【Day 3】From the Three Aspects of Authority, Speech and Male/Female Relationship, Training Children to Have a Sharp Conscience
Col. 3:15 And let the peace of Christ arbitrate in your hearts, to which also you were called in one Body; and be thankful.
First, in the matter of authority. In ancient China, traditional education focused on authority and respect for the old and care for the young. But, nowadays, under the influence of liberal and anarchist education, there is a gradual shift toward rebellion and disrespect of authority. Obedience to authority is learned at home (Ephesians 6:1-3), in society (Romans 13:1-5), and in the assembly ( 1 Timothy 5:17, 1 Thessalonians 5:12) all need to learn to obey authority. We need to teach our children to recognize authority and obey it, so that their conscience will be keen according to the standard of God’s Word.
Second, is the matter of speaking. Speaking is of great importance. Above all, we must not lie.
1、Lies. The Gospel of John 8 says that the lie is of the devil, Satan; Satan is a liar and the father of liars.
2、Double-tongued. 1 Timothy 3 says, he who is a deacon in the assembly must not be double-tongued, that is, say one thing to this person and another thing to that person.
3、Adding to the Word. It is written in Genesis 3 that the serpent said to Eve, ” Did God really say, You shall not eat of any tree of the garden? ” Then Eve said to the serpent, “Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat, but of the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden God has said, You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.” Did God say, “Do not touch”? “Do not touch” was a word that Eve added to herself. To add to what someone else did not say is to speak inaccurately.
4、Exaggeration. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 5, “But let your word be, Yes, yes; No, no; for anything more than these is of the evil one. “
5、Gossip. It is written in Matthew 12 that “every idle word which men shall speak, they will render an account concerning it in the day of judgment.”
6、Idle words. It is written in 1 Timothy 5 that “…… they are not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.”
7、Lascivious words and delusions. It is written in Ephesians 5 that “And obscenity and foolish talking or sly, filthy jesting, which are not becoming, but rather the giving of thanks.” A child in the family of God must be clean in his words.
8、Vulgar jokes. Therefore, we must teach our children not to speak filthy, cursing, or vulgar words; and to have a sense of conscience about these profanities that are not pleasing to God.
9、Corrupting words. It is written in Ephesians 4 that “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but only that which is good for building up, according to the need, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
In the matter of speech, we must teach our children to speak according to the standards of God’s Word and to have a sense of conscience about what not to say.
Third, on the relationship between men and women (Genesis 1:27, Hebrews 13:4, 1 Corinthians 7:1, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, 2 Timothy 2:21-22). God created man male and female; and for the sake of man’s existence and continuation, God ordained that man should have a normal marriage relationship, that is, the marriage relationship between a man and a woman and a proper sexual relationship. When a child is young, he is to be taught earnestly, so that his conscience will be full of feelings about this matter. The children of God, the children of God’s family, must respect their bodies and be kept as vessels unto honor. In these points, if a child read and obeyed the Word of God, his conscience would function and guide him later in high school and college, so that he would be kept, and would not be casual, indulge, or bring harm to his body.
To exercise the conscience is to let the peace of Christ be the arbiter in our hearts (Colossians 3:15). Always train to act and behave according to the peace that is in you; when you are restless, repent and confess your sins, and deal with them. We need to teach our children to obey the feeling of conscience; we ourselves need to obey the feeling of conscience first. In addition to the Word of God, our prayers and fellowship with God will also develop the sense of our conscience. Fellowship with spiritual companions and participation in Christian meetings will confirm the feeling of our conscience. Help our children to fear God, experience the presence of God, and live in the light of God’s face. We need to take the lead in living in the presence of God and in the light of His face. This is a pattern for our children and a great protection for them to be kept.
I hope that we, as parents, will always exercise ourselves to have a clear and keen conscience. When we have a sense of condemnation or a conviction, we should immediately confess our sins, deal with them by taking the blood of the Lord, so that we may really be like Paul, a person who always has a conscience without offense toward God and man.