“Is God Holding You Accountable… or Are We Just Getting It Wrong?” Part 4

 Reframing the Gospel — Love, Not Threat

Evangelism as Awakening, Not Ultimatum

If we want to recover the beauty of the Gospel, we have to stop treating it like a spiritual sales pitch.

The Gospel is not a threat wrapped in a bow.
It’s not a countdown clock to hell.
It’s not a trap where one wrong move means eternal regret.

It is a revelation of identity.

It tells you:

• You are loved.
• You are included.
• You are already chosen.

That’s the truth we’ve forgotten. That’s the truth we’re called to share.

Evangelism Is Not Coercion

It’s not about pushing people to “make a decision”.
It’s about awakening them to what’s always been true in Christ.

Jesus said:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Not fear.
Not pressure.
Just rest. Just love.

Let’s return to a Gospel that breathes life, not anxiety.

Gospel Thought for Today:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
— Matthew 11:28 (The Message)

Jesus isn’t handing out ultimatums. He’s handing out rest.
Real evangelism sounds like this invitation: no pressure, just peace.

Wag

“Is God Holding You Accountable… or Are We Just Getting It Wrong?” Part 3

 Why “Accountability” Doctrines Miss the Heart of God

Deconstructing Fear-Based Theology

Let’s call it out plainly:

The doctrines of “Age of Accountability” and “Response Accountability” are not just flawed—they’re harmful.

They introduce confusion, contradiction and fear into a message that’s supposed to bring clarity, confidence and peace.

Here’s why both are problematic:

1. They Turn the Gospel into a Test

Instead of being good news, the message becomes a pass/fail exam. You’re only safe if you respond the right way, at the right time, with the right understanding.

2. They Suggest It’s Safer Not to Hear

If rejection brings condemnation, then ignorance becomes a kind of mercy. That flips the whole point of evangelism upside down.

3. They Foster a Fear-Based Evangelism

Believers become afraid to share—“What if I tell them and they say no?” This turns obedience into anxiety and sharing into pressure.

4. They Make God Seem Harsh and Conditional

These views suggest a God who’s ready to punish you if you don’t respond perfectly—rather than a Father who relentlessly pursues your heart.

And most dangerously?

5. They Turn Grace into a Transaction

Grace is no longer a gift—it’s an offer you better accept or else.

These doctrines distort the radical message of Jesus. Instead of freeing people from fear, they subtly reintroduce the very bondage the Gospel came to break.

Tomorrow, we reframe the Gospel as what it always was meant to be: a love story, not a warning.

Gospel Thought for Today:

“God demonstrates His love in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
— Romans 5:8

Love doesn’t wait for your response.
Love moved first.
Before you ever got it right—or even cared to—God had already chosen you.

Wag

“Is God Holding You Accountable… or Are We Just Getting It Wrong?” Part 2

 What Is “Response Accountability”?

Reclaiming Evangelism from the Theology of Threat

Yesterday we looked at the “Age of Accountability”—a belief that children are only spiritually accountable after reaching a certain age. Today, we explore a related but equally troubling idea:

“Response Accountability”

This belief teaches that once a person hears the Gospel—Jesus’ love, His death and resurrection and the offer of salvation—they are now spiritually accountable. In this framework:

• If they respond positively, they are saved.
• If they reject or ignore the message, they face eternal separation from God and the fires of hell.

The implication?
Knowledge becomes risky.

Hearing the Gospel, according to this logic, is a double-edged sword: it can save you—or it can seal your fate if you don’t respond correctly.

This raises deeply unsettling questions:

• Are we better off not sharing the Gospel with someone who might reject it?
• Does God truly condemn someone based on a single moment of misunderstanding or resistance?
• Is the Good News actually... bad news for the wrong person?

This framework paints evangelism not as a gift, but as a gamble—a cosmic “now or never” moment where eternity hangs in the balance based on a human reaction.

But is this really the heart of the Gospel?

Tomorrow, we’ll unpack why both “Age of Accountability” and “Response Accountability” fall short of the grace Jesus revealed.

Gospel Thought for Today:

“No one is forced to believe—it is the Father who draws you…”
— John 6:44 (The Mirror)

You are not pressured into salvation. You are drawn into it—gently, lovingly, purposefully.
Truth isn’t a trap. It’s a mirror showing you your union with Christ.

Wag

“Is God Holding You Accountable… or Are We Just Getting It Wrong?” Part 1

 

Challenging “Age Accountability” and “Response Accountability”

Reclaiming the Gospel as Grace, Not a Threat

Two theological concepts have quietly shaped the way many Christians think about salvation, evangelism, and divine justice:

·       Age of Accountability

·       Response Accountability

On the surface, these ideas were introduced to help explain difficult questions—like what happens to children who die before they can understand the Gospel or how responsible someone is once they’ve heard the message of salvation.

But if we look closely, both doctrines often do more harm than good—injecting fear, performance-based thinking and distorted views of God’s nature.

It’s time to reexamine them through the lens of grace—not guilt.

What Is the “Age of Accountability”?

The “Age of Accountability” is a popular but unofficial doctrine. It claims that children aren’t held spiritually responsible for their sins until they reach a certain developmental milestone—usually around age 7 to 12. Until then, they are presumed to be under God’s grace and not subject to eternal consequences.

This idea, while comforting to some, varies across Christian traditions:

Protestant/Evangelical View:

Children are viewed as innocent until they can understand spiritual truths. Most believe God’s grace covers children who die before reaching the so-called “age of reason”. It’s an attempt to align divine justice with mercy.

Catholic View:

The Catholic Church identifies the age of reason as around 7 years old. Believing this is the age when a child becomes morally responsible and can begin receiving sacraments like Confession and Eucharist. Infant baptism is emphasized to cleanse original sin. If a baptized child dies before age 7, they are believed to be covered by God’s mercy.

Orthodox View:

The Eastern Orthodox Church doesn’t emphasize a specific “age” but highlights the importance of sacramental life and God’s mercy. Baptism is practiced early and spiritual maturity is seen as a journey guided by grace, not a fixed age.

What’s the Problem?

While these views are often well-intentioned, here’s why this doctrine deserves to be reexamined:

This is not taught in Scripture.
Nowhere in the Bible does it mention a set age where sin “starts to count”. The concept is based more on logic and tradition than divine revelation.

It introduces fear and uncertainty.
What if a child “understood enough” at age 8 but not at 9? Are they then suddenly hell-bound for the same actions? That’s an impossible standard—and paints God as arbitrary.

It misrepresents God’s heart.
The God revealed in Jesus doesn’t wait until we cross a moral threshold to extend love and grace. He always relates to us through mercy, not milestones.

A Better Way to See It

Instead of asking, “When do people become accountable?” we should be asking:

“What kind of God are we accountable to?”

The Gospel isn’t about catching people in sin once they hit a certain age. It’s about revealing their identity in Christ—awakening them to who they’ve always been in the eyes of a loving Father.

Children are not spiritual time bombs waiting to go off once they understand right from wrong. They are image-bearers, deeply loved by God from the start—not because of what they know or do, but because of who He is.

Gospel Thought for Today:

“He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world…” (Ephesians 1:4)

Before we understood anything, before we could respond or behave or believe—we were already chosen, already loved, already secure in His heart.

Next in this series: “Response Accountability” – What happens after someone hears the Gospel?”

Let’s keep exploring this with grace at the center.

Wag