March 20, 2016 (Proverbs 22:6)

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov 22:6). Parents have responsibility of being dedicated to the training and discipline of their children in a godly way of life. It was an important part of Mosaic law that such be done. Luke tells us Jesus was taken to the temple on the eighth day and “consecrated to the Lord” at which time circumcision was carried out and an offering made in accord with the Law of the Lord (Luke 2:22,23). It was subsequently the duty of the parents (not the synagogue or church) to teach about living in a manner pleasing to God. Today baby dedications are primarily intended to emphasize the commitment of parents to raise up their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. The Roman Catholic practice of infant baptism to confer eternal life was inaugurated by Constantine in the third century and has no biblical basis whatsoever. Teaching a child to turn away from sin and live righteously must be instilled at a young age so there is a deeply rooted awareness of God’s attitude toward and judgment of sin. The loving use of discipline is strongly emphasized in the scriptures. The failure to teach one’s children to obey will be cause for serious consequences later in life and the permissive attitude of many parents today is the cause of a great deal of dysfunction among the youth in America. Children must be shown the importance of avoiding ungodly influence by the model seen in the lives of their parents. If the parents set a godly example, remaining sensitive to the fact that God is always aware of what we think, say and do, and live in accord with the principles of His kingdom taught by Jesus, children will have role models for which there is no earthly substitute. Few things are more critical than the parents exhibiting a temperate attitude toward the world and resisting a ‘herd’ mentality concerning things of the world as commanded by God (1 John 2:15). Any kind of materialistic lifestyle by parents will almost assure that the children will focus on ‘keeping up with the Jones’ as they grow into adulthood. It is essential for young children to be taught that God loves them and has a specific purpose for their lives by instruction in the Word of God and daily devotions including family prayers. It is also essential to teach in an age-appropriate way that faithfulness to God can be expected to result in persecution of one kind or another by those who reject the ways of God for their lives. It is a general principle that a child so raised will not permanently turn from godly ways in spite of succumbing to temptation and sin earlier in life. One often sees young people stray from godly paths for a time, only to come to repentance and restoration with God later. The likelihood of this taking place will be much greater if a godly foundation has been firmly laid earlier in life. However God does speak of apostasy so great that even the children of godly men like Noah, Daniel, and Job could not save their own children (Ezekiel 14:14-20).