At the Time He Knows Enough

Isaiah 7:15

Introduction:

The subject of when someone becomes accountable is filled with difficult questions and few definitive answers.

But as with most such questions, we are given the wisdom we need to come to faithful answers and to be able to act with confidence.

I must confess, I have not always availed myself to that wisdom and even now wrestle to put it all together in a way that I feel as confident as I would like.

But just because I don’t have the same degree of confidence as I might on another subject doesn’t mean I am without confidence. And I continue to strive to grow in wisdom on this question.

There are two dangers here that we want to avoid, one is always learning and never coming to a knowledge of the truth.

If we are always searching but never quite arriving at any sort of conclusion, then our searching is useless and we dishonor the notion that we are thoroughly equipped for every good work.

On the other hand, if we arrive at a single conclusion so firmly that it refuses to take into consideration any further study on the subject, then we risk knowledge making us puffed up so as to actually cut us off from knowledge.

I believe what we want is to reach consistent conclusions with room to grow in our depth of understanding as we move forward.

What Do You Know?

There is an inherent innocence associated with childhood (Matt. 18:3-4; 1 Corinthians 14:20).

There is a clear time in our lives where we are not old enough to comprehend the difference between good and evil in meaningful ways (Isaiah 7:15-16; Rom. 7:9).

Accountability is connected to what you are capable of knowing (Rom. 1:18-25).

This goes all the way back to the beginning (Gen. 2:25).

But good and evil is not the only knowledge required to become a Christian:

“while there is no direct formula for what one must know (steps A, B, and C), the evidence points to at least a basic knowledge of who Christ is, the kingdom (Christ's rule over their lives), and baptism's connection to Christ and forgiveness.” - Doy Moyer

As we read through the book of Acts we can sort of compile some sense of the knowledge.

But we can also see things that were not understood as in 1st and 2nd Thessalonians.

So we certainly don’t have a complete knowledge or even a highly competent level. Babes in Christ are babes partly because they know so little.

Who Is Responsible for You?

Another thing that distinguishes the difference between a child (which we should not be anymore if we are to become Christians) and one who is no longer a child, is who is responsible for you.

Paul talks about this dynamic in terms of Israel’s relationship to the Law (Gal. 4:1-2).

We see this distinction in Ezekiel 18:20.

Can you stand before the congregation as an individual (1 Cor. 5:3-4)?

Are you capable of entering into a covenant (Matt. 10:34-38; Eph. 5:31).

Have You Counted the Cost?

One more consideration here is whether or not you know what you’re getting into (Lk. 14:28-32).

Jesus challenges those who say they want to follow him (Lk. 9:57-62).

What is your motive in coming to Jesus (Jn. 6:26-27).

Additional Thoughts

We have an example of God using age to determine accountability (Num. 14:28-29).

This doesn’t set that as the age of accountability but rather as an age where they would certainly have been accountable.

So what we have here is a ceiling to the number we are trying to come up with.

We have examples of young men who display accountable behavior (2 Chron. 34:3; Lk. 2:42).

Isaiah 7:15-16 and Gen. 2:25 might give us something to push the age from the other end.

What to do with baptisms where someone is not confident:

Take note for dealing with others of a young age.

Understand though that even VERY immature knowledge doesn’t mean your baptism isn’t valid.

Simon certainly seems to have missed some major points (Acts 8:9-23).

We would like our conversions to be clean stories of turning away and never looking back. They are generally not that, but the Lord has provided for such faltering and not through multiple baptisms (Num. 20:8-12; 1 Jn. 1:9).

I don’t want to be guilty of encouraging people to go strike the rock again and again because they didn’t “get it right” the first time.

Conclusion

I don’t frequently ask people specifically to come and be baptized. I ask them to come and surrender, to devote themselves, to enter into a covenant. Because if they understand those terms, then baptism is an easy question. If baptism is a problem, then they don’t understand those terms.

But it also puts the focus on what is being communicated in baptism instead of the baptism itself. I certainly don’t hide the act of baptism. I don’t want to communicate LESS than baptism, I want to communicate MORE.

Am I ready to be baptized? If you come asking me that question, I’m going to ask you about what you know, about what you are responsible for, and about what you think your getting into.