Be The Fruit

The Cross & Children’s Ministry

by Bill Blair on 21/08/09 at 6:25 am

One thing I have realized is that it is easier to teach obedience alone than it is to teach grace alone which leads to obedience.  Whether it is adults or children, it is always easier to say, “don’t drink, don’t do drugs, don’t have sex (outside marriage),” or on the flip side to say, “work hard, go to church, read your Bible, pray, and be kind to others.”  Do’s and don’ts seem to come very naturally for us whether we are giving or receiving instruction; therefore, we must always be on guard to see whether our instruction remains connected to what makes our do’s and don’ts possible and that is the person and work of Christ Jesus.  In short, our instruction must always be tied to the gospel.

Gospel-less teaching can be found everywhere, but it may be most prevalent in the content that is directed at teaching children as is noted in the following excerpt from an article published by CCEF that can be downloaded here:

One area that is often sorely lacking in gospel awareness is children’s ministry and literature. I cannot count how many times my children have come home from church with a lesson that simply told them to be kind to others and to obey their parents! While these are both biblical precepts, the emphasis on external obedience is often divorced from a basic understanding of the grace of Christ. This is the only thing that can change our hearts and sustain us when we fail. Unfortunately, many more grace-less examples could be given. Does the message of the Cross consistently equip the leaders of these ministries, as well as the content they teach each week?

Are the kids you are teaching, parenting, or influencing learning behavior change or their need for transformation?  Are they learning how to “be good” or are they being introduced to the only one who really is good (see Mark 10:18)?

Without the gospel, it is very easy to teach our kids to become “whitewashed tombs” who look clean on the outside, but decaying on the inside (Matt 23:37).  But no matter how well-behaved any of us may be, no matter how good a student, or how good of a citizen, the truth remains that everyone must be connected to the True Vine to truly bear good fruit.  Of course that true vine is Jesus, and the only way we are connected to him is through the gospel.

In the end, we must remember this truth because it is so easy to rely on the do’s and don’ts of life, and learn to apply the gospel to our lives as well as our kids.