Can young children believe in Jesus?
Yes … at a younger age than many parents might think. Jesus used a small child as an illustration when He was teaching His disciples. He spoke harsh words that day. He said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea,” Matthew 18:6. Notice how He described the children in that verse … as “little ones who believe in Me.” Children can believe in Jesus at an early age … an age that varies from child to child. You may be thinking that a child, under adult pressure, might say the words of the sinner’s prayer without meaning them. I agree completely. Such a decision would be similar to the one illustrated by the seed in rocky soil with no real root, Matthew 13:1-23. This is a danger … but the risk is worth it. A tree is known by its fruit. If a child’s life has no indication that his or her salvation was real, then it probably was not real.
