Teach the Children

There are timeless principles in the plan of God, taught to us by the Word of God. These principles are applicable in any dispensation and any generation of human existence. One is the principle expressed in these admonitions of Moses which carry over into the teachings of the prophets and into the Psalms, Proverbs and even throughout the New Testament writings. Parents’ most important work is the diligent teaching of Bible truth to their children.

When parents make such statements as “I don’t want to tell my children what to believe; they can make their own decisions about faith or religion when they grow up,” those parents don’t believe in anything themselves, therefore they have nothing but worldliness to pass on to their offspring. When a person truly believes something, he is eager and determined to share that belief with not only his children, but anyone else who will listen. No sensible parent allows his child to decide whether or not to brush his teeth, eat regular meals, get proper sleep, wear clean clothes or learn to read. Parents who are immersed in arts, sciences and education are always diligent to share those interests with their children.

The “let them decide for themselves” fad is a copout on the part of unbelieving people who have no concept of the grace plan of God, and who choose to ignore the fact that these children they brought into the world will live forever, somewhere. Just because they shirk their parental responsibility, however, does not absolve them of it. Here’s a recent quote from the Ask Billy Graham column: My parents always said there were two things you shouldn't talk about -- politics and religion. Well, they never did, but now I'm an adult, and I don't have any idea what to believe. Where can I turn? — J.I.

Of course, the answer was “don’t make the same mistake with your own kids. Receive Jesus’ salvation and get into a church that teaches the Bible.” The scripture quoted was Deuteronomy 4:9.

When Moses gave the Law to Israel, he was quoting the words given to him by God Himself, and he included this warning: “See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?

“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.  Make them known to your children and your children's children—“ Deuteronomy 4:5-9

Keeping and doing the statutes of God is not a one-shot proposition. It is a way of life. Those who don’t know God’s Word do not know God. Almost every human has a concept of God, and if he doesn’t know God as demonstrated in the scriptures and in the incarnation of His Word, Jesus Christ, the human concept of God is wrong. He will “create” God according to his own warped sense of morality, based on human good, or according to his fear of an all-powerful being Who he thinks seeks only his condemnation. Almost everyone realizes we natural humans are helpless, hopeless sinners. The human viewpoint solution to that condition is to conceive of a God who simply ignores everyone’s sin and gives them a pass. That is not what God’s Word says. He has given us helpless sinners not a pass, but a Savior: God the Son. His perfect life and spiritual death under the penalty of our sins made atonement for those sins, and made His perfect righteousness available to whoever will believe. That is the only way of salvation, made possible by the only Savior. The children must be taught this. Then, when they reach such an age that they realize they were born sinners, they will have truth upon which to make a decision: to believe and receive Jesus Christ, or reject and remain in their sins. Parents who do know Jesus Christ and love their children will make sure the children are given this information at an early age.

Then the children will have a basis for all the decisions in their lives. God gave us His Word as our guidance in this life. It is of no use to those who do not learn and practice it. There are definite consequences for negligence of God’s Word in our own lives and in the teaching of our children. These consequences are absolute.

Deuteronomy 5:7-10 “‘You shall have no other gods before me.

“‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,  but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Jeremiah 32:18 ”You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts”  Those who do not teach their children about the statutes of God are guaranteeing their children lives of sin and confusion, perpetuated by the rebellious traits inherited and/or learned from the fathers. They can be saved, but it will likely be more difficult for them to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” This is a command, parents. It is your job.

This is why we are given our children as helpless infants. They must depend on the parents for everything. They must learn everything about life from the ones who have authority over them.The parent establishes his authority over the infant and then uses that authority to teach the growing child the things he must know to navigate this life. He must teach the child about God and eternity, as a daily reality, not some spooky, distant superstition. "This is who we are, my child. We are God’s people. He is the source of all we are and everything we have."

Psalm 78:6-7 "that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments"

Deuteronomy 7:9-10 “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face.”

There are inescapable consequences for ignoring the statutes of God.

The children will pay the price.