Children and salvation...

[matie-k]

I've really been struggling in my mind over something lately. It seems there are a whole lot of churches that have bus ministries that bring in children who make salvation decisions, but then when they become a teenager or adult or they move away, etc.., they just quit on God altogether and live the worldly life and totally forget about their childhood decision. Is their salvation not real? Is it possible to get saved and then just forget about your salvation for the rest of your life?

[JJJ4given]

Were they told to repeat a prayer and then told they were OK? If easy believism is what was taught, then there is a good chance that they didn't get anything real to begin with.

[bloodbought]

it is possible they never truly were saved to begin with. my wife and i both are by-products of the bus ministry as a result of our children going to a sound church for 4 years. i thank GOD for the faithful men and woman who were out there knocking doors every saturday. too many churches are in the "bus ministry" for numbers only, but don't let that distract from the real ones that love children and are trying to teach the truth.spiritual fruit will follow any real conversion, look for it. if not evident, assume they are still lost in sin

[Anon]

Children who get saved must have someone to disciple them and make sure they are truly saved. That is why those mass bus routes aren't always good, IMO, because there are too many kids for people to truly take them and help them out after salvation.

And I believe also that if its a repeat-a-prayer, that many probably aren't saved. Some probably just wanted to get out of their seat.

[jdunagan]

A child that was truly saved will show a change in his or her life and therefore will not walk away from it because he or she is a new creature in Christ(2 Corinthians 5:17).

[John81]

That's true. If one is born again, whether child or adult, there will be noticable change. They will also not truly walk away from their faith, even if they stumble or wonder from the straight and narrow path for a time.

It's very sad, but there are tens of thousands of children, young folks, and even older folks, who experienced a "false conversion" and even though they are living in sin and on the wide path to Hell, many still recall their "false conversion" and believe they are heaven bound.

[BroJesse]

I've really been struggling in my mind over something lately. It seems there are a whole lot of churches that have bus ministries that bring in children who make salvation decisions, but then when they become a teenager or adult or they move away, etc.., they just quit on God altogether and live the worldly life and totally forget about their childhood decision. Is their salvation not real? Is it possible to get saved and then just forget about your salvation for the rest of your life?

It is not uncommon for bus workers to chalk up multiple salvation decisions even by the same child week after week. The proof is still in a changed life and while we are never going to be sinlessly perfect, we will be sinning less as a general trend.

The turning point for us over here is about the age of 14-15 when either the rebellious sin nature fully rears its ugly head or it has been greatly subdued because of genuine salvation. That's when I can really see whether there was a genuine turning to Christ for salvation or not.

At the earlier ages, we tend to overlook all this and discount the fact that the root of that Adamic sin and rebellion nature is already there. Worse, some parents actually think it is "cute".

Unless we get the view of man correct, we will be making all the wrong assumptions. It isn't the fact that there's all this external influence and peer pressure that is causing teens to act that way, Jesus tells us that it comes from inside the heart.

[bibletotingunslinger]

I don't see that happening here, I will pray for your Church.

My heart get so warmed by the way we over 50 crowd put smiles on the 6 and 16 year olds. They are so important and we just have to let them know.
I am depressed that I cannot do more for the teenage group. My stupid job and all, I just have no time. I do draw the line at 6, any younger I do not communicate except my own grandkids.
My wife communicates with them real well.
I just LOVE to see teenagers who love Jesus, they are my hero's in the making.

[Guest Guest]

I've really been struggling in my mind over something lately. It seems there are a whole lot of churches that have bus ministries that bring in children who make salvation decisions' date=' but then when they become a teenager or adult or they move away, etc.., they just quit on God altogether and live the worldly life and totally forget about their childhood decision. Is their salvation not real? Is it possible to get saved and then just forget about your salvation for the rest of your life?[/quote']"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off." - Romans 11:22 (KJV)

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." - Matt. 7:21 (KJV)

"But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." - 1 Cor. 9:27 (KJV)

"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." - Phil. 2:12 (KJV)

"They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away." - Luke 8:13 (KJV)

[Jerry]

Why don't you actually reply to what is in this thread? This is the third time you have trolled the same response that you put in the other threads.

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I think part of the problem in regards to bus ministries to lost homes is that the children who move away or no longer attend usually do not get grounded in the Word of God. Then without their exposure to a sound church, they just stop growing. Sure, there might be some that are not really saved - but how much of it can be attributed to a lack of growth and regular feeding from God's Word?

[MilkmanDan]

My 10 year old has been asking about being baptized recently. I will admit as a father I have to wonder are there certain indications you should be looking for? (ie is she doing this just to fit in with the kids? or is this Spirit led?).

Should I go ok lets go walk the aisle babe!! Or is there a way that I should prepare her?

I will admit I am a little lost and don't want to further hinder her spiritual progress.

[John81]

My 10 year old has been asking about being baptized recently. I will admit as a father I have to wonder are there certain indications you should be looking for? (ie is she doing this just to fit in with the kids? or is this Spirit led?).

Should I go ok lets go walk the aisle babe!! Or is there a way that I should prepare her?

I will admit I am a little lost and don't want to further hinder her spiritual progress.

Does she understand what it means to be born again and is she born again? That's the place to begin.

[Anon]

My 10 year old has been asking about being baptized recently. I will admit as a father I have to wonder are there certain indications you should be looking for? (ie is she doing this just to fit in with the kids? or is this Spirit led?).

Should I go ok lets go walk the aisle babe!! Or is there a way that I should prepare her?

I will admit I am a little lost and don't want to further hinder her spiritual progress.

If she is saved, its not a matter of being spirit led to be baptized, but a matter of simple obedience to God's first command. I would let her be baptized immediately.

[Trish]

ok, this is a little , but what do you say to a child that knows they need to be baptized but are afraid to get their hair washed, let alone go underwater.

[Anon]

ok' date=' this is a little [img']off%20topic, but what do you say to a child that knows they need to be baptized but are afraid to get their hair washed, let alone go underwater.

Drug em? J/K!

We had a girl in our church afraid for a long time....she just had to grow out of her fears and decide that obeying was more important...I believe she was like 10 or 11 at the time but had been saved since age 5 or so.

You just have to let them watch baptisms...and talk to them about how fast it is and how the preacher will cover their face with a cloth, etc. I was really afraid of water really bad, I still don't like my face directly in the shower spray!!!!! But baptism wasn't so bad.