THE LIKENESS OF ADAM

On May ninth, I said I would continue on this topic if the Lord be willing.  He was not.  My precious great granddaughter of eight weeks required serious surgery on the tenth, and I was unable to continue at that time.  My hope is to do two posts today in order to catch up.  My thanks to all of you who prayed for our little Karalynn.  The doctors believe they have corrected the problem.  Please continue to pray for her recovery.  Thank you.

Following my last post, I met with my Pastor to try to better understand the Doctrine of Original Sin and the Doctrine of Accountability.  This is my current understanding of these two doctrines.  The Doctrine of Original Sin teaches that all human beings were corporately "in Adam" when he sinned, and the consequences of his sin were passed on to all mankind.  This concept is not unique in that Levi was said to be in Abraham when he payed tithes to Melchizedek (Heb. 7:9).  So, just as the blessing is inherited, so also is the curse.  In the case of the Doctrine of Original Sin, Adam's offspring have inherited the consequence of his sin:  death (Rom. 5:12), and also his desire to be equal to God, or to be his own God (Gen. 3:5).  That is why a child insists on having its own way; he has Adam's nature.

The Doctrine of the Age of Accountability, as I currently understand it, teaches that God is merciful in regard to young children who unknowingly defy God.  Deuteronomy 1:39 says, "Moreover your little ones, which ye said should be a prey, and your children, which in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it."  However, there comes a time in each child's life that he understands he is accountable to God, and when he chooses to defy Him, he is deemed guilty before God (Rom. 5:12).  

While some denominations of Christianity set a specific age at which a child is said to be accountable, it is clear from children accepting Christ and being born again at an earlier age, that the age of accountability varies.  Based upon John 16:8-9, it would appear that when the Holy Spirit convicts an individual of sin, righteousness, and judgment, should the person reject Jesus, he is declared to be "lost" because he does not believe in Jesus.  This would also apply to those who are mentally challenged.  

There may never be an age at which time someone who is of limited intelligence can comprehend the Gospel, but it is the Gospel which provides the good news that, just as in Adam all die, those who trust in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection on their behalf (1 Cor. 15:1-4), are baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ (Gal. 3:21; Eph. 4:5), and are passed from death to life (1 Cor. 15:22).  That is good news indeed.  If you have never accepted God's offer of forgiveness and the free gift of salvation through trusting in Jesus Christ, there is no better time than the present as the Scriptures say, this is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2)!  

There is no time like the present to accept God's Present!