At what age do need to accept God to go to Heaven?

Question

I always thought that there was an age or something in which you need to decide if you believe in God or not. Is there? I mean a two year old can't really say if they belive in God but a 13 or 14 year old could.
What is your take on this?
Is there a set age?
Does it differ with ever person?
Is it about your mental growth?

Obsidian- What if the child was never told about God and she/he dies at the age of 14?

If you don't believe in God or Heaven then don't answer this questoin. You may not believe but others do and this is not something to play around with!

Thank you everyone!

Answer 1

SOONER THE BETTER.
Because no one knows when we will die. In todays fast life it can happen instantly in car accident. There is no age restriction like government wouldn't hire after certain age.

If a person really feels remorse for his/her sins, begs God for Mercy and forgiveness with tears in his eyes, God accepts the sincere repentence even on the last minute of his life and forgives and the person becomes worthy of being in heaven....may be in the lower level but atleast is saved from hell fire.

Remember God knows what we have in our hearts and how sincere our repentence is. Even tears of persons like Jimmy Sawagart (TV Evangelist) can not fool God.

I have a nephew son of my sister. He has been regular drinker and womanizer because he is highly paid Regional Manager of an international company. Once I said to him to straighten his life and submit to God or else you will end up in hell. He said, I want to enjoy my life, I will come to God's way in old age. I said, can you guarantee me that you will not die until you get old. H laughed and stopped talking to me any more. About two months ago, he contacted me on MSM chat and said - Uncle God saved me from a fatal accident, I walked out unharmed, looking at my car no one believes that I was in that car. I quit drinking and now pray to God. How does it feel, I asked. He said, so good that now I regret why I lost half of my life away from God.

I hope you learn something from this story..

Answer 2

There is something called the age of reason which is around 7 years or so depending on maturity level. That is when a child knows that what he is doing is right or wrong as he has been taught. Also it is when he will start to feel shame when caught doing wrong. A child could accept The Lord before then, but will understand faith much better when the use of reason is gained at about that age.

Answer 3

I don't know if there is a set number. Some people say 12, but I think that a 12 year old is perfectly capable of distinguishing between right and wrong. I think it differs from one person to another. As soon as God knows you are hypothetically capable of understanding who he is and what he has done, he will hold you accountable for your actions. For one person, it may be 8 years old, and for another person, it may be 12.

There are some kids who grew up in problem families who have committed serious crimes at young ages. I read somewhere that an 11 year-old boy killed a 3 year-old with a baseball bat, then left him naked in the sewer. There was also this 6 year old girl who worked together with her 5 year-old classmate to drown a baby. I don't know about these kids. Could we really say that these acts were accidents done because they don't know between right and wrong? But anyways, it's not for us to judge. Only God can see into our hearts and know if we can tell between right and wrong.

Answer 4

Interesting question. I believe age is less relevant than comprehension and choice to align oneself with His expressed will in a relationship defined by His criteria.

Oh my! That's going to get confusing!

Jesus made it pretty clear that even little children could comprehend God and His calling into relationship. Well, the little child is not excluded in that case. Then we have the older rich man who comprehended it all, but walked away.

Understanding can occur fairly young, I believe. That means a young child can be in relationship with God. We know there's only one thing that can make it too late: death. The one thing that seems consistent with believe/trust/following is "fruit" in the life. One who enters into that relationship will show it in words, thoughts, actions. I think obvious fruit appropriate to the age of the individual is key. I've seen some young kids pretty mightily full of faith. ;')

As to a specific age of responsibility, there is silence in Scripture on that one, as far as I've read and studied. There are limited examples of infants in heaven at the time of their deaths. There isn't a great deal of other evidence alluding to a point where God says, "You should have known. You were X years old."

Answer 5

Earth is Not a Stepping Stone to Heaven. In the Bible book of Isaiah, we get a preview of what life will be like in the Paradise earth. No inhabitant of Paradise will say, “I am sick.” (Isaiah 33:24) Animals will pose no danger to man. (Isaiah 11:6-9) People will build beautiful homes and inhabit them and will plant crops and eat to satisfaction. (Isaiah 65:21-25) Moreover, God “will actually swallow up death forever, and the Sovereign Lord will certainly wipe the tears from all faces.”—Isaiah 25:8.
There are already 200,000,000 Angels In Heaven, whats the need for more persons?

Answer 6

A child reaches the age of accountability when he knows right from wrong. He can then choose to accept God in his heart.
I always heard the age is 13-14.

Answer 7

Well in Islam which is my religion we are taught that any child who dies before the age of 10 automatically goes to Heaven. Anyone who dies after the age of 10 years will be judged according to their good deeds and bad deeds and will have to answer for everything they did and said on the Day of Judgment.

Answer 8

No such age exists in either Scripture, Tradition or Reason. "All have sinned and come short ot the glory of God."

John 3:3,5 - Jesus says, "Truly, truly, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." When Jesus said "water and the Spirit," He was referring to baptism (which requires the use of water, and the work of the Spirit).

John 3:22 - after teaching on baptism, John says Jesus and the disciples did what? They went into Judea where the disciples baptized. Jesus' teaching about being reborn by water and the Spirit is in the context of baptism.

John 4:1 - here is another reference to baptism which naturally flows from Jesus' baptismal teaching in John 3:3-5.

Acts 8:36 – the eunuch recognizes the necessity of water for his baptism. Water and baptism are never separated in the Scriptures.

Acts 10:47 - Peter says "can anyone forbid water for baptizing these people..?" The Bible always links water and baptism.

Answer 9

sChildren are not tarred with original sin and therefore do not require salvation to enter into heaven. As to what age? Any age BEFORE you die. As Christians we believe we can come to God at anytime and if our heart is true and we ask forgiveness it will be granted. The danger is Scripture tells us that when Jesus comes again he will come as a thief in the night. This means that there won't be any warning and if we are not saved then it is too late.

Answer 10

In the teachings I've heard, they call it the age of accountability. It differs from person to person. I see it as the age a person can understand the difference between right and wrong, and can realize that they have done many wrong things.

However, it isn't a window of opportunity, per se. Once the window is open, it stays open until the person makes the decision one way or the other, or dies.