When Is a Human Being
Accountable Before God?
Rom 1:19-20

Introductory Thoughts

· The questions that bother us about all of this.

Ø What about those who die in utero or infancy?
Ø What about the handicapped and the mentally ill?
Ø At what age does a child become accountable to God?
Ø What about those who have never heard the Gospel, whatever their mental state?

· This is a troubling issue for many—it has been a personal struggle for me because of a son who was born with and has lived with severe mental problems.

· I have heard many men over the years make mention of this subject and give some pat and weak answer without ever doing a thorough doctrinal exposition of these questions

· People are sometimes comforted briefly by these easy answers, but when they search the Bible, they find that many so-called “answers” are not answers at all, but are speculations—and when you are worried about the eternal state of a loved one, speculations will not satisfy. A true believer wants to know what the truth is.

· But, there is real comfort in God’s Word, and only in God’s Word

Ø I am going to state up front what I believe and then show you why I believe it

o Salvation through the shed blood of Jesus is absolutely necessary, and no one may be saved unless they are under the blood of Christ.
o Salvation is impossible to man, no matter what the state of the person. A lost person is dead, deaf, insensitive to Truth unless under the direct conviction of the Holy Spirit

o If you say to me, in agony, “How is it possible for my handicapped child to believe? How is it possible for my unborn child to believe?” I will say to you that before God convicted you by the power of the Holy Spirit and called you from darkness to light, your own state was just as helpless as theirs.

o And I will say to you, and I hope to prove it today by the Bible and the Bible alone, that the infant or small child who dies, the mentally handicapped, the unborn child, and all other such cases fall into these two categories

§ These are not personally accountable
§ They are saved by a miracle of God, just as you were saved by a miracle of God.


1. We Are Accountable

a. Accountability consists of God holding a us responsible before Him, to seek the Lord, and to love the Lord. (Deu 6:5) ""You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength."

b. And, the Bible uniformly teaches that we will give an account to God.

(1) All will give account

(a) Believers will account to God for their Christian walk, at the Judgment Seat of Christ—(Rom 14:10-12) "… we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written: "As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." 12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God."

(b) The Lost of the world give account at the Great White Throne—Rev 20:11-15.


c. We are accountable for three reasons

(1) because God has revealed Himself through nature. (Psa 19:1-6) "The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. 6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat."

d. We are accountable because God has warned us through Conscience—(Rom 2:15-16) "who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel."

e. We are accountable because God has revealed Himself through the Word (Psa 19:7-12) "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults."

2. For What are We Accountable?

a. Every man is responsible to God for the Law of God, in some form—(Rom 3:19-20) "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

(1) Law = God’s declared will for how we are to live how we are to worship Him.

(a) The Jews (and now the Christians) have God’s law written on paper and stone

(b) The unreached (then and now) have the Law written on the table of the heart—Rom 2:15-16

b. Every man is responsible to know God, from seeing and experiencing His attributes in Nature —Rom 1:19-20

c. Everyone who hears the Gospel, is responsible for it—in fact, all are required to believe in Christ, which is why we must take the Word to all nations—(Acts 17:30-31) ""Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 "because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.""

d. So, when is a person accountable to God?

(1) When they are old enough and sharp enough that God says they should be able to detect His Attributes in nature—Rom 1:19-20, to react to the Law of conscience, or to respond to the Gospel.

(2) Major issue—there is no set age.


3. Questions that trouble people

a. What about those who have no capacity for salvation as we know it? (the unborn, the infant, the very young child, and those with serious mental developmental difficulties)?

(1) They do not fall under the category of those who are “without excuse,” because they cannot relate to nor understand the world that God has made.

b. When you say that everyone must be saved through the shed blood of Christ, how can that be for one who is not accountable?

(1) Hear and know the POWER of the Gospel, folks
(2) God has saved the unborn and the very small in the past:

(a) John The Baptist—(Luke 1:15) ""For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb."

(b) Jeremiah—(Jer 1:4-5) "Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.""

(c) David—(Psa 22:10) "I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother's womb You have been My God."


c. God will always do what is right—

(1) Does He dismiss sin? He cannot, even the sin we inherit as sons of Adam is enough to condemn us

(2) The only conceivable answer is that those who are not and cannot be responsible are led to salvation by the same miraculous power as Jeremiah, David, and John the Baptist, and if you understand the Word as you should, by the same power that has saved you.


d. What about those who have never heard the Gospel?

(1) If they are among those without excuse, they are without excuse—Rom 1:19-20

(2) Their responsibility will extend to what they did know: Luke 12:36-48

(3) Many cases cited of those ready to hear.


e. The Real Question: What about YOU?

(1) If you are capable of understanding any of the things we have spoken of today, YOU are accountable to God!

(2) You are accountable for the revelation of God in nature

(3) You are accountable for the revelation of God’s Law in your conscience

(4) You are accountable for the revelation of God’s Law in the Bible

(5) You are accountable for the revelation of God in the Gospel

(6) You sit in these pews week after week and year after year, and have heard the truth preached by many able men over the years—you are most definitely accountable

f. So, how is it with YOUR soul?