10 year old Son and his Salvation

[Jodi]

Hi everyone.

I need some advise. My son accepted Jesus as his Saviour last year (when he was 9), and has been baptised. All this without any pressure from us, and on his own conviction. He has a very good knowledge of the Bible, and reads the Word every night (again, we don't need to tell him, he does it because he wants to.) Unfortunatly he is unsure about his salvation, and because of all the Rapture talk and everything going on in the world, he now feels unsure of his salvation. He also says that he does not always "feel" that he loves God. His greates fear is to be left behind. I have tried to comfort him with Word, and some sermons, and just talking to him, but he is still unsure. His salvation is very important to me, and also to him - obviously. What I would like to know is if anyone knows about reading or viewing material that could assist in the explanation of how we could know that we are saved on a childs level. I would like him to have that assurance. He is also scared that he will wander away from God when he grows bigger and not be a Christian anymore. I really do not know what to answer him, and frankly, I can't be objective. I love him, and he is a good child. I would like to believe that his experience was real.

He again asked me today, how he could be sure that he is saved.

Please, any advise would be appreciated. I would like to help him be sure.

[Mopsie]

I'm sorry that I don't have a good answer for you, but I will do the one very important thing I can - you and your son are in my prayers.

[Sunny]

a common ploy by satan, used even on children.

here is what helped my own kids.

first, make sure they truly DO understand what salvation is. make sure they truly know they NEED the Savior.

Then explain where the two doubts are coming from, so they can deal with them.

1) talk about spiritual attack; the why and how of it, and explain clearly how we are to defend ourselves fromit.

2) you likely have a very sensitive child who feels extra remorse and guilt. If so, don't try to talk them out of it, it doesn't work, they only think you don't understand the level of their depravity. they are sensitive to the awareness of their own sin and are completely aware you don't know all the bad stuff inside of them. they don't believe they deserve to be saved.

so tell them that they are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! they DON'T deserve it and that the sin inside is evidence of that. so instruct him to get on his knees every time he has doubts and THANK God for giving him what he did not deserve.

by the way - do you get on your knees with your child every single morning and begine your days with submission to the Lord and praise for Him?

If you really want to influence him, do that, and then study God's Word together. This one hour a day of prayer and study will change your child's life.

i recommend the study in my signature. my son listens to it with me. and yes, we get on our knees together every day. i only wish i'd done this with my first three - i was too sporadic.

NOW it is my priority!

[AnotherOldGuy]

I'll probably be accused of being cold, but the safer approach is to assume that your son is not saved. But then, most "Christians" aren't either.

My son accepted Jesus as his Saviour last year (when he was 9),

How do you know it was offered to him to accept? Contrary to popular belief, salvation is not just handed out willy-nilly for the asking. Salvation is not offered for acceptance - it is granted to those who have been born again in Christ.

The phrase "accept Jesus as your Saviour", nor that concept, appear in the Bible.

and has been baptised.

That means nothing.

What I would like to know is if anyone knows about reading or viewing material that could assist in the explanation of how we could know that we are saved on a childs level.

In theory, your church should be teaching and preparing you to explain the Bible to him as you read it together.

When you come something you don't understand - spend some time on it. Study it. Ask your pastor. Post a question here. I'm not real fond of books. Many are written by kooks out to make a buck. You can't challenge what they say. If you ask here, you may get a wide range of answers - but you can challenge or re-phrase a question.

Also, keep in mind that Timothy was taught by his mother at time when there was no assembled Bible, no books, no internet, very few if any churches. When you're teaching about God, you're not by yourself.

He is also scared that he will wander away from God when he grows bigger and not be a Christian anymore.

He may wander at some point, but if he is a Christian - he is a Christian.

He again asked me today, how he could be sure that he is saved.

Very simple: ask him if Jesus Christ is his Lord - and not just the Lord. More than likely, he does not know what that means.

Read from the historical books of the OT to him, particulary about David. David is an example of what our relationship to God should be. Even he was not perfect and he sinned, he still recognized God's authority and his desire was to please God.

Read the book of Acts with him, notice how Paul, Peter and Stephen talked to people about Christ.

make sure they truly know they NEED the Savior.

Ultimately, it's not about us. We were created for one purpose - to worship the Lord. "Salvation" is the gift of being in His presence for eternity doing what we were created to do.

[Paradigm]

^^^ AnotherOldGuy has some good points, but I think for a 10 year old they need to be simplified.

I think the most important thing is that your 10 year old son love Jesus with all his heart. Explain to him that Jesus loves him and ask him if he loves Jesus back.

I think at 10 years old a child is still too young to fully understand the difference between right and wrong, and may easily think that even the smallest thing he does is going to cause him to lose his salvation.

You have to explain to him that it doesn't work that way, that all he has to do is love Jesus with all his heart and not worry too much about the rest.

And if he feels that he has committed a sin, ask him to tell you what it is and reassure him that Jesus will forgive him if he truly is sorry (at that age maybe something as simple as lying to a teacher, or things like that might be enough to make him think he has sinned horribly, this is where you as a parent come into the equation to explain and assure him of the truth)

[Jodi]

Thank you so much for all your advice. I so appreciate every single one of you. Thank you Valerie for your warm hearted, motherly advice. Also thank you AnotherOldGuy. No, I don't see your advice as cold. I agree, hence my post. I would rather assume my son in not saved and help him fully understand and accept the Gospel, than to tell him that he is saved and lull him, and it is not so. My husband and I had a talk with him last night, and it went well. What is comforting is the fact that he has a hunger to know as much as possible of God, and what Jesus did for us. He reads his Bible alot (even takes it to school) I noticed it in his bag, he did not tell me about it. And he wants to be a Missionary one day. Please pray for us for guidance to have answers for the questions he has. He can come up with quite interesting questions, believe me!

Thanx again

[Mommytoa3rdgradeboy]

^^^ AnotherOldGuy has some good points, but I think for a 10 year old they need to be simplified.

I think the most important thing is that your 10 year old son love Jesus with all his heart. Explain to him that Jesus loves him and ask him if he loves Jesus back.

I think at 10 years old a child is still too young to fully understand the difference between right and wrong, and may easily think that even the smallest thing he does is going to cause him to lose his salvation.

You have to explain to him that it doesn't work that way, that all he has to do is love Jesus with all his heart and not worry too much about the rest.

And if he feels that he has committed a sin, ask him to tell you what it is and reassure him that Jesus will forgive him if he truly is sorry (at that age maybe something as simple as lying to a teacher, or things like that might be enough to make him think he has sinned horribly, this is where you as a parent come into the equation to explain and assure him of the truth)

Hi there...this is exactly why I personally think that the "age of accountability" is older than people think. I know of 15 year olds who are way more immature and have almost no concept of truly understanding what they did is wrong. I agree whole heartedly w/ the referenced post. Also, I too, would rather 'assume' that the persn IS unsaved. Your son seems like he has a wonderful future ahead of him, and he is a more mature Christians that people three times his age.

[Tall Timbers]

My two girls have said the sinners prayer without any pressure on my part. They're currently 15 and 13 years old. The oldest reads the bible and prays on her own. The younger does because I ask her to and we then discuss the chapter she reads each day together. My two boys, who are younger, have not yet made that choice, but neither have we gotten into the book of Acts yet. In all cases, I don't shrink from sharing the gospel with all of them, as one poster said, "presume they're not saved, as most ""Christians"" aren't". I just figure it is best to keep presenting the message of salvation in it's simplest form even to one who has accepted Christ as their Savior. When a young believer is ready for more meaty teachings, it will become evident.