The age of accountability in the Bible and its importance

The age of responsibility refers to the time in the life of a person where he is able to decide whether to trust Jesus Christ for salvation.

In Judaism, 13 is the age when Jewish children receive the same rights as an adult man and become a "son of the law" or bar mitzvah. Christianity borrowed many customs from Judaism; however, some Christian denominations or individual churches set the age of responsibility far below 13 years.

This raises two important questions. How old should a person be when baptized? And do infants or children who die before the age of accountability go to heaven?

The baptism of the child against the believer
We think of babies and children as innocent, but the Bible teaches that everyone was born with a sinful nature, inherited from Adam's disobedience to God in the Garden of Eden. That's why the Roman Catholic Church, Lutheran Church, United Methodist Church, Episcopal Church, United Church of Christ, and other denominations baptize infants. The belief is that the child will be protected before he reaches the age of accountability.

On the contrary, many Christian denominations such as the southern Baptists, the Calvary chapel, the assemblies of God, the Mennonites, the disciples of Christ and others practice the baptism of believers, in which the person must reach the age of responsibility before to be baptized. Some churches that do not believe in the baptism of children practice the child's dedication, a ceremony in which parents or family members commit to educating the child in God's ways until he reaches the age of responsibility.

Regardless of baptismal practices, almost all churches conduct religious education or Sunday school lessons for children from an early age. As they mature, children are taught the Ten Commandments so that they know what sin is and why they should avoid it. They also learn about Christ's sacrifice on the cross, giving them a basic understanding of God's plan of salvation. This helps them make an informed decision when they reach the age of accountability.

The question of children's souls
Although the Bible does not use the term "age of responsibility", the issue of the death of children is mentioned in 2 Samuel 21-23. King David had committed adultery with Bathsheba, who became pregnant and gave birth to a child who later died. After crying the baby, David said:

“While the baby was still alive, I fasted and cried. I thought: "Who knows? The Eternal can be kind to me and let him live. " But now that he's dead, why should I fast? Can I bring it back? I will go to him, but he will not return to me. "(2 Samuel 12: 22-23, NIV)
David was sure that when he died he would go to his son, who was in heaven. He trusted that God, in his kindness, would not blame the child for the sin of his father.

For centuries, the Roman Catholic Church has taught the doctrine of infant limbo, a place where the souls of unbaptized children have gone after death, not paradise but a place of eternal happiness. However, the current Catechism of the Catholic Church has removed the word "limbo" and now states: "As for children who died without baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as it does in its funeral rites. .. allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who died without baptism. "

"And we saw and testified that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world," says 1 John 4:14. Most Christians believe that the "world" that Jesus saved includes those who are mentally unable to accept Christ and those who die before reaching the age of responsibility.

The Bible does not emphatically support or deny an era of accountability, but as with other unanswered questions, the best thing to do is to evaluate the matter in light of the scriptures and therefore trust God who is both loving and righteous.