My wife doesn't agree, as even though she was raised by a Christian mother and father, she didn't get saved until she was 8 years old. With world events the way they are, I don't know if I have another 2 1/2 years, and I feel that as the leader of the household, it's ultimately up to me to make sure that my daughter has the knowledge to make her decision. I don't want to stand in front of Christ knowing that I didn't do anything to lead my daughter down the right path, but I do understand a little of my wife thinking she may be a little bit young to understand these things. We aren't fighting about this or anything, it was just a conversation that we had, and I could really use some advice on how to proceed. After all, I think every Christian parent would like to make sure that they've done all they could to see their child enter The Kingdom. This is something that has been on my mind for a few weeks now, so I thought maybe people here would be willing to give me some advice.

[Chris]

I'll see if I can find a few articles on this topic. :)

http://www.gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-...accountability

Age Of Accountability
Ask a Bible Teacher

Q. Some popular prophecy scholars teach that children will be included in the rapture regardless of whether they are believers or not. What scriptural basis is there for this? What is the age / event at which a child becomes old enough to be responsible for their own beliefs?

A. The scriptural basis is found in Matt. 18:10-11 "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven."

Paul alluded to this when he wrote "Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died." (Romans 7:9) He was saying that before the age of accountability he was not responsible for his sins, and had eternal life. But once he came of age he was responsible, and became subject to death.

In the Jewish culture the age of accountabililty was 12-13. There is no such clarity where the Church is concerned. I've assumed that means that it's different for everyone, and accountability comes when a child is old enough to understand the concepts of sin and salvation and make an informed decision to accept or reject the Lord's offer of pardon.

[Chris]

http://www.gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-...n-really-saved

Are Children Really Saved?
Ask a Bible Teacher

Q. Most people believe that children before they reach the age of accountability will be saved. How does that belief square with the children that were destroyed in the flood and the children, along with the men and women, that God told the isrealites to kill in conquering the promised land?

And if it does, where in the Bible does it say so?

A. All the children you refer to who were caught up in the judgments upon their parents were taken immediately into the presence of God since they are His.

There's plenty of Scriptural support for this. Matt. 18:10 says that children have guardian angels that report directly to God. In Romans 7:9 Paul said in effect that he had eternal life until he reached the age of accountability. He said that once he was alive apart from the law, and then the commandment came, sin sprang to life and he died. He obviously wasn't talking about physical life because he didn't die at the age of accountability.

Beside that, in Genesis 18:25 Abraham reminded God that it wasn't his way to kill the righteous with the wicked, and Peter said that God knows how to rescue the righteous while holding the unrighteous for judgment.

If you know the character of God, you know that in the Eternal sense He always distinguishes between the innocent and the guilty, and, as these passages show, to Him children are innocent.

[Adopted Son]

We all become accountable at different ages. We are unique. The term, originally, meant just that, and is better understood if the word time is substituted for age. When a child begins understanding "cause and effect" they are capable of internalizing the Truth of the Word.

[WhisperWisdom]

I do agree though that at 5 years old, she's just too young to really understand these things. Right now, keep exposing her to the Word, and have a healthy Christian household. Those will make lasting impressions upon her as she get older, when she starts asking more questions on this. :) God himself knows when a child has reached this accountibility.

[e-man]

thanks to all.