Salvation

Long before having kids I had heard people talk about very young children coming to salvation.  While I didn't disagree that this is possible, I had a hard time wrapping my brain around how a young child could comprehend all that Christ did for us and the way He calls us to live.  Once Kayla was born, and even while I was still pregnant with her, I began to pray for her salvation at an early age.  As she was growing I still had a hard time reconciling how a preschooler could understand what took me 11 years to understand. Sunday will be Kayla's second birthday as a Christian.  Two years ago I finally "got it." The Bible tells us that we are all sinners and that Christ died for our sins and took the wrath of God that we deserve and placed it upon Himself. He rose again three days later, after conquering hell, and is now seated with God the Father. This is the Gospel.  This is what we are asked to believe in order to be saved.  Do I think a 4 year old can understand that Christ came to earth to die for our sins so that we might be saved and spend eternity with Him in heaven? ABSOLUTELY.  Two years ago I experienced something amazing as I answered my child's questions after Mrs. Tracey spoke to the Cubbies about the Easter story.  Kayla had been asking questions for a while, but I could clearly see that she understood.  On April 1, 2010 she prayed using her own thoughts and words and told God she understood what He did for her, she was sorry for her sins, she wanted God to forgive her and come live in her heart.  God does not call us to understand what Christ did as an adult can understand and rationalize.  He says in the book of Romans that "if you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved." That's it.  Kayla got it.  Does a young child completely understand the consequences of sin or how long eternity is? No. But honestly do any of us? Do we really have an idea what it would be like to be separated from God for eternity? Probably not.

This is such a special time of the year for me.  So often we hear the story of Christ's death and resurrection and it goes in one ear and out the other.  We've heard it, we know it, we could tell it to others.  But we need to take time to really hear it, really know it, and really tell it to others. 

I will close with this story. As Macy is approaching the age of 5 she is starting to ask more questions.  She wants to know what heaven is like and how you get there.  She knows that Marc, Kayla and I will be going to heaven one day, and she understands that Jesus is in heaven. Mrs. Tracey presented the Easter story again last night at Cubbies.  She does such a fabulous job.  This morning Marc took Macy out to breakfast and then to Lowe's.  While there she asked him if people who don't believe in Jesus get to go to heaven.  He told her no. She then asked if you have to believe in Jesus and salvation to get to heaven.  He told her that was true.  She paused for a minute then said, "I made a decision.  I want my room to be pink with purple flowers." So, she's not there yet.  That's okay.  She is thinking about Christ and beginning to understand  things.  For now we will continue to talk to her about Christ, pray for her, answer her questions, and try to remind her that her room is going to be purple and silver.