Can Children Understand Grace?
In early spring of 2009 I was teaching a lesson from 1 Corinthians to an adult Sunday School class when God began to work on me as to why I only teach these truths to adults. A very short but revealing inner conversation between Him and me right in the middle of my lesson went something like this.
God: “Cory, what about the children?”
Cory: “Well Lord, I trust that the children are being taught in their Sunday School classes what they need in order to understand the Bible.”
God: “But what about me? What about Grace the person? What about 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? Start with your own children, Cory. Talk to them and find out.”
In the days to follow I began asking my 7 and 10 year old children what they learn in Sunday School. Now this was not the first time I had asked them this type of question but this was the first time I asked them to see how much Biblical truth they actually understood. As I listened to their answers my heart grew heavy as God was beginning to reveal that they actually knew very little about the One who lives in them. Sure they knew the story of Noah and Moses and David. They knew the Christmas story, the feeding of the 5,000 and the resurrection of Jesus. But what about Noah’s faith in God for the 100 years it took him to build that ark with no encouragement from anyone except his own family? What about Moses’ veil that he continued to wear after God’s glory faded from him or how the crossing of the Red Sea represents salvation? What about David’s prayer after sinning “Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me” and how he did not have the indwelling Spirit as Christians today do? What about what Jesus came to do and finished at the cross and is now doing in and through us as Christians?
As I asked my children these questions there was a saddening silence that seemed to reach out and grab me by the throat. Was I, their earthly father who taught in Sunday School, assuming my responsibility to teach and train them in new covenant truths or was I delegating that out to others to whom the responsibility never belonged? The problem was with me. With passages like Prov.22:6; 1 Tim.3:4,12; Eph.6:4; 2 Tim.3:14-17, I could no longer overlook such a responsibility. My wife and I began looking for a new way of training our children not in minimalistic terms or by having them watch more Bible story DVDs but through real-life Biblical examples of what we and other adults experience as Christians in this world.
In recent weeks with a major shift in how we as a family gather as part of the The Church with other believers, I have been carefully watching my kids become more involved in adult discussions during and after our meetings not out of duty but because of an inner desire to participate. At one point my son even said “Dad, I feel like the adults actually wanted to listen to me when I talked.” Imagine that – adults listening to what God does in and through a child. What a breakthrough in understanding how awesome Grace the person really is if we will release the reigns of control. In fact, it make perfect sense according 1 Cor.14. The conversations with my children have begun to multiply and now I am seeing a small but growing willingness in them to trust God at His word. The Holy Spirit is not miniature in the Christian child and if allowed can teach some wonderfully simple truths to adults through the child. Hebrews 13:7 says “Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith.” What outcome do children see in their Christian parents? Is it one of faith and trust in the one true Teacher? What an amazing responsibility parents have to teach and train their children victorious living in Christ but to also be taught by the Holy Spirit through these little ones.
The truth about us having the responsiblity of teaching our own children came to us a few years ago, too – and was really driven home when we were visiting churches and as I went to the children’s classes I realized how much was missing…. always a story, craft, songs, a snack – but the truths of the gospel were missing. Teaching them by example is even harder! (I.E. Saying we trust God is one thing – but is that what the kids really see? God really convicted me of that a few years ago) Anyway, enough babbling!
I have a couple of books you might like to look through. I took a class in II Cor. in seminary and LOVED it!
Thanks again for your posts!
Love,
Rosalee
It really is amazing how we as believers tend to overlook some of the most obvious responsibilities. This happens for a variety of reasons but one major one is we like to settle into a comfortable routine. Living responsibly is sometimes uncomfortable and even difficult. I do it and sometimes don’t even know it until the Holy Spirit reveals it to me. I would be happy to look through your books. Share them whenever you like.