Many have asked me over the decades about a common denominational concept called the “age of accountability”. The meaning of such a phrase is the supposition that all children are born innocent, and remain innocent up to a certain age (which age no one seems to be able to specify, exactly); and that if they are to die before that age, they would automatically enter into the kingdom of heaven.
But if we read the Holy Bible, we can see clearly the following truths:
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
John 14:6
“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
John 3:5
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Acts 2:38
(“For the remission of sins” means for the pardon, or forgiveness, or washing away, of your sins. That is what new testament baptism in the name of Jesus Christ is for.)
The new testament way of salvation for any person, according to the Bible, is the same. When the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached, and one believes it, then he is to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, and receive by faith the gift of the Holy Ghost, which will be manifested by the sign from God of speaking with other tongues.
“When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.”
Acts 19:5,6
And while the “age of accountability” teaching is very popular among denominational churches, according to the Holy Bible, there is simply no such thing.
The Bible says that because of Adam’s sin, all men are sinners from the womb.
“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
Psalm 51:5
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned…”
Romans 5:12
There is only ONE MAN who has ever existed on the earth who was innocent from his mother’s womb, and that is the Son of God, Jesus Christ; and this is so because his Father was God, and not a man (Joseph the husband of Mary was not his father); so his blood came from God, not Adam. Therefore, there was no sin in him, and he did no sin.
Other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the living God, ALL men are conceived in iniquity, because by Adam death passed unto ALL men.
“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
Romans 5:19
Men are sinners from the womb. That is why in order to be able to become Christians, we must be BORN AGAIN (John 3:3).
So, there is no such thing as an “age of accountability”; and according to the word of God, any person, regardless of age, who dies without having believed and obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ, is lost forever, and shall be sealed in everlasting hellfire.
This is something that the carnal mind cannot even fathom; but it is the truth of God, and he is righteous.
God has known his people from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4,5, Romans 8:28-30), and not one of them shall die when they are babies and perish; and those who do, were not his, for if they had been, he would surely have kept them.
If it were so that “all babies go to heaven”, as some insist is true, then it would be a great blessing for women to murder their children in the womb (a.k.a “abortion”); for they would then be sending them directly to heaven, without having to obey the gospel of Christ, and fight the good fight of faith, take up their crosses and follow Jesus, and overcome.
But of course that is not the case; for then heaven would be filled with those who are not saints, and it could not possibly then be heaven.
So, the truth is that there is no “age of accountability”, and all men are sinners from the womb; and the only way for any man to be saved from his sins and inherit the kingdom of God, is to believe on the name of the Son of God, and repent and be baptized in his name, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost – and then of course abide in God’s word and keep himself unspotted from the world, and overcome to the end.
All others will be cast into the everlasting fire, to be tormented there for all ages, forevermore; and that is because of God’s love for his people, and for his holy name, to keep his kingdom holy and pure, and light and peace.
Amen.