Becoming Accountable
The gospel is full of calls to repentance. Preparing
the way of the Lord, John the baptist preached, "Repent, for
the kingdom of heaven is at hand."(Matthew 3:2) When John
was imprisoned our Lord picked up this very cry (Matthew
4:17), calling men everywhere to change their hearts and
ways.
Our Lord described repentance and baptism as "a new
birth" (John 3:3). The apostle Paul compared the two
(repentance and baptism) to a death, burial and
resurrection:
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace
may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin
live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of
us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His
death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism
into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by
the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life. For if we have been united together in the
likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the
likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old
man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be
done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
For he who has died has been freed from sin. (Romans 6:1-7,
NKJV)
Freedom from sin, explained Paul, only comes through
"killing the old man" (repenting), burying him in baptism
and then rising to walk in a new life (again, repenting).
Through the ages men have asked, "but what of those who
are incapable of true repentance?" This question usually
focuses around young children. We know that the very
young--I am purposely being vague on age--are incapable of
being convicted in heart of sin, seeing themselves as rebels
before God, personally responsible to God. At best, the
child understands wrong only in terms of immediate
consequences meted out by his or her parents.
Now some will say, "a child does no wrong." Anyone who
has raised a child knows that this is not true. What child
does not have to be taught to share ("whatever you want men
to do to you . . . .", Matthew 7:12)? What child never
disobeys his parents (Ephesians 6:1)? What child scarcely
learns to speak before he lies, trying to get out of
trouble?
Solomon spoke the hard truth:
Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of
correction shall drive it far from him. (Proverbs 22:15)
The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself
bringeth his mother to shame. (Proverbs 29:15)
No matter how romantic the notion, no matter how sweet
the sentiment, children _are not_ inherently good. There is
no sense in lying to ourselves.
The question, then, can not be _whether_ very young
children--and, perhaps, mentally handicapped adults--do
wrong. We know that they do. The question is whether God
holds their wrongs against them.
Let us stop and consider a related question: "Do
children inherit sin?" There are many expressions for this.
"Original sin" is the most common. Specifically, does the
sin of Adam and Eve automatically pass on to all of their
descendants?
Some may first turn to Exodus 20:5, "punishing the
children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth
generation of them that hate me. . . ." (NIV) Does this
teach that God holds the guilt of sin against the children
of the sinners?
First we must note that God was speaking of those who
hate Him. Verse 6 says, "but showing love to a thousand
generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."
Those who love Him obtain mercy.
Second, God was almost certainly speaking of physical
punishment: not eternal damnation, but earthly affliction.
That was the emphasis of the promises of the Law of Moses.
Now some will say, "But David was 'born in sin.' (Psalm
51:5) He could not have committed a sin before he was born.
This proves he inherited sin."
For this argument to stick, two things must be true.
First, "I was shapen in iniquity" must mean "I was born
_with_ sin." Second, the Bible clearly contradicts itself.
Translators certainly do not agree that Psalm 51:5
should read "I was born with sin." The King James, New King
James and New American Standard Bible, as examples, do not
translate the passage so. Many translators and commentators
have pointed out that "I was shapen in iniquity" may mean
many other things. Probably David was partially blaming his
own depravity on the fact that the world he was born into
was full of sin. Sin and its influence permeates our whole
environment from the time we are born. That interpretation
is possible.
As for the Bible contradicting itself, I am certain
that it does not. The Spirit has not lied to us. God said,
The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the
guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the
son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon
himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon
himself. (Ezekiel 18:20, NKJV)
The gospel call is for us to repent of our own sin.
The New Testament does not offer forgiveness to us for
someone else's sin.
Now we consider whether God holds a very young child
accountable for his own wrongs. (I suppose it is really
just a matter of wording, but I do not want to equate
"wrong" with "sin" in this context unless we find that God
does hold a child accountable.)
I might like to have an explicit verse that says, "Up
to a certain age, a child is not held accountable for his
wrongs." Such a verse does not exist. There are, however,
passages that force us to that conclusion.
Some will immediately say, "If you have to use reason,
you cannot claim that your teaching is from God."
That is not so. Even direct statements of the Holy
Spirit must be interpreted--must be reasoned out--to be
understood and put into practice. I hold up 1 Peter 3:21 as
absolute proof. There the apostle clearly says, "baptism
saves." Yet millions who claim Christ have not been
baptized and still feel that they are saved. Millions who
have been baptized teach that it does not save,
contradicting a clear statement of scripture.
Reason may lead us to correct understanding or it may
lead us to misunderstanding. Either way, we _must_ reason.
If reason could not be used in studying God's word, it can
not be understood at all. God holds us accountable for our
understanding. He expects us to reason correctly. (See
Matthew 22:31-33 as an illustration.)
Since the Spirit says, "baptism saves" (1 Peter 3:21),
since the Spirit says, "arise and be baptized and wash away
your sins" (Acts 22:16), since the Spirit says, "repent and
be baptized every one of you for the remission of your sins"
(Acts 2:38) we know that one must acknowledge his sin and be
baptized in order to be saved. We also know a child can not
do these.
The Spirit says as well, "believe and confess" (Romans
10:10). A young child can not do these, either.
The Spirit also said that God suffers long "not willing
that any should perish" (2 Peter 3:9). If a child _must_ do
what he clearly _can not_ do, how could God say He was not
willing for (wanting) them to perish?
"That is why He waits." No, by that thinking He would
be more merciful to come quicker. The longer He waits, the
more children are born and die, unable to confess the name
of Jesus.
If He waits in order to give time to those who have a
choice to come to Him, then He is truly long-suffering. If
He delays to force people into and out of this world only to
perish eternally, then He is truly _unmerciful_.
We confidently proclaim His mercy!
Some propose a Band-Aid approach: baptize the infant.
This special case will take care of it. But what of the
sins committed after the infant is baptized but before he
can obey?
Furthermore, we have already studied passages that
teach that baptism is for the repenting believer.
"But the Philippian jailer's whole house was baptized!
(Acts 16:33) Surely that house included infants."
Surely, it did not. Acts 16:34 clearly states that
they all believed. His whole house was baptized because his
whole house believed. The Band-Aid does not stick.
Very young children do wrong.
Children can not take advantage of Christ's cure for
sin because they can not believe, confess and be baptized.
God is merciful, unwilling for any to perish, and
therefore can not be charged with creating and everlastingly
destroying, hopeless souls.
We confidently conclude that God does not hold small
children accountable for their wrongs. Small children do
not sin!
They are not _saved_, they are _safe_. With comfort
and joy we embrace the words of Jesus concerning them:
"Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them;
_for of such is the kingdom of heaven_." (Matthew 19:14,
NKJV)
The Weekly Exhorter
A Weekly Bulletin for the church of Christ at Lacey's Spring
John Hendrix
Home: jhendrix@traveller.com
Work: john_hendrix@netqm.nichols.com
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