2 Tim 2:15-16
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. NIV
A few weeks ago our son-in-law received a traffic citation in the mail for failure to yield at a stop light. In the envelope were several pictures of his car including positive proof of him as driver and a clock to show he did not come to a complete stop. The citation was in the amount of $446! That is a gigantic amount when you have just married, trying to shift your gears to the financial adjustment of living on your own and to provide for an additional person. None the less, he still had to pay the huge fine for what seems like a very trivial offense since he did slow to almost stopping and he did look to make sure the way was adequate to enter into traffic, but the law said STOP! There is only one way to interpret this command.
Many times in the Scripture, God’s commands are crystal clear and very understandable. But other times we must see extra guidance and counsel to properly interpret God’s commands toward us. As believers we have the individual responsibility to search the Bible for truths. Many times the answer we are looking for is not underlined and highlighted but it is in the obscure synthesization of the whole intent of the Scripture.
When I was a sales representative for a large carpet manufacturer I would go to great lengths to close a sale. Many times I would alter company policies, nothing illegal, in order to close the sale. Most times it would have to do with shipping times or discount percentages or time periods. But the most convenient thing about all of this was that I was new to the company and even though I was very fluent in company policy I often found it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission.
I am afraid the church operates very much the same way today. The tweaking of Scripture to help alleviate the pressure of living by Biblical standards, when those standards seem to leave room for us to follow our personal desires, is much too common in the church today.
The desire of the believer should be to absolutely stay in the line that God has laid before us. We should do the best we can and go to any and all lengths to live a life that is pleasing to Him; searching every crevice of the word to be sure we are living with the mind of Christ.
Oswald Chambers in the book “My Utmost for His Highest” reminds us that “Every bit of your life physical, moral and spiritual, is to be judged by the standard of the Atonement.” When we constantly compare our lives to the life offered by Jesus we may still find it hard to make the desired choices but it will not be because we have not exhausted every appeal to “correctly handle the Word of truth.”
Monday, August 31, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Age of Accountability
What a comfort to know that our loved ones that have died in Christ now live with Him. It is also comforting to know those loved ones who were never able to proclaim Christ are also living with Him. Having this assurance makes living possible.
It would be easy to just say “I believe our children are in the presence of God.” Please stay with me as I present the case for what I call “Childhood Redemption.” As we read the Scripture this water sometimes becomes murky. With passages such as “unless one be born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God,” (John 3:3) and “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), it can be discomforting if not heart wrenching. I hope in the next passages, to give an unshakable assurance that all those who have died young or without adequate mental capacity will be found with Christ.
First, I feel we should have a good understanding of the sovereignty of God. He has created us for His good pleasure.
Secondly, this brings into question at what age does a person become responsible for their own sin or by questioning the term “age of accountability?”
The Bible does teach, ever so subtly, that there is an age, which is unknown to man, at which each one does become accountable.
“While the status of infants and those who never reach moral competency is a difficult question, it appears that our Lord did not regard them as under condemnation.” (Erikson, Millard J, Christian Theology pg 654)
Isa 7:15-16
15 By the time this child is old enough to eat curds and honey, he will know enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong. 16 But before he knows right from wrong, the two kings you fear so much--the kings of Israel and Aram--will both be dead. NLT
Third, the Jews followed a belief of corporate responsibility, meaning everyone would be required to pay the consequences of sin. However, as the Lord dictated who would enter into the Promised Land He made provision for those who had not reached this “age of accountability.”
Deut 1:39
39'Moreover, your little ones who you said would become a prey, and your sons, who this day have no knowledge of good or evil, shall enter there, and I will give it to them and they shall possess it. NASU
Every person must stand accountable for his own actions but at what point do we become responsible for this accountability?
Finally, since the responsibility comes with the knowledge of good and evil as it did in the very beginning then we know by this that the Lord has made provision for eternal life for undelivered babies, infants, young children, people without the capacity to understand and possibly others.
Ex 33:19
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. NIV
God said to Moses “I AM”. (Exodus 3:14)
Jesus told the Pharisees that asked about marriage “You do not know the power of God”. (Matt. 22:29)
The Bible does not plainly say what we desire in our hearts to hear but we can have peace in His word and through the Spirit that guides us in and through faith in Jesus Christ.
Eph 2:8-98 God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done,…NLT
Gal 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. NKJV
It would be easy to just say “I believe our children are in the presence of God.” Please stay with me as I present the case for what I call “Childhood Redemption.” As we read the Scripture this water sometimes becomes murky. With passages such as “unless one be born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God,” (John 3:3) and “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), it can be discomforting if not heart wrenching. I hope in the next passages, to give an unshakable assurance that all those who have died young or without adequate mental capacity will be found with Christ.
First, I feel we should have a good understanding of the sovereignty of God. He has created us for His good pleasure.
Secondly, this brings into question at what age does a person become responsible for their own sin or by questioning the term “age of accountability?”
The Bible does teach, ever so subtly, that there is an age, which is unknown to man, at which each one does become accountable.
“While the status of infants and those who never reach moral competency is a difficult question, it appears that our Lord did not regard them as under condemnation.” (Erikson, Millard J, Christian Theology pg 654)
Isa 7:15-16
15 By the time this child is old enough to eat curds and honey, he will know enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong. 16 But before he knows right from wrong, the two kings you fear so much--the kings of Israel and Aram--will both be dead. NLT
Third, the Jews followed a belief of corporate responsibility, meaning everyone would be required to pay the consequences of sin. However, as the Lord dictated who would enter into the Promised Land He made provision for those who had not reached this “age of accountability.”
Deut 1:39
39'Moreover, your little ones who you said would become a prey, and your sons, who this day have no knowledge of good or evil, shall enter there, and I will give it to them and they shall possess it. NASU
Every person must stand accountable for his own actions but at what point do we become responsible for this accountability?
Finally, since the responsibility comes with the knowledge of good and evil as it did in the very beginning then we know by this that the Lord has made provision for eternal life for undelivered babies, infants, young children, people without the capacity to understand and possibly others.
Ex 33:19
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. NIV
God said to Moses “I AM”. (Exodus 3:14)
Jesus told the Pharisees that asked about marriage “You do not know the power of God”. (Matt. 22:29)
The Bible does not plainly say what we desire in our hearts to hear but we can have peace in His word and through the Spirit that guides us in and through faith in Jesus Christ.
Eph 2:8-98 God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done,…NLT
Gal 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. NKJV
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