One evening in a classroom at Harvard, I decided to accept Jesus as my Savior! “At Harvard?” you exclaim. “It’s a miracle!”
Yes, it was nothing short of miraculous. But let me add a few details to pinpoint precisely where the miracle is found. I was around age six at the time - yea, that's me on the left. This would locate the event in the mid 1950's. The public schools were less uptight about telling kids about Jesus so someone sponsored a week of evening Bible Camp for kids at my school, Harvard Elementary. (I will not know who did this until I get to heaven - won’t they be shocked when I check in!)
You can see me here with my Harvard classmates. I'm on the front row, second from the left, wearing my favorite and very cool shirt. I think the socks, cuffs, and knee-patches demonstrate my bold sense of style, too!
In the evenings for a week, my Mom brought me and my older brother to Harvard to hear about Jesus. One of the talks by the main speaker connected to my soul: I knew I was a sinner, that Jesus died for my sins, and that my only hope of salvation was to accept Him as my Lord and Savior. I was too afraid to go forward, but that night at home alone, I prayed to receive Jesus. I did not tell anyone what I had done but it was the real thing and I have never doubted my decision.
Almost 60 years later, I am still stunned by the miracle of a young child’s heart embracing the sublime, stepping into eternity. How did this happen? There is no explanation other than God’s Spirit who is not hindered by the limitations of what a child can comprehend. Indeed, God prefers the hearts of children - they come with less of the baggage that gets in the way of the gospel in later years.
Look at our T20 chart and you can see where this decision fits in the bigger picture. I have marked it in red and drawn a line that intersects the “gospel” content block. This is where it fits, logically.
Before some of you get stressed about the fact that your child is older and has not yet come to Christ, please remember what we said in a previous post: Do not allow the chart to fall into the employ of the merit plan. Yes, allow it to show you how to be faithful as a parent. But be faithful in the knowledge that God’s grace is what will ultimately make the difference in your children. The chart shows the logical arrangement of our priorities for home-based discipleship. But the chronological order may play out differently. Be faithful to your responsibilities as a parent even as you trust in God’s grace more than your efforts. God’s Spirit will choose the moment where the crimson line is crossed. It is a parent’s job to sow truth that the Spirit will, in turn, use at the perfect time.
This truth is represented by the fourth block, colored green because it targets the mind.
Someone might look at the “gospel” content block with some puzzlement. The heart of the Gospel is drawn from 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, namely, Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. So why does the associated training span an extended period of time? How long does it take to teach a child about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus?
It is true that the core of the Gospel is as simple as three statements. But understanding the significance of these statements will take some time. Here is where children benefit from understanding who God is, how He created everything, including Adam and Eve, and how Adam and Eve sinned against God in the Garden. Children need to understand what sin is and how the Fall adversely affected everyone’s hearts. They need to learn from the Law about sacrifice for sins. Then they need to learn about Jesus’ life and how He made the “once-for-all sacrifice” of Himself for our sin on the cross.
The last piece of explaining the gospel to your children will focus on what we called “opening your present.” Here’s the executive summary – feel free to embellish it to best connect with your children: When someone gives you a present, it doesn’t do anything for you until you unwrap it. A present unwrapped and neglected in the corner may be something that is just what you need or desire. It may have your name on it and belong to you. But you have to unwrap it to enjoy all the benefits it provides. A prayer in which you admit you are a sinner, recognize Jesus as the One who died for your sins, and ask Him to be your Savior and Lord is how you unwrap the present of salvation.
Parents wonder when their son or daughter “is ready” to unwrap his or her present. We used the will-not-be-denied principle. We explained the truth about the Gospel, including its significance. We explained what it means to unwrap the present of salvation. We hinted, “Someday, when you are ready, you will want to do this.” And then we waited until they would not be denied. Only then did we assist them to pray and unwrap their gift.
After a child has come to Christ, training in the Gospel will teach a child about the unique privileges of being a follower of Jesus, including what it means to be baptized, to take communion, to hear God’s voice in the Bible, and to pray. Additional instruction will center on the many ways that something new has begun on the inside, a process that will produce growth and fruit.
This content block is a key pivot point in the training of children. As parents are faithful to teach the truth of the Gospel, they will witness the miracle of a young child’s heart embracing the sublime, stepping into eternity. There is nothing like it!
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