Age Of Accountability

For some reason it seems that others declare it’s time we need to learn something or they determine we’ve become of age and must be doing certain things in our life. I’ll bet it wouldn’t take long for you to remember a time when you were intimidated into doing something you’d never done before and ended up looking like a fool because of it. I can name a number of times without thinking too hard, but this is probably the very first incident burned into my memory. I can remember my older siblings deciding it was time I learned how to ride a bicycle. I remember me being small and the bike being huge, and really not enthused about the passing rite at all. Impatience on my teachers part soon ended the lessons, and that was ok by me. But even at that young age I was determined to ride that bike, privately, all by myself and without witness of my failures, of which there were several. At the top of the hill where we lived it didn’t take much effort to get the bike moving downhill, it was the balancing act that had to be mastered. Then came my first real ride. It was shaky, scary and exhilarating all at the same time. But, the pride of success was suddenly overshadowed with fear, when I discovered that my previous lessons didn’t include how to govern the speed of the bike. I had no idea how to stop my new found mode of transportation. Needless to say, I crashed in a neighbor’s yard, without injury, and proceeded to put many miles on bicycles throughout my youth.
Here are ten things that aren’t easy to contend with in this life. 1) To shoulder a deserved blame. 2) To apologize. 3) To take advice. 4) To begin over. 5) To be unselfish. 6) To think before you act. 7) To profit from your mistakes. 8) To be considerate. 9) To forgive. 10) To keep on trying. I think that says it all.
[1 Peter 2: 1-3] It has been stated, and for some reason has developed into a sort of rite of passing, that there is an age of accountability to God solely based on the fact that at the age of twelve Jesus was found by his parents in the temple courts sitting among the teachers listening and asking questions. (Luke 2: 41-50) I believe and see the age of accountability to be when a person understands that their spirit is in peril because of sin and to bring it into a saved state they must rectify the situation. Here are ten things that I think we can teach to bring anyone to accountability. 1) You are created in the image of God. 2) You are wonderfully made. 3) God loves you. 4) You are the apple of His eye. 6) You can have peace every day. 7) You must follow His will. 8) Faith is the victory. 9) When you plant right, you will reap right. 10) You can do all things through Him who created all things. I cannot force my belief and faith on someone else. They alone have to come to an understanding of God’s plan for them and begin building their own faith. Why do so many fall by the wayside? I think because they feel they can do this on their own, privately, without witness of failures or embarrassment. “I’ve confessed my sins. I’ve been baptized. I’m saved. If I want to know more I’ll study on my own at my own pace.” In other words, “I’ve done what you told me to do, now leave me alone!” As faithful Christians I think we fail to show our new convert how to govern life and apply the brakes on the sinful things of the world. Consequently they end up crashing in their own will. In His commission Jesus said that we are to teach to understanding, and then to continue to teach to obedience of the will of God. Obedience is faith to salvation.