Amelia asked me to write about her and Thomas today. It’s easy to do. At three and four, they supply a rich treasure trove of material from Lolly’s perspective. I delight in seeing them grow and learn and I am grateful for the teachable moments afforded by their visits. I see Amelia watching intently as I relate something she said or did to her mom or dad, beaming with pride when she knows it’s a good story. Sometimes I must relate a lesson learned and I see in her eyes that she wishes I wouldn’t tell.
“No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful!
But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”
Hebrews 12:11 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/heb.12.11.NLT
Repentance is a difficult concept to teach a child. When Good News Clubs through Child Evangelism Fellowship first came to my state back in 2003, I was invited to receive training to coordinate a club with my local church in my children’s elementary school. The excellent training program, Teaching Children Effectively, gave me confidence when presenting the gospel through Bible stories to anyone of any age. I still draw on this knowledge as I study my Bible and disciple my own grandchildren. The way I remember first explaining repentance is being a tattle-tale on yourself.
Kids are quick to catch the transgressions of another while tending to defend their own behavior. I say kids but I mean humans, myself included. We watch world news with jaws dropped, infuriated by bullies on a global scale. Our local news outlets report gasp worthy headlines that we find disturbing or offensive and we say things like how can that be happening where I live? Bombs tear through cities destroying everything in their path. Children are neglected or abused in countries across the globe or in communities down the street. Reports of murder and mayhem are far too common but we would do well to remember that in this fallen world, sin is sin and God sees it all the same.
What to Do with the Bible’s Purity Laws
“As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one.
No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.
All have turned away; all have become useless.
No one does good, not a single one.”
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
Romans 3:10-12, 23 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.3.10-23.NLT
It’s a hard pill to swallow. Most of us are used to looking around and thinking we’re pretty good, justified in our own ways when compared to the next guy. We are like the rich young ruler who asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. When Jesus replied, “Keep the commandments,” the man, confident that he had checked all the boxes, asked, “What then do I lack?” That’s when Jesus hit him in the pocketbook. Sell out and follow Me. The young man went away sad. (Matthew 19:16-22)
Not everyone will choose to accept Christ’s invitation , His gift of salvation and eternity in His presence, but everyone should have the opportunity to choose. (Matthew 24:14) We who know Jesus as Savior must acknowledge Him also as Lord. We must allow Him veto power in our lives. We look to Him for our daily bread but we must also treat Him as holy by embracing holiness ourselves. (I Peter 1:15) Yes, His righteousness is imputed to me by faith, but until I choose to surrender my will to His, I crucify the Lord again and again until no sacrifice remains. (Hebrews 6:4-6)
“Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins.
There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.
For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us.”
Hebrews 10:26-29 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/heb.10.26-28.NLT
We who have taken Him at His Word, who still wait for His coming, remain under commission as soldiers armed for battle in the midst of a cosmic struggle that we can neither see nor hear. It is so incredibly important that we walk by faith and not by sight because the battle is the Lord’s. We must take captive every thought, making it obedient to Christ. We must lay aside every sin that trips us up and run with endurance the race God has set before us. Jesus is our pacer, the One who initiated and perfects our faith. We run victoriously by keeping our eyes trained on Him. Only then can we recognize the grossness of our own sin and regularly repent.
“Therefore, since Christ suffered in the flesh [and died for us], arm yourselves [like warriors] with the same purpose [being willing to suffer for doing what is right and pleasing God], because whoever has suffered in the flesh [being like-minded with Christ] is done with [intentional] sin [having stopped pleasing the world], so that he can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living for human appetites and desires, but [lives] for the will and purpose of God.
For the time already past is [more than] enough for doing what the [unsaved] Gentiles like to do—living [unrestrained as you have done] in a course of [shameless] sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries.
In [connection with] all this, they [the unbelievers] are resentful and surprised that you do not [think like them, value their values and] run [hand in hand] with them into the same excesses of dissipation and immoral freedom, and they criticize and abuse and ridicule you and make fun of your values.
But they will [have to] give an account to Him who is ready to judge and pass sentence on the living and the dead.
For this is why the good news [of salvation] was preached [in their lifetimes] even to those who are dead, that though they were judged in the flesh as men are, they may live in the spirit according to [the will and purpose of] God.”
1 Peter 4:1-6 AMP
https://bible.com/bible/1588/1pe.4.1-6.AMP
So live your faith boldly in these evil days. Don’t shrink back in the face of Satan’s fiery arrows. Stand your ground, feet firmly planted in the gospel of Truth. Not only will you still be standing when Jesus comes but others will stand shoulder to shoulder with you in God’s kingdom, rejoicing and thanking God for His message of salvation that you delivered.
“Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews.
But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles.
For the Lord gave us this command when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’”
When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers.”
Acts of the Apostles 13:46-48 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/act.13.46-48.NLT
So judge for yourself. Is anything in this world worth hanging onto if it costs one soul eternity with Christ? Deny yourself and follow Jesus. You may just be surprised by who is following you.
A Fitting Reply 