Man’s life on earth comes from God (Acts 17:25; Hebrews 12:9). Children are gifts from God (Psalm 127:3; Proverbs 17:6), and God’s gifts are good (James 1:17; Psalm 139:13-14). Jesus used little children as examples for His kingdom (Matthew 18:1-4; 19:14). His teaching was quite different from religions that say babies are full of sin and wickedness from birth. Our bodies do bear the results of Adam’s sin (Genesis 3:17-19); but our souls are not held guilty for the sins of any parent (Ezekiel 18:20). Human life begins with God, and is therefore good and innocent at the beginning (Psalm 139:13- 14; Ecclesiastes 7:29; Romans 7:9).
However, a baby will grow up to know the difference between right and wrong (Deuteronomy 1:39; Isaiah 7:15; compare Genesis 2:17; 3:22). When the child has grown up, and sins with full knowledge, his sin separates him from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). Once separated from God we cannot come back by our good works (Romans 3:1-20; 9:31-32; Isaiah 64:6). And we don’t have power to clean away our own past wrongs. We must have help. God loves us, and in His grace makes the way for sin to be removed. Once sin is removed, we can return to God as in the beginning of our lives.
Only the blood of Christ can take away sin. When a person’s sins are washed away in the blood of Christ, he is joined to God again. Man is with the Lord at birth, is separated from Him when he sins, and must be “born again” to have close ties with God again (John 3:3-7).
When one learns that he has broken God’s law, and has become separated from Him because of sin, he needs to know that he can have forgiveness.