Why does it take so long for some Protestants to become Christians

[Daniel Peres]

This might sound like a crazy question, but hear me out. I’m always hearing Protestants say they came to Jesus at age 15, 20, 30, etc. Even though they were raised in a Christian household. However, this baffles me, because I have no memory of becoming Christian. I am fortunate in, that unlike most people, my memories go back to just under three. Anyway, I simply don’t remember not loving Jesus. There is no beginning point where my love began. It’s the same thing with my parents and older sister, I began loving them before I was able to form memories. So, I am confused when I hear many Protestants say they didn’t become a Christian until there teens or later. I’d there something I am not understanding? Just curious.

 

[Basil the Great]

To a great extent it is a matter of defining when salvation takes place and how it happens. I would not necessarily place a lot of emphasis on the issue, though in some cases people might come from a non-Christian upbringing and suddenly convert at age 15, 20 or 30.

 

[Sabertooth]

I grew up in the United Methodist Church where we were basically taught the Nicene Creed, but Jesus' death, burial & resurrection --which I firmly believed-- did not make sense to me until my Baptist uncle showed me that I had personal sin that I must answer for (at age 15).

Altar Call, Keith Green (1978)

 

[Der Alte]

I first attended Sunday School when FDR was president. The only thing I remember is the red kool aid was really good. I attended church Sunday school sporadically for many years, usually at the command of my paternal grandmother. One did not disobey grandma. I did not become a Christian until my mid-20s while in flight school, next stop Viet Nam.
Unlike many here I did not grow up in any denomination, so I did not have a lot of false beliefs to unlearn. I questioned everything from day one.

 

[Daniel9v9]

This might sound like a crazy question, but hear me out. I’m always hearing Protestants say they came to Jesus at age 15, 20, 30, etc. Even though they were raised in a Christian household. However, this baffles me, because I have no memory of becoming Christian. I am fortunate in, that unlike most people, my memories go back to just under three. Anyway, I simply don’t remember not loving Jesus. There is no beginning point where my love began. It’s the same thing with my parents and older sister, I began loving them before I was able to form memories. So, I am confused when I hear many Protestants say they didn’t become a Christian until there teens or later. I’d there something I am not understanding? Just curious.

It's not a crazy question at all! This is a modern and common side-effect of Arminianism. Lutherans, Anglicans, and I believe those who hold to Calvinism, on the other hand, firmly believe we're raised in the faith, which is the norm found in the Scriptures. That is, nowhere in the Bible does it say that children must wait to one day receive God in their hearts. That idea flies in the face of circumcision, and we should bear in mind that God's Word expresses that circumcision culminated in Baptism.

So, very simply, to be Christian means to believe and to be baptised. To not be Christian means to not believe. And God's Word says in several places that children can have faith. So, this is binary and there's really no in-between state. This is summed up very clearly for us in Mark 16:16, so a large portion of what Roman Catholics would refer to as "Protestant" are in reality in agreement with the catholic faith, precisely because it is the catholic, that is, universal, faith.

God bless!

 

[Sabertooth]

That is, nowhere in the Bible does it say that children must wait to one day receive God in their hearts. That idea flies in the face of circumcision, and we should bear in mind that God's Word expresses that circumcision culminated in Baptism.

The Jews in John the Baptist's day were raised "in the faith," but there was a clear distinction between circumcision and his baptism of repentance.

 

[disciple Clint]

This might sound like a crazy question, but hear me out. I’m always hearing Protestants say they came to Jesus at age 15, 20, 30, etc. Even though they were raised in a Christian household. However, this baffles me, because I have no memory of becoming Christian. I am fortunate in, that unlike most people, my memories go back to just under three. Anyway, I simply don’t remember not loving Jesus. There is no beginning point where my love began. It’s the same thing with my parents and older sister, I began loving them before I was able to form memories. So, I am confused when I hear many Protestants say they didn’t become a Christian until there teens or later. I’d there something I am not understanding? Just curious.

interesting, you would have a relationship with your parents from day one and would learn to love them because of that relationship, but it takes time to learn about Jesus and develop a relationship of love with him, or at least that is my thinking.

 

[RileyG]

It's important for them (especially Fundamentalists and some Evangelicals) to have a very close encounter with Jesus that they can distinctively remember and then be baptized (their public profession of faith). That's why some people say, "I got saved at 15" etc ...

 

[public hermit]

This might sound like a crazy question, but hear me out.

The moment that thought pops in your head is the exact moment you should stop. But, you did not do that. Pity.

 

[d taylor]

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Well receiving God's free gift of Eternal Life is not about loving God/Jesus. And it is also not a corporate act, meaning just because a Mother and Father are believers does not means their child or children will be.

Growing up in a christian home accounts for nothing if the members in that family never trust in The Messiah for God's free gift of Eternal Life.

Receiving God's free gift of Eternal Life is something each individual person will have to do themselves. They will have to study and examine the evidence presented by The Bible about Jesus and who He states He is. If they come to the belief that what The Bible states about Jesus is true. Then they can then trust in the Messiah for God's free gift of Eternal Life.

But as to why protestants say they have come to The Lord at age 15, 20, 25, 30 etc.. is usually because churches/pastors/lay people, have made receiving God's free gift of Eternal Life. So confusing, people do not know what to believe or who (object of faith) to actually place their faith into, to receive Eternal Life.

Many churches today place the burden upon the person, by saying they must do this repent, be baptized, confess Christ, say a prayer, live a life time of obedience, bear fruit, preserver in the faith, etc..

When the only condition give by God is to believe His promise of Eternal life, to all who will trust in The Messiah for Eternal Life.

The Gospel of John was written exactly for that very purpose to tell people how to receive God's free gift of Eternal Life. Too bad very few are taught its message.

And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

This might sound like a crazy question, but hear me out. I’m always hearing Protestants say they came to Jesus at age 15, 20, 30, etc. Even though they were raised in a Christian household. However, this baffles me, because I have no memory of becoming Christian. I am fortunate in, that unlike most people, my memories go back to just under three. Anyway, I simply don’t remember not loving Jesus. There is no beginning point where my love began. It’s the same thing with my parents and older sister, I began loving them before I was able to form memories. So, I am confused when I hear many Protestants say they didn’t become a Christian until there teens or later. I’d there something I am not understanding? Just curious.

Because being a Christian is about being born again, not being born into a Christian household.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

This might sound like a crazy question, but hear me out. I’m always hearing Protestants say they came to Jesus at age 15, 20, 30, etc. Even though they were raised in a Christian household. However, this baffles me, because I have no memory of becoming Christian. I am fortunate in, that unlike most people, my memories go back to just under three. Anyway, I simply don’t remember not loving Jesus. There is no beginning point where my love began. It’s the same thing with my parents and older sister, I began loving them before I was able to form memories. So, I am confused when I hear many Protestants say they didn’t become a Christian until there teens or later. I’d there something I am not understanding? Just curious.

Born again Christian. This is the regeneration through His Holy Spirit. I too was raised Catholic and loved Jesus Christ of Nazareth from a very early age. When I became born again, He made His Home in me. That was at age 21.
Blessings.

 

[bling]

This might sound like a crazy question, but hear me out. I’m always hearing Protestants say they came to Jesus at age 15, 20, 30, etc. Even though they were raised in a Christian household. However, this baffles me, because I have no memory of becoming Christian. I am fortunate in, that unlike most people, my memories go back to just under three. Anyway, I simply don’t remember not loving Jesus. There is no beginning point where my love began. It’s the same thing with my parents and older sister, I began loving them before I was able to form memories. So, I am confused when I hear many Protestants say they didn’t become a Christian until there teens or later. I’d there something I am not understanding? Just curious.

This can start with the doctrine of “Original Sin”. Yes, Adam and Eve were the first humans to sin and big changes happened, but everything God does is to help willing individuals in the fulfillment of their earthly objective. Adam and Eve pasted on the knowledge of good and evil in everyone’s adult conscience, but not a real change in the “nature” of the person, Adam and Eve sinned with the nature they had with only one way to sin, so mature adults will sin with that same nature and tons of ways to sin.

A new born to the age of accountability have not sinned yet so they are in a safe condition not needing to be saved. There are steps to being converted which include hearing, accepting, believing, trusting, confessing repenting, being baptized and not giving up. God is judging the hearts of each individual and not if they have been baptized, but there are benefits to being believer baptized.

 

[DamianWarS]

This might sound like a crazy question, but hear me out. I’m always hearing Protestants say they came to Jesus at age 15, 20, 30, etc. Even though they were raised in a Christian household. However, this baffles me, because I have no memory of becoming Christian. I am fortunate in, that unlike most people, my memories go back to just under three. Anyway, I simply don’t remember not loving Jesus. There is no beginning point where my love began. It’s the same thing with my parents and older sister, I began loving them before I was able to form memories. So, I am confused when I hear many Protestants say they didn’t become a Christian until there teens or later. I’d there something I am not understanding? Just curious.

Many protestants view salvation with a clear and definable starting point that has greater value past an age of accountability. They often will seek a salvation moment and feel incomplete if they can't articulate one and strongly desire to know when they were born again. It could be when they said a specific prayer, raised a hand or walked to the front of a church in response to a savaltion call. They feel a sense of urgency to the call, and their response to it becomes their moment of salvation that they articulate. It is common to even count the years since that moment and say I have been saved for x amount of years.

It's a difference of culture and perspective across faith communities and I wouldn't worry too much about the semantics or labeling. We don't do the saving part, God does and the labels we give it may have a psychological impact but God sees through the labels to the heart and is the final authority no matter how you articulate it.

When we view the disciples at which point did they become "saved"? It's more of a journey than a single moment, yet disciples like Mathew still do have a definable moment of responding to Christ's call of "follow me" (even if he didn't fully grapsed what that entailed) a failure of protestants is too strong of focus on a salvation moment. I get it can be beneficial as a clear identity as an individual but the language could probably shift to focus on responding to Christ's call over a salvation moment.

I grew up in a evangelical home, I cannot remember a moment of salvation that is so typical of an evangelical experience. But I do have many milestones of choosing to follow Christ, so for me it's a journey that goes back as far as my memories do, but it is an active call that I need to respond to daily. I don't like to package salvation or reduce it to a single moment so I try and stay away from that language but I'm big enough to know how to contextualised the labels to someone else's perspective of salvation without the need to debate it.

 

[Clare73]

Born again Christian. This is the regeneration through His Holy Spirit. I too was raised Catholic and loved Jesus Christ of Nazareth from a very early age. When I became born again, He made His Home in me. That was at age 21.
Blessings.

You never did answer my question about your "occupation."

Yes or no?

 

[Daniel Peres]

interesting, you would have a relationship with your parents from day one and would learn to love them because of that relationship, but it takes time to learn about Jesus and develop a relationship of love with him, or at least that is my thinking.

I was raised by both parents and my paternal grandmother. Since, I don’t know how it happened I can’t explain it, but since my first recorded memory, I have always had a profound love for Jesus as well as God the Father. Both my parents were Cuban so I learned the faith in Spanish (although English was my first language because of my sister) Anyway I can reme calling God the Father, Papa Dios, just like Jesus called him Abba. I have to admit that it took me a little longer to understand the Holy Spirit.

Something else that I find interesting about my family raising me to love Jesus concerns my life my life as an atheist in my twenties. The love for Jesus that my family had ingrained in me still remained. Unlike any other atheist I have ever know of, the person I admired most in world history remained Jesus.

 

[Daniel Peres]

The moment that thought pops in your head is the exact moment you should stop. But, you did not do that. Pity.

You obviously are unaware of that many things have happened in this world, discoveries, inventions, etc all started with a crazy question. If you knew this you wouldn’t say such an ignorant thing.

Anyway, I see Protestants not understanding Catholics everyday, especially on this forum. Don’t you think that happens to Catholics too. There are things about Protestantism, like the question posted on this thread, that as outsider I find baffling. Rather than start accusing Protestants of committing heresy I thought it was a better idea to ask what was going on.

 

[Clare73]

You obviously are unaware of that many things have happened in this world, discoveries, inventions, etc all started with a crazy question. If you knew this you wouldn’t say such an ignorant thing.
Anyway, I see Protestants not understanding Catholics everyday, especially on this forum. Don’t you think that happens to Catholics too. There are things about Protestantism, like the question posted on this thread, that as outsider I find baffling. Rather than start accusing Protestants of committing heresy I thought it was a better idea to ask what was going on.

Don't confuse disagreeing with misunderstanding.

 

[Daniel Peres]

Because being a Christian is about being born again, not being born into a Christian household.

I didn’t I ask this question to debate theology and whether or not Jesus was referring to amniotic fluid when he was talking about water and being born again.

 

[Daniel Peres]

Don't confuse disagreeing with misunderstanding.

Look, there are times when Protestants have legitimate disagreements with Catholics. For instance, some Protestants disagree with infant baptism, and they are correct, Catholics do believe in infant baptism. But on the other hand, I am constantly seeing Protestants misunderstanding Catholicism and attacking us for believing we can earn our salvation, s belief which is repulsive to us. So sometimes there is disagreement, but often their is misunderstanding, and I’m sure Catholics are guilty of the same with Protestants. So, don’t worry I know the difference between disagreement and misunderstanding.