Subject: AGE OF ACCOUNTIBILITY |
Bible Note: Greetings Teria! Like you, I am new to this thread! I appreciated your comments on a very difficult subject. The issue of accountability is really an issue of original sin. Romans 5, among other verses, makes it abundantly clear that all human beings have a sin nature. This sin nature is a result of the fall of Adam and has been passed down through all of his descendants. As you correctly pointed out, this is the reason for the virgin birth - that Christ would not come into life with a sin nature. The question that the age of accountability addresses is this : How does original sin effect me? Do I die and go to hell because of Adam’s sin? Does a baby, who has not had a choice to accept or reject Christ, get punished, not for their sin, but for Adam’s? Here is my understanding of the theological basis for an "age of accountability." Romans 5 makes it clear that the extent of the "gift" corresponds exactly with the extent of the fall. Romans 5:18 says, "Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men." There are differences between the fall and the "gift", but they each effect all of us. This has led many, including myself, to the falling conclusion: Christ paid the debt for all men’s sins on Calvary. This does not mean that all men are saved. It simply means that no of us will be sent to hell simply because of Adam’s sin. That debt has been atoned for by Christ. My denomination’s (United Brethren in Christ) official position on depravity is this: We are all born depraved, but not culpable. It is only when we reach the point that we know to accept or reject Christ that we become "guilty." This means that infants, who have not yet had the opportunity to accept or reject Christ, are covered by Calvary. Thus, my take on this issue is that infants are covered by God’s grace until they reach an age (and no one knows when this is, it will be different with each child) where they are old enough to either accept or reject Christ. My personal opinion is that this takes place sometime very early on in the child’s life. I accepted Christ when I was six. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |