06/07/21 THREE ATONEMENT BENEFITS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

06/07/21 THREE ATONEMENT BENEFITS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

1- Sinful nature covered,
2- Behavior covered,
3- Awareness of good & evil imparted.

NATURE AND BEHAVIOR COVERED
Children inherit a sinful nature (Old Man, Carnal Mind, Double Mindedness) from Adam's fall. The sinful nature is a spiritual pollution and evil predisposition to evil. The carnal mind is unclean and disqualifies a person from eternal life. The Bible says that being carnally minded is death. However, God has provided for children to be covered by the blood of Christ, from the time of conception until the time that they become accountable to God for their own sinfulness. The children are not responsible for their nature, but they are still unfit for eternal life. This inherent spiritual corruption eventuates in sin in the life of a child.

Though the pre-born, the new born and infants are spiritually polluted, corrupted, God has sacrificed His Son, and therefore became the, "Savior of all men," as the Bible says. This atonement also extends to the very early life of children, covering their "sinful" actions and attitudes. This is why Jesus said that children are part of the kingdom of God and adults must become like a child in order to enter the kingdom of God.

It is also true that all people sin against God, and the wages of sin is death. When, in the eyes of God, a child becomes accountable for his/her own life, they must believe on Christ, confess their sins, repent and follow Jesus. This explains how Christ can be the "Savior of all men," without all men being ultimately saved. It also explains why the verse that says Jesus is the "Savior of all men," goes on to say, "especially of those who believe." The child who realizes his sin, is no longer under the atonement cover of Christ. That child must then believe, confess, repent and follow Christ in order to be covered by the atonement and reconciliation.

AWARENESS OF GOOD AND EVIL
From the very earliest part of an infants life, there is evidence that he has an inherent recognition of good and bad, right and wrong. Though each child is born with the Adamic nature (sinful inclination if Adam), he is also given a sense of good and evil because of the atonement of Christ. The Holy Spirit gives light to infants, which accounts for the mixture of right and wrong seen in children. It is an inherent awareness that goes before any parental training takes place.

This is why children are lovable, tenderhearted, sensitive, pliable, responsive to the gospel. Though they are born with God's gracious enlightenment concerning good and bad, they need positive influence, training, reinforcement in order to resist the temptations they face. This prepares them for the time they become converted by the soul saving work of Christ and equips them to live victorious lives as believers.