Train up your Children- Endeavor to Bring them to Christ

J.C. Ryle made the following quote, "We must never allow ourselves to suppose that little children’s souls may be safely let alone. Their character depends exceedingly on what they see and hear during their first seven years. They are never too young to learn evil and sin. They are never too young to receive religious impressions. They think in their childish way about God, their souls, and a world to come, far sooner and far more deeply than most people are aware. They are far more ready to respond to appeals to their feeling of right and wrong than many suppose. They have each a conscience. God has mercifully not left Himself without a witness in their hearts, fallen and corrupt as their natures are. They each have a soul which will live forever in heaven or in hell. We cannot begin too soon to endeavor to bring them to Christ."

Notice J.C. Ryle’s last statement, ‘We cannot begin too soon to endeavor to bring them to Christ’. He understood that we are not capable of bringing our children to Christ; however, it is our responsibility to ‘endeavor’ to do so. We need to understand that everything our children are exposed to from infanthood onward will influence all of their choices and decisions in life- for good or for evil. The good influences will help shape their choices and decisions in that direction-- the evil influences will have a destructive effect on the choices and decisions they make. This is true for all of us. As Christians, it is imperative that we fill the minds of our children with God’s word and strive, by God’s grace, to influence them for good.

Children are very malleable. Just as saplings, if not trained to grow a certain way, they will bend and grow misshapen. Even though we know that by God’s grace alone our children are brought to a saving faith, we must also know that we are very responsible to teach them in the ways of the Lord, training them in the way they should go. Proverbs 22:5-6 reads, “Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them. Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” We cannot, of course, fulfill this responsibility in our own strength and resources-- any more than we can fulfill the command of scripture (in Matthew 5:48) to be perfect. Such commands, given by the Lord, are fulfilled only as HE works through us. And God does intend to use family life as a means of raising up godly offspring,“Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth” (Malachi 2: 15).

Raising up Godly offspring is one of the purposes of a Christian marriage. It is not only a duty and a tremendous responsibility, but also a privilege to follow God’s commands to train up our children in His ways. We are totally responsible for imparting to our children a knowledge of God’s word and must strive to teach them a fear of the Lord so they may (by the grace of God) learn to depart from evil and choose what is right and pleasing in God’s sight. In reality, we need to be doing this for as long as our children are with us (far past the age of 7). However, studies indicate that the first 7 years are very formative years and that even John Newton, who we know grew up to be a very ungodly man (until his conversion) remembered the training of his mother from those formative years. “Newton was nurtured by a Christian mother who taught him the Bible at an early age, but he was raised in his father's image after she died of tuberculosis when Newton was 7.”

We do not know what means God will use to bring others to salvation, but we must take seriously our responsibility for our children and grandchildren teaching them as best we can, at every opportunity given, while at the same time understanding that God’s grace alone can bring them to salvation. May He have mercy on us and our children..

“know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time” (Deuteronomy 4:39-40).

“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. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).