Biblical Childrearing Principals

Standing on the Promises
A Series on Biblical Principles of Childrearing

Training and Admonition of the Lord

February 22, 1998

Context of childrearing is family. Father is head and responsible.
Foundational Assumptions

Bible is sufficient
Discipline is no substitute for regeneration. The promises pertain to the salvation of our children..
Godly child-rearing is covenantal. The covenant is the means by which the blessings are passed on to our children.

The Core Promises of God to Parents - Faith of Parents Passed on To Children - For those who keep covenant, remember the promises to do them. (E.g. Psalm 103:13-18)
Covenant Continuity - Much of our understanding of the character of God and His dealings with His people has been provided to us in the Old Testament. If we don’t understand ourselves to be standing in the stream of covenantal promises established their, we cut ourselves off from much of what God has to say on the subject. We are NOT strangers to the covenantS of promise.

Duties of Parents Before God
Psalm 103:17-18 Three main elements of parental duty; keeping covenant, remembering his commandments, doing them.

First duty - to believe the promises of God. Remember - failure to believe is a sin. (John 3:18)
Personal obedience - Col 3:21 - Nothing will undermine your children more at home than your
Intercession for your children - Job prayed for his children as their representative.
Instruction in God’s standards - Deut 6:4-9. Greatest commandment given in the context of a passage on raising children. We are to teach our children diligently the law of God.

Specific Commands Regarding Parenting.

Prov 29:17 - Correct your son - delight to your soul. Must think long term. Not restful early on.

Fruit comes later. Requires a tremendous amount of work!! Not hard to see why so many would rather not apply themselves to the task. Calls to mind Paul’s lament - if in this life only, we are to be most pitied of all men.

Prov 13:24 - Spare rod = hatred. Prompt discipline = love.

Emotional love can be objective hatred. Objective hatred will turn to emotional hatred.

Prov 19:18 - While their is still hope. Do it now. Do not set your heart on their destruction. We get this backwards. Let it slide when they are young.

Prov 22:15 - Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child. Rod of discipline drives it far from him. - Keep going. Folly won’t go away overnight. We don’t try obedience to our Lord’s commands.

Prov 22:6 - Train up a child in the way...

Consider this in greater detail. Cannot without addressing the formal education we provide to our children.

Necessity of a Christian Education

Foundational principle (which the secularist don’t want you to begin with) is that there is no area of life or existence where biblical principles are irrelevant. (Our every thought is to be captivated for the Lord Jesus Christ.) - 2 Cor 10:1-5 Therefore…Government schools should not be an option for Christian parents.

What is a government school? Government school is an officially agnostic, tax-supported institution for the education of dependent children.

1) Government schools should be avoided because scripture expressly requires a the-centric education. Dt. 6:4-9

All of life is under the authority of God’s word and our children’s instruction should be self-conscientiously under His comprehensive authority at all times. God’s children are to be instructed in an environment saturated with the word of God.

Eph 6:1-4 - Fathers do not provoke your children.... training. Little more obtuse, but word for training is "paideia" refers to whole training and education. Not compartmentalized.

2) The greatest commandment involves loving the lord your God with all your mind. (Mt. 22:37)

Our children need to be taught to think like Christians in math, science, history, art, literature. etc. This is not possible when the class, textbook, instructor, and classmates are all in rebellion against God.

3) God expects children to provide for and protect children. Includes protecting their minds from false teaching before they have been equipped to discern truth from lie. (Common criticism, sheltering kids.)

Pluralism (with regard to worldviews) is a false theology (institutional agnosticism), Christian parents are required to protect their children from this lie. Government schools are an established institution required by law to teach and practice agnosticism. We must protect our children from this onslaught.

4) Intellectual goal assigned to the Church in scripture - to pull down every stronghold that exalts itself against the knowledge of God... (2 Cor 10:4-5).

The government school system is one of the key strategic outposts of those who exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. Many rebellious arguments come from such institutions. Our objective should be to tear them down. Our Lord has left no room for neutrality. Matt 12:22-37 - With me or against me. Tree good = fruit good. Tree bad = fruit bad.

The Christian objective in the sphere of education should be nothing less that total obedience to and instruction in the principles found in scripture.

Handling Objections

Govt schools not really officially agnostic. They can teach about religion. Parents can provide the Christian orthodoxy at home. About religion. Does not include instruction on which is right. They are officially agnostic.
Take back schools for Christ. Requiring non-Christians to pay for the propagation of a faith they do not believe in. Not doing unto others as we....
Shouldn’t we be in the world? (1 Cor 5:9-10) Clearly yes. But there is a huge difference between living in the world as salt and light and sending our kids off to world academy to indoctrinate them in the ways of the world.
Traditional values of our Western culture and academic rigor. 2nd Cor 10:4-5 - Every thought captive to Christ, not core Western values. Even if this were sufficient, can capture the fruit without grabbing the tree. Western values came from a Christian centered culture.