The preacher preached a sermon,
He described the fires of hell.
It frightened little Tommy
And he didn’t feel so well.

He asked Pastor, after church,
“God knows that I’ve turned seven.
Just how bad can I be now
And still get into Heaven?”

Age Of Accountability asks a question that is very human, not only regarding religion but in our everyday life. Just how far can we push the envelope? I remember wondering, as a very small child, if something that I had done was bad enough to keep me out of the Rapture. Since these are very real concerns of our children, it is important for us to address the issues with them.

We must never use religion as a boogieman to coerce our children into doing something. I once heard a mother say, “It’s a wonder that God didn’t strike you dead!” That kind of teaching really installs a love of God in a child’s heart.

I hope that Tommy got a good answer from his pastor. It’s just such questions from children that test a preacher’s skill.