Think about it friends. When a culture, even our so-called American “Christian” culture, alters the status of children into choices - does it not undermine our entire understanding of Scriptures’ references to them? At the moment there is still enough ingrained understanding of the family left from generations past to lend us an historical Christian understanding of children - but those notions are no longer the prevailing norms of contemporary culture. We can only survive off of their example for so long. Devoid of our own cultural experience in valuing children as God and Scripture values them, we may indeed lose any bearing to what verses like this really mean…
“…keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
(Exo 34:7)
“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– “
(Deu 4:9)
“Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!”
(Psa 31:19)
“Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”
(Psa 34:11)
“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.”
(Psa 103:13)
“Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.”
(Pro 17:6)
“The living, the living, he thanks you, as I do this day; the father makes known to the children your faithfulness.”
(Isa 38:19)
“Return, O faithless children, declares the LORD; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.”
(Jer 3:14)
“gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber.”
(Joe 2:16)
“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
(Mat 7:11)
“but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
(Mat 19:14)
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”
(Joh 1:12)
“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,”
(Rom 8:16)
“my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!”
(Gal 4:19)
“And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.”
(Heb 2:13)
When you lose your understanding of the doctrine of children, what then can be said for the doctrine of sonship, adoption, new birth, the Fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man, and on and on? By no means is the doctrine of children the linchpin of our theology; but make no mistake, there was one child who was born, who is in fact the linchpin of our theology, Jesus Christ, the revealed Son of God. In fact, He’s not just the linchpin, He is everything (period).
Therefore, we must take great care to guard our doctrine closely brethren, because it is indeed a child-rich gospel that we preach. It’s not just your family - it is God’s, and he’s got plans for it to testify of his grace and his gospel.
Think about it.
‘BH
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are…”
(1Jn 3:1)
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As Beloved Children
(W.Hank Balch © 2007)
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” - Ephesians 5:1
“As beloved children, you say?”
“But, what is a child?”, we ask and reply,
“Oh, yes, a child. We know about children.”
Those are burdens.
Those are challenges.
Those are time.
Those are money.
Those are hungry.
Those are dependent.
Those should be planned.
Those should be few.
“Oh, yes, a child. We know about children.”
Those are discernible miracles.
Those are prudently sought gifts.
Those are optional blessings.
“Oh, yes, a child. We know about children.”
Those are after-thoughts.
Those are by-products.
Those are secondary.
“Oh, we know about children, but we don’t know children.”
To “know” is to love. To be known is to be-loved.
Adam knew Eve.
But we do not know children.
We know ourselves.
We are primary.
We are central.
We are autonomous.
We are independent.
We are the decision-makers.
We’ve become the lords of our bodies.
We’ve become the suppliers of our wombs.
We’ve become the author and finisher of our offspring.
We’ve become the alpha and omega of our intercourse.
We’ve become reluctant fathers, and unwilling mothers.
Oh, we know about children, but friends, we don’t know children.”