How to Win Your Child to Christ

If your child is old enough to understand that he's a sinner and his sin needs to be paid for , he's old enough to be saved.  At this point, he is also old enough to die and go to Hell.  

For very young children it is best to wait and let them ask you about being saved.  Young children make decisions to please rather than because they understand their personal need of a Saviour.   We don't want them making this decision because they want to make mom or dad happy, but rather because they understand their own, personal need for forgiveness of their sin.

The "age of accountability" is the age at which a child realizes his own need for Jesus as his personal Saviour.  This age comes at different times/ages for different children.  A child that lives in a Christian family and grows up in Sunday School will develop spiritually before the child who has never attended church.

Questions to ask a child who expresses a desire to be saved:

• Why do you want to be saved?
• What is "sin"?
• Who is Jesus?

If these questions cannot be answered by the child, you should give the child the answers and then ask other Bible questions.  If the subject is changed easily the child more than likely wasn't ready to begin with. 

If the child insists on being saved and understands his need for forgiveness of sins and understands that Jesus is the only way, you should proceed.

Be sure to use clear and age appropriate words and terms.  

Ask:  Are you a sinner?  Romans 3:23 ~  The child MUST understand sin and the penalty of it.  {Death in Hell forever.}

Romans 5:8  ~ The child must understand that Jesus died for them.  Jesus paid for their sin when He died on the cross.  Their sin is completely paid for!

Romans 6:23 ~ Salvation is a free gift

Anyone can be saved if they:

a) Believe in their heart  ~ Romans 10:9, 10 & 13

b) Call upon the name of the Lord

Review and ask questions to be sure the child understands.

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Ask the child to pray his own prayer and be sure he understands that it's not the prayer that's saving him, but rather Jesus that's doing the saving.  In other words, you don't have to pray hard or long to be saved.  You simply have to call upon the name of the Lord and believe that He is the ONLY WAY.

Write the date down in the child's Bible or somewhere special so that it can be remembered.  Show verses that teach Eternal security.  Be sure the child understands that if he he truly is saved he will always be saved.  He cannot lose his salvation. {Romans 10:13; John 1:12; 6:47;  and Hebrews 13:5b}

Encourage the child to tell his Pastor that he has been saved.

Encourage the child to take the first step of obedience ~ Baptism.  The child must understand that baptism doesn't save him.  Baptism is a picture of salvation.  It's a way to identify with Christ, other Christians and your local church.

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