How Little is Too Little for Kids to Accept Jesus as Their Savior?

Take a look at this well known verse in Luke 18. It's a verse that we use to show how much Jesus loves children and wants them to come to Him.

"But Jesus called the children to Him and said, 'Let the LITTLE children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.'"

Notice Jesus uses the word "Little" when describing the children.

This leads to the question, "How little is too little for kids to accept Jesus as their Savior?"

At what age is a child ready to enter a relationship with Jesus?

What does a child need to know and understand to follow Jesus?

What is the age of accountability and when do kids cross that line?

Here are few thoughts about little children coming to Jesus.

There is not a specific age for a child to accept Jesus as his or her Savior. The age of accountability happens when a child understands they have sinned and need a Savior. The age of accountability is different for each child. For some, it may be 8-years-old. For others, it may be 10-years-old. For others it may be 6-years-old.

A key factor is mentioned in the previous paragraph. A child must understand that they have sinned and owe a debt for that sin. If you ask a child if he or she has sinned and they say "no," then they are not ready to accept Jesus as their Savior. A child must understand that they are in need of a Savior. You can't get "saved" if you don't understand that you have sinned and need a Savior.

Children must also be old enough to understand what Jesus did to pay for their sins. They must understand that Jesus died, was buried and rose again for their sins.

As I mentioned above, there is not a specific age of accountability. But I will say this. At the age of 7-8 years old, children begin to understand abstract thinking and not just a concrete understanding. In other words, if you tell a child who is 5 years old that Jesus is the bridge back to God, the child will think it is a literal bridge.

But if you tell this to a 8-year-old, the child understands that this is an illustration of J