Danville Enlightener

VOL. VIII, No. 20

June 3, 2007

A Child's Genuine Faith

When writing to the young preacher Timothy, Paul mentioned the training Timothy had received on the knee of his mother (2 Tim 1:5). Through the excellent training of his mother he decided to become a conscientious servant of Jesus Christ. “From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus,” (2 Tim 3:15).

Parents have a small window of opportunity to direct a child to the Lord. Both the Old and New Testaments place a premium on parental diligence. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it,” (Prov 22:6).  “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord,” (Eph 6:4).

When it comes to training children to know the Lord (develop a genuine faith), parents face a critical decision. They can take the position of being “boss.” That is, “So long as you live under my roof and eat at my table you will do what I say without question. End of discussion!” Many have opted to raise their children in this way. While this might result in marginal success, it, I believe, is misguided. This control is physical and only in the presence of a parent. Parents who decide on physical control might win a few battles but they stand the real chance of losing the war because the heart of a child is not being molded.

Every parent must strive to shape the heart of a child to want to love and serve God from sincere faith. There is more to raising children to serve the Lord than “forced obedience.” Parents must train a child in such a way as to change his heart, so that when the child leaves home he does not leave God.

“Walk about Zion, and go all around her. Count her towers; Mark well her bulwarks;  consider  her  palaces;  that  you  may  tell it to the generation following,”

(Psa 48:12-13). The next generation (children, teenagers, young people of all ages) need to be taught. This teaching and this training is the responsibility of parents. Parents must make their children wise unto salvation by a meticulous regiment of biblical instructions. But the training and teaching of young people is more comprehensive than the average parent might think.

Let me pose a question for parents to consider. “What indispensable teaching do you think young people need to know?” Talk this over with your wife or husband before reading further.

How did you answer this? Some parents might say: “I believe young people need to established in the basics. They need to know that God is, and that Jesus is the Son of God and the Bible is the Word of God.”

Some might say, “Young people need to have a solid foundation of doctrine. They need to know about marriage/divorce/remarriage; baptism, the church and worship.”

Others might answer this way. “Young people need to be educated about moral issues such as abortion, homosexuality, pornography, drugs and alcohol.”

These are very important issues and there is definitely a need to instruct young people about these themes. As a matter of fact parents who neglect these are failing their children. But if you answered my question with one or more of these suggested answers, I am interested in why you answered the way you did?

Are you worried about future ignorance? That is, that people will not recognize basic Bible truth?

Are you concerned about the future of the church? That is, are you concerned that local churches will accept any doctrine?

Are you anxious about current immorality? I think we all would agree that the existing state of morality is rank and deplorable to say the least.

These are indeed concerns. We must be apprehensive as to future ignorance, the purity of local churches and contemporary immorality. But what must motivate us as parents and what must be behind our teaching and training of our children is not our fears but our love. That is, the genuine care and love I have for my child must be what motivates my teaching. My children must know I am leading them to the Lord because I love them from the depths of my heart and soul.

Parents, our children don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.

Like  Timothy  today’s  youth  needs  to  understand  the importance of a living faith in 

Christ Jesus while existing in a wicked world. They need to understand the destructive power of guilt and shame. They need to know of the blessings associated with a good conscience (1 Tim 1:18-19).

All young people need to understand the importance of, and need for self-discipline. They need to know that the needs of the soul are of immense greater value than the needs of the body (1 Tim 4:7-8).

And like Timothy the youth of today need to know and understand the destructive nature of greed. Our young need to understand the importance of running from what might seem innocent but in truth is dangerous because it contains the devil’s hook (1 Tim 6:10-11).

Having facts (memorization) is very important but understanding those facts (faith) is what saves souls. Remember Timothy had “genuine faith” (2 Tim 1:5).

Many young people have been raised to recognize certain facts but they have not been trained to assimilate (understand and make relevant) those facts. Facts alone will not change a young person’s life, but faith will. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me,” (Gal 2:20).

-jrb

"As I See It"

“This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it,” (Psa 118:24). Each day is a day the Lord has made but this passage does not simply address each and every day. Instead the Psalmist has a special day in mind.

After preaching the resurrection of Jesus, Peter quotes from this Psalm in Acts 4:10-12. The resurrection of Jesus occurred on the first day of the week (Sunday) (Lk 24:1, 13, 21). On the first day of the week Jesus was raised from the dead and declared to the Son of God (Rom 1:4). That was the day He was enthroned in heaven (Acts 2:30-31). That was the day the Holy Spirit came to guide the apostles into all truth (Jn 16:13; Acts 2:1-4). And it was upon the first day of the week that the church came into being (Acts 2:37-47).

It seems clear the Psalmist had the first day of the week in mind when he said, “This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Sunday is a day we should rejoice and be glad in. The early Christians did just that (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 16:1-2). Along with communing with the Lord by means of the Lord’s Supper and giving from their prospering early believers engaged in singing, praying and preaching. They were rejoicing in the day the Lord had made.

On any given Sunday only seven percent of Americans attend any kind of “church service.” This includes all so called “Christians” including members of the Lord’s church. Sunday has become something other than the Lord made it to be.

For many the Lord’s Day has become a day of yard work. Mowing lawns, blowing driveways, pruning flowers and washing cars have replaced pausing to acknowledge God.

Others have made Sunday into a sporting day. Whether “Super Sunday” or golf many cannot think of Sunday without thinking of engaging in some sporting event. Instead of worshiping God and then spending a few hours visiting with friends or family many are on bikes, running trails, tennis courts or on the lake.

Some have taken this day the Lord made and decided it must have been made so we could catch up on our rest. “Sunday is the only day I can rest” says one who sleeps nearly to noon, spends the next couple hours perusing the newspaper. No thought is given to this being a special day the Lord made.

AS I SEE IT, when we are able to remove God from our Sundays, one day He will remove us from His presence. “And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matt 7:23).