Around age 7 our son asked Jesus into his heart, but now claims to be an atheist. He admits remembering kneeling down & asking forgiveness, but says he was too young to fully understand what it was all about. Do you think that age 7 is too young to comprehend the real meaning behind repentance & accepting Christ as Savior?
There is no defined age of accountability in the Bible. The Jews use 12 or 13 only by tradition but it’s become known as the Age of Accountability. Many scholars define the true age of accountability as the age at which a person is intellectually mature enough to understand the sin/salvation issue. Of course, this differs from person to person so there’s no way I could assure you that your son was intellectually mature enough to make an informed decision for the Lord at age 7.
What I can tell you is that according to Church statistics about 7 out of 10 children raised in a Christian home go through a period of denial as young adults. For many this is only temporary. The promise parents are given is if we train our children in the way they should go, when they grow old they won’t turn from it (Proverbs 22:6).
Sheep tend to wander away and when they do it’s the shepherd’s job to bring them back. My advice is to keep praying for your son, and don’t hesitate to remind the Good Shepherd that He promised not to lose any of those the Father has given Him (John 6:39).