There is just too much "Easy Believism" rampant in todays world to take it on face value that a child has interacted with the Holy Spirit....not without testing & proving it factual, most certainly. Ive had first hand experience with parents influencing a child and Ive seen Pastors, Elders, Deacons & other family members influence a child. Their intentions are often noble however none of this matters to the direct interaction to the Holy Spirit. Therefore testing the prospective new convert is critical.
That is the point at which you start, and you can go on and test in terms of the teaching of the first Epistle of John. As you do so you will get a better assurance, an assurance which will save people from a kind of 'believism', or an opinion that just says that it believes and accepts all this without bothering to question. But I am personally concerned to go on to a further source of assurance, which is the one that any Christian desires and covets above everything else. That is the testimony of direct witness of the Spirit Himself to the fact that they have gone through that direct intervention, and are now children of God because of it. So I will emphasize, Romans 8:15 and 16; and also of Galatians 2:20: 'The Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me', etc.
That says a bit as to how I would question and catechize and cross-examine anyone telling me they are Born Again. Also, after discussing this with many experienced Baptist Pastors, one should always draw a distinction between the way in which you question and catechize young members, new members, and the way in which you catechize older members. This should be emphasized as a main point of distinction - that you do not expect as much light and clarity and certainty from the young convert as you do from the older ones. However there are exceptions to that rule & there are some exceptional and clearly spiritually gifted young people that sometimes surprises.....God will not be contained in any box or any creatures limited mind...thats clearly intellectualism.
There is a point when I was recently converted that I, in a sense, mourned over my sins. I was, at 53 YO persuaded by the holy spirit that my primary sin was of Non-belief. Once I realized my carnality, I was ashamed. It was that "Uh huh moment" when I had to face up to the errors of my actions, the shame of my arrogance & greed and the utter horror of having insulted who had given me so much.....and for that realization, I wept. Does a child ever comprehend this? Thats part of what Ive been asking myself lately.
All in all, I would feel much more confident in allowing the child to grow up to the age where they can better comprehend the consequences of sin (and perhaps even recognizing by first hand experience with sin) the devastation of ones sinful actions, so they would have a strong gratitude for the gift of salvation.
That is the point at which you start, and you can go on and test in terms of the teaching of the first Epistle of John. As you do so you will get a better assurance, an assurance which will save people from a kind of 'believism', or an opinion that just says that it believes and accepts all this without bothering to question. But I am personally concerned to go on to a further source of assurance, which is the one that any Christian desires and covets above everything else. That is the testimony of direct witness of the Spirit Himself to the fact that they have gone through that direct intervention, and are now children of God because of it. So I will emphasize, Romans 8:15 and 16; and also of Galatians 2:20: 'The Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me', etc.
That says a bit as to how I would question and catechize and cross-examine anyone telling me they are Born Again. Also, after discussing this with many experienced Baptist Pastors, one should always draw a distinction between the way in which you question and catechize young members, new members, and the way in which you catechize older members. This should be emphasized as a main point of distinction - that you do not expect as much light and clarity and certainty from the young convert as you do from the older ones. However there are exceptions to that rule & there are some exceptional and clearly spiritually gifted young people that sometimes surprises.....God will not be contained in any box or any creatures limited mind...thats clearly intellectualism.
There is a point when I was recently converted that I, in a sense, mourned over my sins. I was, at 53 YO persuaded by the holy spirit that my primary sin was of Non-belief. Once I realized my carnality, I was ashamed. It was that "Uh huh moment" when I had to face up to the errors of my actions, the shame of my arrogance & greed and the utter horror of having insulted who had given me so much.....and for that realization, I wept. Does a child ever comprehend this? Thats part of what Ive been asking myself lately.
All in all, I would feel much more confident in allowing the child to grow up to the age where they can better comprehend the consequences of sin (and perhaps even recognizing by first hand experience with sin) the devastation of ones sinful actions, so they would have a strong gratitude for the gift of salvation.
