Seven components of biblical education

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“And all who heard it took it to heart and said, ‘What will become of this child?’” (Luke 1:66) .

If we engage with this question in the right way, we will also feel the need to help our children become what they are called to be by God's grace. We will long to be instruments in God's hand, to lead our children to Christ, and to be willing to raise them in obedience under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, using the means provided by God.

1. The intercession

The first and last means we may employ is intercession for our children. Even before a child is born, we may bring it before God in prayer. And once the child is born, it remains a perpetual privilege of parents to cherish the child entrusted to them by God in their prayerful hands. Even if we can do very little for a newborn child at first, we can still pray for that child consistently. As children grow older, we may discuss their needs and weaknesses, their plans and career paths, their wishes and goals with the Lord.

When our children leave the family circle to pursue their education, we may accompany them with our intercessory prayers on their school journey. We may implore God's support and blessing for them, as well as His protection and preservation in times of temptation. Once their schooling is over, we may pray for and with our children that they may recognize God's plan and His will for them in their professional lives.

We may pray for them when they enter into marriage and start their own families. Even at their sick or dying bedside, when we may no longer be able to do anything for our children, we retain the privilege of praying for them. Only in eternity will we see how the faithful intercession of parents for their children was the hidden means in God's hand to bestow divine blessings upon their children.

How many children have chosen to live for and serve Jesus from their earliest youth because their parents repeatedly brought them before the Lord in prayer? How many have turned their backs on sin and later become a blessing to those around them because a mother prayed for her child at home?

We will be amazed when, in eternity, we realize how our children were rescued from so many troubles, or carried by God's protective hand as if on eagles' wings in times of danger and temptation, because parents' prayers were brought before God's throne. And even if God doesn't always answer immediately when we stand up for our children, He will one day hear our prayers.

2. The Consecration of Our Children

Love for our Lord and for our children should move us to dedicate all our children to the Lord's service. If the Lord has given us children, then we should give them back to Him, for as the Lord's possession, we live with all that we are and have, no longer for ourselves, but for the one who redeemed us through Christ, so that we might "serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our lives" (Luke 1:74-75).

Individual consecrated fathers and mothers dedicated their children to the Lord, such as Hannah, who brought her son Samuel, whom she had asked God for, to Eli, or Zechariah, who dedicated his son John to the Lord's service. Wherever believing parents in the Christian era have dedicated their children to God, He has greatly increased His mercy, blessed the children, and enabled them to be a blessing to others.

However, this should not only be done by individual parents with some of their children, but all consecrated parents should dedicate all their children to the Lord and set them apart for His service. If we ourselves are the Lord's possession, then all our children are equally precious and dear to Him. He has redeemed them too through Jesus' precious blood, and it is His intention to draw them to Himself and keep them in the faith.

God Himself knows how and where He can best use and employ our children, and if they are dedicated to Him and set apart for His service, then He will find work and place for them. In God's great workshop on earth, there is still much work to be done, and even today the field is ripe for harvest, but few are the reapers. And for the sole reason that a life set apart exclusively for the Lord's service is the happiest life a person can lead on earth, we should dedicate our children to the Lord. For "I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked" (Psalm 84:10).

If we live in Christ alone and are set apart for His service, then He also bears the responsibility for us. He cares for our lives and orders our service, preparing the work for the servants and the service for the workers. Being in this position brings blessings to oneself and makes one a blessing to others. This also leads to personal happiness, because one lives with the awareness that one's life is not in vain, but rather that one is an instrument for God's glory.

If we as parents truly believe that God loves our children and wants to and can use them, that the world desperately needs consecrated persons, and that a life of selfless devotion to the Lord and His kingdom brings happiness both to ourselves and to others—shouldn't we joyfully dedicate all our children to the Lord? We should entrust our children to God and leave it to Him to raise them for work in His great harvest field! If it is given to us to dedicate one of our children to a very special ministry in the sanctuary, we should do so in faith and with joy, and God's favor will rest upon us and our child.

3. Self-surrender to the Lord

It is important that we dedicate our children to the Lord and set them apart for His service, and equally important is our own devotion to the Lord, for this forms the foundation for our children. In his book "Family Life in Christ," Pastor Andrew Murray writes:

"When God prepares servants for his work, he prefers to do so from the very beginning, and even before birth, indeed from the first stirring of life, he takes into his care the vessel that he intends to use and sanctify in his service. The more clearly we recognize this, the better we will also understand the sacred privilege of being allowed to be parents."

The Holy Scripture testifies of John's parents: "They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord" (Lk 1:6).

If God needs a holy child, He first envisions holy parents: “Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight in love” (Ephesians 1:4). Therefore, if we desire that our children become consecrated to God, then this should and must move us to live as consecrated to God ourselves.

4. The sacred walk

Holy roots bear holy fruit. If we are consecrated to God, this will be revealed in our lives. The city built on a hill cannot be hidden; the lamp burning on the stand will shine brightly in the darkness. If our life's roots lie in God, then the fruits of our lives will also be holy. And the holy conduct of parents is the first example given to children. We hardly realize how early we influence our children through our behavior, words, and deeds. Things we have long forgotten still float so vividly in our children's memories.

For example, what the father said or the mother did. Through constant fellowship and interaction with our children, our character is reflected in their hearts. It is therefore of great importance what kind of family life parents lead in front of their children. If we desire that our children lead a holy life in true fear of God, then let us ourselves live a holy life and be an example to them, outlining the basic principles of a holy life. Let fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness be far from us (cf. Eph 5:11). Rather, let our fellowship be with the Father of light and our walk be in His light. Our aim should be to discern what is pleasing in the sight of the Lord.

The treasure of our hearts should not be the world—neither with what it possesses nor with what it offers—but the immeasurable riches of grace that God has given us in Jesus Christ. Let us be strict with ourselves in our conscience, but lenient with others. Let our judgment be mild, our speech cautious. May God keep our tongues from speaking falsely or from idle chatter. May our whole lives in all things bear the mark of truth, faithfulness, and sincerity. For God did not redeem and call us to live for the world, but to serve Him in holiness and righteousness.

If it is our heart's desire that our children be happy in their lives, then let us ourselves be happy in our holy conduct and thereby make others happy. Following Jesus should not be a legalistic "must" for us, but a blessed "permission." It should be a holy joy and delight for us that we are "allowed" to follow the Lord, to have fellowship with Him, to help in His great harvest field, that He deems us worthy to be His followers and co-workers on earth, and that we may serve Him all our lives.

We will never find this happiness within ourselves, nor can the world give it to us. It consists neither in possession nor in enjoyment, but solely in the intimate communion of the soul with God. The more we come to know the world with its fleeting and deceptive goods, with the poisoned cup of its desires, with its lies and deceit, the more our soul's hidden longing should become to live for God and serve Him in such a way that everyone who comes into close contact with us gets the impression that we, as children of God, are happy in God and blessed in His service. If our children and the world are to be convinced that only a life consecrated to God and a vibrant and committed Christianity bring happiness, then let us ourselves be happy in our Christianity.

Our children will get a sense of whether we are happy as children of God, whether we carry a quiet, hidden peace in our souls that the world can neither give nor take away, and that can comfort and gladden our hearts even in suffering and sorrow. They will see whether the word of God is the guide for our lives and whether God's will is our highest law.

It will not escape their notice that in good times and bad, we always have open access to the throne of grace and that we may lay down all our needs, whether small or great, at the feet of our great God. When our children see that their parents find joy in the Lord and are happy in their consecrated life, they will be drawn to the power of such a life, a life in Jesus Christ.

May our homes, therefore, be sanctuaries where the glory of the Lord dwells and where all who enter and leave are overshadowed by it. May an altar continually stand in our homes, upon which we daily offer ourselves to God as a sweet-smelling sacrifice, and from which the holy smoke of prayer, intercession, and worship rises daily to the Lord. May all believing parents, through their consecrated lives, be such an example to their children that they may say to them: “Follow my example, just as I follow Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

5. Education for the Lord

If the Lord gives us children, then through His gift He also obligates us to parental duties. If we love our children, then we will also be willing to allow ourselves to be used and guided by the Spirit of God, to raise our children in discipline and instruction for the Lord. Children are to be raised for the Lord, for they belong to the Lord. This thought must shape all of their upbringing. We raise them for Him, according to His will.

The upbringing of our children must be centered on Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as our Lord and Master, on His presence, His love, and His guidance. It must be our aim that they learn to know and love Him and that they become capable of obeying and serving His will. We can only achieve this if we earnestly study His will and the laws He has laid down for us parents in His Word. If we allow ourselves to be guided by the Spirit of God in raising our children, then our endeavor will be to raise them to "fear God," "obey God," "love God," and "learn to serve God."

To learn to fear God, a child must become acquainted with the nature of God. To learn to obey Him, it must learn God's will. To learn to love Him, it must know His plans for salvation and His redemption. To learn to serve Him, it must become acquainted with humanity's true and proper purpose and calling. If believing parents have dedicated their children to the Lord from the beginning, they will also cherish the desire, employ the means, and hold fast to the goal that their children may become what they have been called by God to be. For God has also called our children to be "delivered from the hand of their enemies, and to serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness" (Luke 1:74-75).

If children have been raised for a life in Christ, they learn to fear God above all else. God's will is their highest law. God's grace and saving thoughts are the foundation of their faith and hope. They learn to serve and glorify God in their chosen profession. Regarding Christian education, we will repeatedly find that we can do nothing without God (cf. John 15:5), for we are dependent on the one who must give us the strength, wisdom, and understanding for raising children in a Christian way.

Ultimately, we are merely a means in God's hand, through which the Lord wishes to influence our children and raise them to a life consecrated to Him.

6. Habituation

Of great importance in the proper upbringing of children is also "habituation." Solomon already said: "Train a child in the way he should go, so that even when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6). While we must not attribute too much, but also too little, to habituation, we must not overemphasize it. Anyone who believes that a child can be raised to be a child of God through habituation sees in it powers it does not possess.

We become children of God solely through the grace of God and the workings of the Holy Spirit. Many children of unrepentant parents are very well-behaved, but that doesn't mean they are true Christians and followers of Jesus.

But habituation can be a means—and indeed a very effective one—in God's hand to lead the unconverted child to Christ and to protect the already saved child from many a struggle and many a temptation, and to equip them for service in God's great field of work. Through habituation, children are to learn early on to avoid evil and do good, initially because their parents want it that way, and later because they themselves desire it based on certain principles.

Among the many virtues we should instill in our children, "obedience" ranks highest. While some children initially find it difficult to learn obedience, later, when they are older and more insightful, they will realize that their parents only have their best interests at heart. Furthermore, we should train our children to tell the "truth" under all circumstances.

Children often don't mean any harm when they say something that isn't entirely true. It is therefore very important to make children aware that every lie is wrong and a stigmatizing mark on a person. To instill in children the virtue of truthfulness, parents must, above all, walk in truthfulness in all their words, promises, and actions. Equally important for our children is learning diligence, combined with perseverance and consistency, because where diligence and work are linked to loyalty, prudence, and perseverance, one will always find the time and opportunity to do thorough and proper work. Orderliness is a good virtue, because those who know how to organize their time and daily tasks can often accomplish a great deal in a short time. Saying "thank you" and "please" are also among the important things we should teach our children.

Sometimes these are just small things, but they will have a positive impact later in life. One could mention many more virtues that we hope our children will cultivate and practice. Ultimately, however, it must not be forgotten that it takes much persuasion, great patience, and persistent diligence to accustom our children to good virtues. Above all, it is important that parents are united in their approach to raising their children. If the mother allows what the father has forbidden, or vice versa, then the upbringing misses its mark. Where there is construction at one end and demolition at the other, no building is ever completed. Raising children requires a great deal of time and patience. Nevertheless, the hours we dedicate to our children are among the most sacred and blessed of our lives.

7. The presentation of the heavenly calling

The calling of children of believing parents is to come to Christ, to remain with Christ, to live in Christ, and to become co-heirs of eternal salvation. To help our children understand their calling, it is important to familiarize them with the Word of God as early as possible. This can be done by telling them the biblical stories of the Old and New Testaments in a simple way, occasionally making small remarks, either to improve their understanding of the narrative or to admonish and instruct them.

By progressing gradually through these stories, moving from easier to more difficult, and connecting the familiar with the unfamiliar, children will become familiar with Holy Scripture at a very early age and grow within it. This work will also bear the beautiful fruit of fostering a particularly close bond between children and their parents, and binding them to their home. Furthermore, children will learn to remain open and trusting towards their parents and to turn to them with their questions and thoughts.

This makes the family home the most wonderful place in the world for the children, a place they will cherish and love. Another important aspect is attending church services. The sermons, prayers, and hymns often leave an indelible impression on children, either leading them to God or, if they are already converted, fostering their inner lives.

Jakob Kroeker (1872-1948)

Compiled from “What will become of our children?”, Samenkorn eV