Up to what age is a child acquitted of guilt for sin?

Question:   

According to the Holy Scriptures, until what age is a child absolved of the guilt of sin?

There is no set age for the forgiveness of a child’s sin

Many say that the age until which a child is absolved of sin is 6-7 years or 10 years. I want to tell you that there is no set age in the Bible until which a child is absolved of the guilt of sin. In Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, the apostle Paul speaks of the heathen, of the peoples who do not know God, who have not had His revelation, and who have not known the Holy Scriptures. He says:

For when Gentiles who do not have the Law instinctively perform the requirements of the Law, these, though not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of mankind through Christ Jesus. (Romans 2:14-16 NASB)

God has given us all a conscience and conscience is the Law of God that has been put in us, in our thoughts and in our hearts. Our thoughts, our conscience makes us distinguish good from evil. When the child begins to distinguish good from evil, he begins to understand that it is not good to steal, to swear, to lie… The child’s conscience tells him that these things are not pleasing to God. From the moment when his conscience begins to bother him for certain things he does, a child bears responsibility for the sins he commits. 

God says that the Gentiles, the pagans who did not know the Holy Scriptures, when they come to judgment, will be judged according to the way they did in relation to their own conscience, because conscience is the Law of God that was written in their hearts. There are many people who have done certain bad things without knowing God, but their conscience has not left them alone and some, having no hope, no one to turn to for forgiveness, have even committed suicide.

Glory be to God, for he has given us the opportunity to know and study the Holy Scriptures. Only in His Word do we learn how we can be forgiven, regardless of previous sins.

We must teach children God’s Word and lead them to Christ

In the Gospel of Mark it is written:

And they were bringing children to Him so that He would touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Allow the children to come to Me; do not forbid them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them. (Mark 10:13-16 NASB)

In these verses the Lord Jesus shows us that children are role models for us adults. No one is as open to God’s Word as a child is.

I want to tell you that childhood is the best age when a child is most easily shaped by the Word of God. If we teach the children the sound teachings of the Lord Jesus, then they will gladly receive the Kingdom of God. You must not believe that the decisions they make in childhood will be abandoned later, so my dear ones, I want to urge you to make every effort to teach children the truths of the Holy Scriptures. Those who are molded by God’s Word in infancy become people of integrity, people who serve God wholeheartedly. 

Translated by Aliona Soltan