Part One: One God, One Way, One Faith - A Defense For Why Jesus Is The Only Way of Salvation

Introduction:

I decided to break away momentarily from what has been our long-term series on the Nicene Creed to present a short series I've entitled "One God, One Way, One Faith". Why? This week our church will host a VBS that has as its theme: "One Way" here New Hope Baptist Church: Watertown, NY > Vacation Bible School 2025. Every year, we try to offer a series of adult classes that coincide with whatever the VBS is studying. What follows are notes from this year's study which I've already mentioned: "One God, One Way, One Faith".

What this study is about
    This study is about giving Scriptural,
apologetical, and historical reasons why there is only one way of salvation in Jesus Christ. Scripturally, we will turn to the doctrines of God, Christ, and saving faith to demonstrate this truth. One God, One Way, and One Faith will be our cornerstones.

As a matter of apologetics or "defense of the Christian faith", we will compare Christianity to other religions, offering  an apologetic or “defense of the Christian faith’s uniqueness”. In seeing the uniqueness of Christianity, the reader will hopefully better understand the Biblical teaching on the exclusivity of One God, One Way, One Faith. When I say “exclusivity”, I simply refer to that explicit trust in Jesus Christ, who reveals the true living God and salvation in the Gospel, as the only way of salvation (John 3:16). 

Then lastly, I will introduce the student to the historic Apostle’s Creed as a witness to Christianity’s historic confession of One God, One Way, and One faith.

Why the exclusivity of the Gospel is so important to study.

The bi-annual Ligonier State of Theology Poll conducts a survey among Evangelical Christians and the wider American population to see what they believe about key Biblical doctrines. On the survey’s website here: https://thestateoftheology.com/, we read the following:

“Key to orthodox Christianity is Jesus’ own assertion that He alone is “the way, and the truth, and the life,” and that “no one comes to the Father except through [Him]” (John 14:6, emphasis added). Trends over time and the 2022 survey results reveal an increasingly unbiblical belief among evangelicals that God is pleased by worship that comes from those outside the Christian faith.”

In one of its questions the poll asked Bible believing Christians (i.e. Evangelicals) as to whether they agree or disagree with the following: “God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.”  This poll, conducted every two years since 2016, found the following answers year by year. 2016 48% agree. 2018 51% agree. 2020 42% agree. 2022 56% agree. Our key verse is John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”  In this short series of posts, we want to look at the Bible’s rationale for affirming that there is One God, One Way, and One Faith by noting its emphasis on "One God".

A. Biblical Monotheism: God is One God in Being, Three in Person.

      The Bible affirms this fundamental truth that there is only One God. To argue for what I'll call "Biblical monotheism" is to express the foundation for why there is only one way of salvation. The argument is simple: One God leads to one way of salvation. 

    The Bible teaches “monotheism” meaning “one God”. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”  James 2:19 “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?” 

    Establishing the One God of the Bible as the basis for “One Salvation” and “One faith” is the goal of this lesson. Let’s probe further to grasp what I’ll call “Biblical monotheism”. 

    Biblical monotheism asserts that God is a “Unity in Trinity and a Trinity in Unity”. That is, God is One God in being and Three in identity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We will note two main points making up Biblical monotheism. First, that God is one God in unity. Then second, this One God is three persons in identity. Noting the Trinity lends not only to showing the uniqueness of the Christian faith, but also to why there is only one way of salvation, due to this One God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let's unpack each of these truths in their order.

A1. One God in unity.

There are many more passages we could note as to this first main point of there being “One God”. James P. Boice, a great 19^th century Baptist theologian, lists the following headings from his “Abstracts of Systematic Theology, Chapter 4” with proof texts for God being One God.

(1.) The passages which declare explicitly that God is one: Deut. 6:4; Mal. 2:10: “Hath not one God created us?” Mark 12:29, 32; 1 Tim. 2:5; Eph. 4:5, 6; James 2:19.

(2.) Those that assert that there is none else or none beside him: Deut. 4:35, 39; 1 Sam. 2:2; 2 Sam. 7:22; 1 Kings 8:60; Isa. 44:6, 8; Isa. 45:5, 6, 21, 22; Isa. 46:9; Joel 2:27.

(3.) That he alone is God: 2 Sam. 22:32; Neh. 9:6; Ps. 18:31; 86:10; Isa. 37:16; 43:10, 12; 46:9; John 17:3; 1 Cor. 8:4-6.

A2. Three persons in identity.

Let’s establish our second main point about Biblical monotheism: God is One God who is Three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Dr. Boice offers the following definition:

“THE Scripture doctrine of the Trinity is set forth in the abstract of principles of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in these words (Art. III.): ‘God is revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence or being.’

          Dr. Boice then writes:

“The scriptural proofs of the personality and divinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit having now been considered, it is proper to notice a few passages of Scripture in which the Three are revealed distinctly, by being mentioned, or manifested together.” (See Matt. 3:17; Matt. 28:19, John 14:26, and 15:26, 1 Cor. 8:6, 12:4-6)

B. Weaknesses of non-Christian monotheistic views  and non-monotheistic views.

    As we laid out the definition and Scripture proofs for "Biblical monotheism" (i.e. the doctrine of the Trinity), lets compare and contrast it to other positions. We must note that when it comes to world religions and the philosophies of men, there have been seven general categories: 

Monotheism (One God).

Polytheism (many gods).

Pantheism (Everything is God).

Panentheism (God is in everything, the universe is His body).

Henotheism (One powerful God among lesser gods).

Atheism (no God). 

Agnosticism (we cannot know whether there is a God).

     Below I will list the weaknesses of non-Christian monotheistic views and non-monotheistic views.

Non-Christian monotheistic views and their weaknesses.

B1. Deism – God made the world and left it to itself. Weakness: Denies God’s personal involvement in our world, possibility of miracles, possibility of revelation. Not the God of the Bible.

B2. Non-Trinitarian monotheisms – Whether Islam, modern Judaism, or others, to say God is simply a unity without the Trinity makes God dependent somehow on the creation to complete Himself. The Biblical portrayal of God consistently reveals He is self-sufficient and Personal, requiring the ability to interact within Himself. 

    Also, God is a God of love, meaning there needed to be a subject to give love (the Father), a subject to receive love (the Son), and a third subject to complete the circuit of love (the Holy Spirit), see Luke 3:21-22; Romans 5:4-5; 1 John 4:8, 16. Any monotheism without the Triune persons is an incomplete monotheism.

Non-monotheistic views and their weaknesses.

B3. Polytheism – The weaknesses here are that multiple deities have different wills, which leads to conflict, which leads to the absence of objective truth and morality. When you read the polytheistic accounts of Egypt, Greece, or Rome, such systems could not consistently develop a universal sense of right or wrong or truth. 

    Even if they affirmed it, their system could not account for it. Only Biblical Monotheism, having truth and morality as grounded in God, and the Personal involvement of the Trinity, can makes sense of truth and morality. A subset of Polytheism is Dualism, which sees an evil deity and a good deity in conflict with one another. Similar weaknesses beset dualism.

B4. Henotheism. This view sees One God among lesser deities. It suffers the same problems as Polytheism.

B5. Atheism – Without One God, there is no grounding for morality, truth, meaning, or purpose in life. Sometimes a weakness in a worldview is seen in not only logical inconsistency, but also whether it is livable. Atheists will still perform burial rights for their dead loved ones, still pursue a good noble life, and follow the golden rule. Their worldview tells them there is no value to such things, yet their humanity and behavior betrays what they truly know – that God exists (see Romans 1:18-20).

B6. Agnosticism – By stating “I cannot know there is a god” or “We cannot know anything about any god” is self-defeating.

B7. Panentheism and Pantheism – I decided to lump these together, since both affirm a view of deity that is impersonal. The weakness here is that if God were impersonal, there would be no morality or truth, since moral and truth categories require personal agents (one who is the standard, the other who receives the standard). Pantheists (such as Buddhists Hindus) and Panentheists (many who believe God is evolving with history) resort to believing there are no objective truth nor morality.

C. How the Apostle’s Creed highlights One God who is Three Persons.

    Now that we have overviewed the Biblical and apologetical reasons why One God is the basis for the one way of salvation, I want to close out today's post with historical evidence for Christianity confessing the exclusivity of salvation as argued for in this opening post. The Apostle's Creed is stated below. Deriving from at least the second or third century, the Apostle's Creed represents what early Christians confessed, as well as what even earlier church fathers would had inherited from the Apostles themselves. Although the Apostles did not pen the creed, it reflects the historic Christian faith that we find in the New Testament.

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit

and born of the virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to hell.

The third day he rose again from the dead.

He ascended to heaven

and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.

From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

      As you can see, the Church from the days of Christ and the Apostles has affirmed there is only one truly and living God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One God. One Way. One Faith. 

Conclusion:

I close with Ephesians 4:4-6, which is an early creedal expression Paul inserted under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Notice the repetition of the word “one”: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

    In our next post we will continue with this short series, noting Biblical, apologetical, and historical arguments for why Jesus Christ is the One Way of salvation. 

 

 

 

A children's lesson: How The B.I.B.L.E is the Book of God

Deuteronomy 6:4-7 “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up."

Introduction:

Today we consider once again some reflections on important truths from God's Word that can be taught to children. Our template for these lessons derives partly from the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. In a past post we considered how we could teach children about how the God of the Bible is made known to everyone, and how they - knowing about Him - can come to know Him on a personal level. The link for that first lesson is found here:http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2016/05/a-childrens-lesson-how-everyone-knows.html

In today's post we are not only considering the "God of the Book", but also "The Book of God". How can we communicate the truth contained in the first article of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 about the Bible so that children can grasp the character of sacred scripture? 

A simple way to begin explaining how the Bible is God's revealed Word might be through two old-familiar songs. The first is the beloved children's Sunday School Song: "The B.I.B.L.E". Once we introduce children to this song, we can then lead them in a second song, such as the one we as adults have either sung or heard others sing in times past: "Jesus loves me". These two songs capture in sum the total teaching of the BFM 2000 article on the Bible: namely that the Bible is the Word of God and that it's main point is to reveal Jesus Christ. Here is the link to the BFM 2000 on "The Scriptures" for adult teachers to study themselves as they break it down for children in the proposed lesson below: http://www.sbc.net/bfm2000/bfm2000.asp 

Once the teacher begins the class with songs such as these, the lesson can begin to unfold. As the opening passage in today's post suggests - we ought to be passing on to the next generation not only the truths of God's Word, but God's Word and ways in which to study it and apply it to one's life. 

Proposed children's lesson: The Book of God - How the "B.I.B.L.E" is the Book of God

1. Begin with two songs: "The B.I.B.L.E" and "Jesus Loves Me"

2. Have a flashlight, an apple or ball and a towel. Have the children guess what is under the towel before revealing the object. Then take the flashlight and shine it on the towel while taking the towel off to reveal the object. This can be used to show children how the Bible reveals to us what God wants us to know. The Bible uncovers His good things for us, just as the towel uncovered the apple or ball, which are good for us. (This corresponds to the first sentence in the BFM 2000 article on "The Scripture")

3. Have the children take turns drawing as straight of a line as possible. Have them hang their pictures on a wall or lay them out on a table in the class room. Then take a ruler and compare their drawings to the ruler. Remind them that we cannot know what is a straight line unless we have a ruler. We cannot know the truth about God and His plan to rescue us from our sins by Jesus except by the Bible. Explain how this illustrates what we call "truth". The Bible is true and doesn't make mistakes nor contain any mistakes. (This is a suggested way of introducing children to the concept of inerrancy, an emphasis in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 article on "The Scripture).  

Conclusion:

It is hoped that this suggested lesson can be used to introduce children to such vital concepts as the Bible being God's revelation to human beings and it being totally true or without error. The Bible's point of revealing salvation in Jesus Christ ought to be emphasized. Without a doubt, closing out the class with a Gospel presentation that is age-appropriate is also suggested. May God be glorified as we aim to communicate His Word to the next generation.  

A children's lesson: How Everyone Knows About the God of the Bible

Psalm 8:2 “From the mouth of infants and nursing babes, You have established praise….”.

 
Introduction: How children know about God, how they typically react to Jesus and why that is important
Over the past two days we have considered God’s power and goodness revealed in general revelation and the specific revelation of Himself in Jesus Christ and the scriptures. But how can one communicate such vital truths to children? As we reflect on the above opening verse, a very important point is made about how knowledge about God is an inborn knowledge. When this knowledge gleaned from general revelation is brought into contact with the remarkable life and ministry of Jesus Christ - the connection is made that the God of sacred scripture was revealed in the Person of Son incarnating Himself in human flesh. 

Amazingly, little children oftentimes are fascinated by Jesus - even if they are not yet to the point to where we can say they have actual saving faith operating inside of them. Such little ones (at least among Baptist people) are said to have not yet reached the age of accountability - which is defined as that point where a child connects "right and wrong" as having to do with God. Jesus connects this link by citing Psalm 8:4 in Matthew 21:15-16 during His triumphal entry: "But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?”

I have marveled over the years when hearing small children express profound truths about God that is undoubtedly operating at a deeper level than their immediate awareness and reason. Children are the most open to such properly basic knowledge due to the fact that they are operating under what Bible teachers call “common grace”. When we talk about properly basic knowledge, we refer to how we know things apart from arguments and evidence. Common grace is God’s goodness extended to all people whereby that know about Him, even though such grace does not lead anyone to trust in Jesus. 

Such grace operates among all people and includes such things as knowledge about God’s existence, awareness of right and wrong, knowledge about the external world and other such information that does not require argument and evidence to show it as true knowledge (see Psalm 19:1-6; Acts 14:17; 17:22-25; Romans 1:18-20; 2:15).

The knowledge about God ought to be discussed with children, since again, they are the most open. When we consider how we would communicate the posts of the last couple of days with children who are elementary age, where would we begin? Below is a sample lesson that would take the 1st sentence of the Baptist Faith and Message and then break down the posts of the last two days into a format that small children could understand.

Children’s Lesson: How everyone knows about the God of the Bible 

Basic idea: God talked to people about Himself through the Bible. (Note: This basic idea breaks down the first sentence of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 which reads: “The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man”.)

First main question: So children, what can we say about this God?

Follow-up question#1: How many of you know it is wrong to lie? Is it wrong to pick on your brother or sister? Should you always be thankful? Is it better to be mean or nice to other people? 

Think about this children, the fact that you know that lying is wrong, or that it is better to be nice to people shows that you know deep down right and wrong. This is because the God of the Bible is real, He is what we call a Good God.

If I had all of you children draw the straightest line possible on a piece of paper, could you do it? Now if I hold a ruler next to each of your lines, do you think your lines would match the ruler. God as a good God is how we know what is good and bad. 

Follow-up question #2: Have you ever looked at the stars at night? Does the sky seem really, really big to you? How big is big? Did you know that God is so big and so strong that He made everything we see, including you?

Conclusion about the kind of God we find in creation and in the Bible: God is all-strong and all-good. Every child and adult knows about God being all-strong and all-good. But how can you know this God?

Second major question: So how does Jesus show us this all-strong, all good-God?

Point #1: Jesus was so awesome in how He made people feel better and no longer be sick. Jesus did the things that only God could do and even claimed Himself to be God. Jesus was a man who was also God at the same time.

Point #2: Jesus’ dying on the cross shows how good God is. God in His love gave Jesus.

Point #3: When Jesus became alive three days after dying on the cross, He showed that the God He claimed to be and the God He talked about to others is real!

Closing thoughts: The God of the Bible is shown through and by Jesus. This same God made everything. God’s goodness is why you and I know right and wrong to be true. If you will trust in Jesus, you will know God and love God. 

Experiencing Heaven on Earth

Hebrews 12:18 For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind

Hebrews 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,

Experiencing Heaven on Earth in a dirt floor house
I'll never forget the time I went to visit a family at a broken down cinder-block shack.  On a dirt road on the outskirts of town lived a man, his wife and their four children in a house riddled with beer bottles, broken furniture and windows.

The house was a one bedroom with one mattress and a dirt floor.  It had one room with working electricity and no backdoor.  Over a period of weeks this family had been attending the nearby church and I had occasion to meet them in my travels.  The family was the poorest family I had ever met.  They each had one outfit, the husband had an amputated arm and the mother was on food stamps.  After several weeks of talking to the family, I went for a visit one Sunday afternoon.  I shared the Gospel with them.  The father was non-receptive, however the children (ages 6-12) were very receptive. 

I asked if they would like to pray to the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins and trust Him as their Savior, Lord and treasure.  In the presence of the father and mother, sitting on the broken, mouse-eaten couch, the children and I knelt down on that dirt-floor living room. The Holy Spirit orchestrated the work in their hearts.  That day, as those children prayed with me in unison, outloud, we were experiencing a moment where Heaven came down to earth.  The dirt floor of that old run down shack became a mansion of salvation for those kids.  Hebrews 12:18-22 describes the miracle of salvation, and how the hopelesseness of the human condition can be reversed by the life changing power of Jesus Christ received by grace alone through faith alone.

Salvation is as much about Heaven coming down to me as me having the promise of someday going to Heaven
When I read Hebrews 12:18-22, I see salvation being described as involving two mountains, one valley and one miracle. 

Salvation's two mountains
On the day those children prayed to receive Christ, they made a journey from the slopes of Mount Sinai to Mount Zion.  Heaven came down to them, and through the cross they were by faith brought into the blessed hope of salvation. 

In Biblical history Mount Sinai was the mountain about which the nation of Israel was situated following their Exodus from Egypt. (Exodus 19-20)  God revealed His Law in a cloud of thunder and lightening on top of the mountain.  The people were not allowed to touch the Mountain, lest they die.  Mount Sinai is pictured as the Mountain of God's justice.  No hope, only judgment. 

Mount Zion is another name for the Heavenly Jerusalem or the abode where God is.  Both of these mountains are mentioned in Galatians 4:25-26 "Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother."

The Miracle of salvation
Quite literally the miracle of salvation is about the power of God in salvation coming down to us. Heaven's reality comes to me, through faith, by which I receive and believe on Christ.  I'm told that I must abandon the quest of trying to get to God through keeping the law.  This is the fool's errand of those camped around Sinai.  They think they can get to the God of the mountain, however He is too holy and they are too sinful. 

The Cross in the valley
The law of Sinai points to the cross of calvary.  Once I identify with Christ in His death - I die.  According to Romans 6:4-11, I'm buried and then raised with Him.  I have crossed the valley between these two mountains.   Between the mountain of God's justice and the mountain of God's grace lies a valley wherein the cross stands.  Lest the sinner by grace through faith leaves the slopes of judgment at Sinai to be declared dead at the cross and raised, they will never know the glory of Mount Zion. 

In the Old Testament the God of the Mountain came to dwell among the people.  In the New Testament the God dwelling among the people brings the people to the Mountain
So what results when the miracle of salvation has occured?  Notice the seven-fold description given by Hebrews 12:22-23:

1. Change of Address.  "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God. The heavenly Jerusalem".  I am now viewed as a citizen of heaven, and look forward to Jesus Christ's return.  (Philippians 3:20-21)

2. Change of spiritual environment. "And to myriads of angels".  Hebrews 1:14 tells us the angels of heaven are sent to serve and aid those who are believers in Christ.  I'm no longer under the power of the Kingdom of Darkness. (Ephesians 2:1-2)  The Kingdom of Heaven characterizes the disposition of my heart, with the Spirit's leading characterizing how I approach life. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

3. Change of identity. "To the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven".  As a Christian I have been seated in the heavenly realms in Christ and am an heir of God, a co-heir of Christ, a child of the King! (Romans 8:14-16; Ephesians 2:4-9)

4. Change in relationship to God. "And to God, the Judge of all,"  Once I was separated from God, now I am reconciled through Christ, by faith, to be brought unto God. (1 Peter 3:18) 

5. Change in spiritual condition.  "And to the spirits of the righteous made perfect".  This of course is speaking of those saints who have went on before us. Our spiritual condition is changed to partake in the same promises of salvation as they. (2 Peter 1:3-11)

6. Change in how I view Jesus. "And to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant." Jesus Christ is more precious to me, my Savior, Lord and treasure.  (1 Peter 1:8; 2:1-9)

7. Change in the basis of my confidence. "And to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel."  My confidence in God lies not in what I have done, but His accomplishment, His righteousness and His blood cleansing me from the guilt and shame of my sin. (Ephesians 1:7; 1 John 1:9; Hebrews 9:14) 

In sum, we can close out today's blog with these words from a hymn entitled: "Heaven Came Down": "Heaven came down and glory filled my soul.  There at the cross the Savior made me whole.  My sins were washed away, and my night was turned to day.  Heaven came down and glory filled my soul". 

Answering questions about childhood and salvation - Part One

Main Point of This Blog: To give an overview of what the scriptures have to say concerning the nature of children as it pertains to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The following concepts will aid us in this study: The Age of Accountability, How sin operates in the life of a child, The nature of the human soul, What the Bible teaches about children in salvation and why the teaching of “the age of accountability” is crucial to Christianity.

1. Understanding the Age of Accountability

Foundational Texts for Understanding the Age of Accountability

Being that a child is spiritually dead at birth, it is clear that the reason they sin is because they are sinners (Ephesians 2:1-5; Romans 3:10-21).  However, the Bible is also clear that for the first several years of life, until a child reaches the point where they can discern the consequences of their rebellion, they will not be subject to the penalties of the law, even though they are declared guilty by the law (Ten Commandments).  David in the Old Testament comments following the death of his infant son in 2 Samuel 12:23: “But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but He shall not return to me.”  Jesus comments in Mark 10:14 “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”

2. How sin operates in the life of a child

Pastor and Bible Teacher John MacArthur remarks in a sermon on Mark 10: “Children in the age of innocence function in a special dimension of God’s grace.”  In other words, though children are guilty sinners before Holy God at birth, young children are not able to see their activities as somehow offending Holy God.   Young children, like adults, have the law of God written on their hearts (Romans 2:15).  However they are not developmentally or emotionally able to “connect-the-dots” between the commands of that law and the offense against God for its disregard. 

 God withholds the penalty of the Divine law (punishment in hell) from young children.  Romans 1:20 tells us that: “The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”  Being that a child cannot fully link together the implications of rebellion against such understanding, nor can the young even exercise such understanding, we can only conclude that young children are exonerated from the due penalty of their inherited sin.

Why it is children can exhibit remarkable insights

Though a child is spiritually dead, we do know that children still possess the remarkable ability to produce spiritual insights.  Psalm 8:2 states: “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies that though mightiest still the enemy and avenger”.   How do young children accomplish this?  It is in their unique function before the age of accountability that God illuminates them in the realm of their soul.  To better understand what the soul is and how a child’s spiritual condition operates in their soul will be the focus of the next blog.