Comments on: Can My Infant Child Be Saved?

By: Dan Backens

Dan Backens — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:57:44 +0000

Alex, the lake of fire (I assumed that’s what you meant when you said hell) was prepared for Satan and the angels that followed him, who openly rebelled against God almighty. It wasn’t created for men at all. But men decided to follow Satan instead of God. God told us not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowlege of good and evil. Eve ate the fruit and gave it to Adam, who also ate it, because Satan told her God was lying. That was sin. And they knew it. That’s why they tried to cover their shame with fig leaves. But instead, God killed an animal and made coverings for them from it’s skin, showing them that blood must be shed for the remission of sins. That blood was a picture of what was to come.

The descendents of Adam (including you and me) all sin against God, just like Adam did. But God provided a sacrifice for all of us, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was God made flesh and had no sin. He died so that my sins could be forgiven. When I believed on Him, I was unconditionally saved from the lake of fire, because His righteousness was imputed to me.

But if I had not believed, there was a time in my life that God still had not yet imputed my sins to my account. So, even though I sinned, I was not going to be cast into the lake of fire. Eventually, when I was much older, I became accountable for my sins. That is what this whole discussion is about.

Infant baptism is a made-up ritual by various religions, but I assure you, it’s a nothing to the child. The child in this account is certainly with God for all eternity.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:02:09 +0000

So, a baby that is unborn or has died before it can be baptized goes to hell? That’s insane! This poor child that passed away before it was born or due to infantile illness is consigned to hell because….why exactly? That seems immensely unfair and cruel.

By: Dan Backens

Dan Backens — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:09:00 +0000

Ange-Michel,

The researchers you referred to, did they take into account what the scriptures say? I understand their point was that children begin to understand right and wrong around the age of 6-7. But I donâ€™t think God agrees with the conclusion you make.

You mentioned Adam and Eve and said they were like infants. Why do you say that? We have no indication of their age, except that Adam had to be less that 130 years old by simple deduction (930 â€“ 800 when Seth was born). But that leaves quite a bit of room. And furthermore, why would they be like infants even if they were only a few years old. They were already fully grown, and Adam seemed to be quite capable since he had already given a name to all living creatures.

But, as John mentioned above, the children of Israel were held accountable at Kadesh-barnea if they were 20 years or older. Those who were younger were actually said to not know good and evil. Surely they had some knowledge, but not enough to be held accountable. So, I put the age much closer to 20 than 7.

And for Judith, I believe the sins David is referring to are probably those he committed as a young man, not as a young child. In any case, he was no longer either when he prayed.

By: Ange-Michel

Ange-Michel — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:22:06 +0000

Just remembering to say that the church of christ needs to be taught the truth about salvation and where it takes.Just defferenciate the Soul and the Spirit.

By: Ange-Michek

Ange-Michek — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:16:36 +0000

Brothers; I thank you all for your comments concerning the age of childÂ¨s conscience.
i am in Burundi in East africa.I have been strugling with the question of knowing at what age a child is called a sinner.As a preacher and teacher who is passionate with teaching about the grace of God through the accomplished work of Jesus Christ on the cross;I believe that a child is conscious of evil between 6-7 years old.That means that even if a kid is born from a sinful mother as Psalm 51:5 says,he is not accountable of evil before God because he does what he sees around him without knowing whether it is good or evil.But when a child becomes conscious of good and evil which is as researchers heve done between 6-7 years;then he can receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.We need to understand that Adam and Eve before the fall were like little infants,but when they sinned,their spirits right away died.That spiritual death was caused by the knowing of evil.It is the same with kids.When they become conscious of evil from good;they spiritually die and therefore need a savior.However,that is not the case with adults because everyone knows his/her sins even some call them MISTAKES.
I also want to add that even if people are judged by their consciences,there is a need of the spread of the gospel because rebirth does not happen in the conscience or soul,it rather happens in the SPIRIT.People need to know what becomes born again because it is this same spirit which will go to hell if it does not have jesus Christ as lord and Savior.

By: Judith

Judith — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:00:27 +0000

I agree with the age of accountability (not in a figure though), but wish to add that David did pray to have the ’sins of his youth’ be forgiven. This implies that even when he ‘unaccountable’ he sinned and wanted those forgiven. This accountability does impede the urgency to spread the gospel. For if you’re to be judged by conscience then a lot of people would be saved outside of the gospel. Could it be that you are condemned even when you don’t know the gospel?

By: Jerod Santo

Jerod Santo — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 13:18:40 +0000

One verse that helped me determine if the Lord had a sinless nature or if He simply suppressed it is 1st John 1:5

“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”

Since there is no darkness in Him, it is obvious to me that His temptation was purely external.

By: Brian Lehmer

Brian Lehmer — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 17:15:49 +0000

Nenad,

Several years ago I worked in metallurgy. One of the things we did frequently to determine the type of an unkown material was hardness testing. When the pressure of the test was applied to a metal its behavior would help us to determine some facts about its nature and therefore to know more precisely what we where dealing with.

It is important to distinguish between the test and the test results. The test always reveals something about the nature of the tested. When you apply a force to a diamond to test its hardness…or cause the diamond to “feel” the pressure of the test… it responds in a manner that reveals it has the nature of a diamond. You don’t question whether the diamond actually felt the force of the test.

The Lord is able to sympathize with our weakness not because he had a similar nature but because he also underwent testing. The result of His temptation however shows us something about His perfect sinless nature.

Christ was not changed after the resurrection – He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His glorious nature was even unveiled to Peter James and John whilst upon the mount prior to his resurrection.

Hope this helps to clarify the analogy.

By: Nenad Ikonomovski

Nenad Ikonomovski — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 21:58:52 +0000

Back to our original topic – my favorite Scriptures are:

Matthew 18:2-3
“Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
So, a converted person is like a little child and vice versa.

Matthew 18:10
” Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.”
I believe this to mean that they are blameless before God so the Father’s face is not turned away from their angels.

Matthew 19:14
â€œJesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

By: Nenad Ikonomovski

Nenad Ikonomovski — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 20:51:10 +0000

Thanks for the quick response. I’m not sure a fully get the diamond analogy. So, does the diamond “feel the pressure” or were all the temptation “a piece of cake” for Him?

To your statement “If He could have sinned while on earth, He could still sin,”

I don’t think this is the case because at His resurrection He received a glorified/immortal body, no longer prone to sin.