A friend of mine who is a pastor said his boy received Christ into his heart at 5 yrs. old. Is a person really capable of a sincere asking for salvation at this age?
Back around 1961 or 1962, I was 9 or 10 years old. I was baptized and I assume I made a confession of faith at that time although I don’t remember anything about what went thru my head at the time. All I knew was that I believed from “babyhood” on that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and that I was a sinner. I knew that if I didn’t believe in Jesus, I would go to hell and I have always wanted to go to heaven when my time came.
I went to church every Sunday growing up but during my late teens and early twenties I stopped going. I was too busy having fun. When I was around 27 yrs old, it really hit me thinking about what God did and how badly I needed him. I was baptized again, but this time, it was because I knew I wanted to be.
Question. Was I really saved when I was 9 or 10 or was I actually unsaved all those years until I was around 27?
I have a 9 year old grandson who has asked Jesus to save him quite a few times since he was about 5 years old. He seems to be sincere during his little prayer time before bed. However, when in school, he gets into more than his share of trouble. Do you think he is really saved?
You wrote, “I believed from babyhood on that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and that I was a sinner. I knew that if I didn’t believe in Jesus, I would go to hell, and I have always wanted to go to heaven when my time came.” If that’s not a definition of salvation, I don’t know what is. If your pastor’s son is intellectually mature enough to believe the same thing and has asked Jesus to save him, then he’s saved.
There’s a reason why Jesus is called the Good Shepherd in the Bible. It’s because it’s the shepherd’s job to keep His flock. When they wander off, He goes after them and brings them back. In John 6:38-40 Jesus promised never to lose even one of us. What do you think hit you at age 27? Was it you suddenly becoming smart enough to realize you need a Savior, after having spent a decade away from Him? Or was it the Lord telling you it was time to come back? The bottom line is, if you believed you were saved as a child, then you were.
As for your grandson, I agree that he’s demonstrated sincerity in asking the Lord to save him. And remember, we’re saved because of what we believe, not because of how we behave. If he gets into trouble in school, it could mean that he’s too smart for the “dumbed down” curriculum many schools offer these days and is just bored.