Keep up the good work!

But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.  Isaiah 59:1-2 (NAS)

Romans 6 speaks of the wages of sin:

For the wages of sin is death...  Romans 6:3a

What about infants and young children?

Do infants and young children have sins that separate them from God?

• Children do not inherit sins from their parents. Consider the words of Ezekiel chapter 18:

  Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die... ²⁰"The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself." Ezekiel 18:4,20 (NAS)
   

• The kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  Before an unborn child, infant or young person commits sin, he or she is right before God...and the kingdom of God belongs to that child. Consider these scriptures:

  "Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them";" Ecclesiastes 12:1 (NAS)

   "...for though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls," Romans 9:11(NAS)

  "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their angels in heaven continually behold the face of My Father who is in heaven." Matthew 18:10 (NAS)

  "But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14 (NAS)

  "But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Mark 10:14 (NAS)

  "But Jesus called for them, saying, "Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Luke 18:16 (NAS)
   

• What happens as a child grows older?   What happens when a person gets to an age where they are old enough to believe and to know right from wrong?

  "Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin." James 4:17 (NAS)

  "...but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!" Matthew 18:6-7 (NAS)

  Why is it so terrible for that young person (and the person who causes them to stumble) when he/she commits sin for the first time?

  "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear." Isaiah 59:2(NAS)

  Romans 6:23 -- "For the wages of sin is death..." (NAS)

So what did Jesus do to become our mediator?

Click on the next question to continue...