QUESTION:
I was baptized into the church at the age of 9.
I am now 35. I married when I was a young 18
year old. I have since divorced that person and
have re-married. It was not a scriptural
divorce. My current husband and I have a 14 year
old son who has just recently been baptized. I
know that what I have done in the past is wrong.
We have stopped going to church, mainly because I
was told that I was going to hell no matter what
I did. Our son is wanting us, his parents, to
come back to church. I would like to but, If
there is no way that I will be forgiven for what
I have done why should I? We have been a few
times and nobody has treated us badly. But we
want to start going as a family. My husband is
also divorced, however his was a scripturale
divorce. I guess my biggest question is was I at
the age of accountability when I was baptized?
And if not can I be re-baptized, come back to the
Lord, and be forgiven of my past?
ANSWER:
First of all there is not particular age that represents the "exact age" of
accountability. Nine is very young. And in my opinion most nine year olds don't
understand the gravity of gospel obedience. That is not to say that a nine year old
could not understand it. The question you have to answer is "did I know what I was
doing? and was I baptized for the right reason?" You are the only person who kows
that for sure. If you did not know what you were doing or if you did it for the
wrong reason (such as "because your parents wanted you to or others were doing it)
then you have never really been scripturally baptized. If such is the case then
you need to be baptized at which time all your sins will be washed away. If on the
other hand you understood what you were doing at age nine then your baptism was
scriptural. And assuming that it was, when you divorced and remarried without
scriptural cause, you committed adultery according to Matthew 19:9. One can only be
forgiven of any sin by repenting of it and turning away from it.