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.