Age of Accountablity

In my search for the truth of salvation I spent time dissecting and interpreting words of the scripture. I have been told that the Bible cannot contradict itself, yet in my study I was left in utter confusion. I asked a couple of people what they believed about salvation, and they seemed just as confused as I did. They however were okay with ignoring the issue. I am somewhat embarrassed about my lack of understanding about something so important. I am too proud to seek out guidance. I don't want to admit to any believers that I do not have the faith that they do. It is only now that I realize that is what it truly is. It is a disbelief. I seed desperately to do what is right and to be accepted by GOD. Somehow I do not have the faith to just trust in Him that I will be saved.

One of my biggest questions is "what exactly does a person have to do to be saved from damnation to hell?".

In my search for the answer I began to read online commentaries of what is believed to be the solution and why. In my search I came across people referring to the age of accountability, the age at which a person is held accountable for their own sins. I have heard the theory many times throughout my life that a person before this age of accountability is spared from judgement. It always made sense to me before. I for one do not know the level of understanding that an infant has. For all I know when I speak to a newborn, everything I say is foreign to him. If a baby cannot understand what God's gift of salvation is, how can he be held accountable for his lack of repentance? From what I have read in the Bible it very clearly states that all people need to accept God's gift of salvation in order to escape death. Why then should a person be exempt because of his age? God is just and I would think that the law of salvation does not have exceptions. How is a child's ignorance any different than that of another person. As a child, believing what I was told about the "age of accountability", I thought of the injustice of those who do not know of God's gift of grace. What about those who have never been told? Why should they be accountable when they did not consciously choose to ignore God.

What about those who are matured adults who have heard the words, but like a baby could not understand, the person for which the truth just never clicked. I can see that if we go by this logic everybody could have some sort of excuse and would end up exempt from judgement. I believe that God gave us all the ability to discern right from wrong. I have to believe this. without this ability some would be free from guilt that others are not. Some have claimed that mental illness has caused them to do evil without feeling any guilt. Is it then that murderers with no remorse are blameless? Clearly this isn't true and all have guilt. It is said in His Word Romans 3:23 "All have sinned" If we look past this verse we could conclude that some are without sin. We cannot overlook the Truth GOD has given to us.

It is was difficult for me, without this verse in Romans 3, to understand the guilt of a child, a baby both pre-born and post-born. With this I have more of an urgency in fighting for the lives of the unborn babies. Without a life, they have no chance at salvation. Life is the very least we can give them.