Parent;s responsibility in Christian Family

7 May 06

2 Timothy 3:15-16 & 5:1

Parents?Responsibilities in Christian Family

Today is the first Sunday in May. May is the month of family. So, I would like us to think about family during the first and the second of this month.

1. In a Christian family, the parents should be faithful.

Timothy has the biggest privilege that children could have. He has a faithful parents. 2 Timothy 1:5 says, "I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also."

His mother and grandmother were very faithful and live their lives according to God뭩 words. Living our lives by following God faithfully is the best education for our children. There is not any better education for our children than showing them our faithful lives.

Timothy뭩 faith was crystal pure and honest. He accept God as his savior and his Lord; and he believed God and lived his life in obeying His directions. One of the reason for him to had a such a great faith was because of the sincere faith of his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois. They raised Timothy in a way that he could have a strong root for his faith in God.

Raising and teaching children in faith means that showing them our faithful lives in action. If parents tell their children not to do something but if they themselves doing those things, what children would think? They may think of their parents as people who are full of lies and are not reliable. In fact, it happens all the time, to so many parents. One of the main reasons of children뭩 depravities and crimes are caused by parents.

Parents must keep their standards in a same way, all the time. It applies when they punish their children. Some parents are very generous to their children when they are in a good mood; on the other hand, they get overly angry at their children about something insignificant if it happens when they are in a bad mood. This should never happen.

If we don뭪 correct something needs to be corrected, even if it is not a big thing at that time, we will find out in the future it becomes a huge matter. The best advice parents could give to children is showing them how to live with their own lives.

2. Parents should teach children to have a faith in God and depend on God.

Timothy뭩 mother and grandmother started to teach him the Bible from his very young age. 2 Timothy 3:15 says, "and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise from salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."

Parents should help their children to realize how they must live their lives based on God뭩 words. Ephesians 6: 4 says, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Deuteronomy 6:7 says, " Impress them on your children Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

Parents must raise their children in the God뭩 way. Raise them according to God뭩 discipline and education. The word "education" means, according to the dictionary, raise and discipline children to the right way both morally and sociologically; teach them the doctrines and command; correct and punish them when they do wrong things; and teach them to control themselves and lead them to have virtuous conduct.

One of the things I have realized since I came to America is that Korean parents are not as hard as American parents when it comes to punish our children. We often can see American parents and their children, around three to five years old, in play grounds; and see parents correct their children what not to do and what they should do with others. They discipline their children about their social behavior along with everything else from their young ages. Also, Jewish parents are known for educating their children according to Talmud and other books. Korean parents are, also, into their children뭩 education.

However, we all must think if the parents?caring about their children뭩 education is raising and disciplining their children to the right way, both morally and sociologically; teaching them the doctrines and command; correcting and punishing them when they do wrong things; and teaching them to control themselves and leading them to have virtuous conduct.

Parents should not raise their children either to fulfill their own ambition or satisfy their own needs. The Bible says that parents should raise their children according to God뭩 discipline and education. The holy Scripture should be the lead of raising children.

a. The holy Scripture leads children to be like Jesus and it teaches them about love.

By learning God뭩 words and being more and more Christian-like, they will be loved by God and others. People who were loved by others could also love others.

b. Children who were raised to be like Jesus would also learn about real meaning of power and success in this life. In the other words, they would know that God helps them through all and every things. They would realized that there is nothing they can not achieve in God.

c. Children who were taught to be like Jesus would have faith and hope, naturally.

They always will have the faith and hope through out their life time, even when they are walking through the middle of hardest thunders and storm. That is only possible because they know about God and His salvation.

3. We, as a parent, must guide our children to the path that will lead them to salvation.

There is something we need to think seriously about, for our children.

Let뭩 say there are two roads and we are standing middle of those two roads. Now, we have to make a decision for our children to go to. One road is the way to go to the University of Harvard and the other road is to the Heaven. Which road would you choose for your children? There shouldn뭪 be no doubt to choose the road to lead them to salvation, to the Heaven. We, of course, cannot choose the road for our children to go to destroy themselves, to the hell.

But, the reality where we live in is not that way. Please don뭪 get confused, please do not lead our children to wrong way under the name of love. Why do we push our children to go to wrong way knowing clearly that would lead them the way where they will use drugs, commit sins, be lascivious, and where there is no salvation? If we could see with our eyes that they are going into the fire of hell we would do anything to prevent from them to go to that way. But, strangely, it does not work that way in our present life.

We don뭪 realize the seriousness of it. We may realize it after we go to Heaven and look down what is really going on, then may regret our mistakes.

Of course, God chose our children, gives them faith in Him, and leads them to the path to reach the salvation. However, the point is we must realize that it is our responsibilities to raise our children in God뭩 words and lead them to live their lives based on the holy Scriptures: Teach them how to live their lives to go to salvation.

Then what are the benefits that we would get by raise our children according to God뭩 words?

2Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness".

The Scripture was written for us. God gave it to us. We can find four benefits in it.

1. Teaching

The holy Scripture is good for teaching. It teaches who we are, the beginning of everything and its meaning, and it teaches the rules and command of life.

Romans 15:4 says, "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

2. Discipline

The holy Scripture is beneficial for discipline. God wants us to realized our wrong-doings when we disobey Him and wants us to be disciplined for it. The holy Scripture shows us about people who were disobedient and the results of it. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

3. Be reverent

The holy Scripture teaches us to be righteous. God wants to correct us when we are going to the wrong paths. The holy Scripture leads us to discipline ourselves even if we have to go through hardships. It teaches us to be obedient.

Hebrews 5:8 says, "Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered."

4. Righteousness

The holy Scripture is good to educate us to be righteous. God wants us to know what to act, think, and say right things. Titus 2:12-13 says, "It teaches us to say "No" to ungoldliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,".

The Conclusion

1. We should be faithful parents.

-We should be a model for our children when it comes to the faithfulness.

2. We should raise our children to believe in God and depend on Him.

-We should teach the holy Scripture to our children.

3. We should lead our children to salvation.

- Teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness will lead our children to salvation.

7 May 06

2 Timothy 3:15-16 & 5:1

Parents?Responsibilities in Christian Family

Today is the first Sunday in May. May is the month of family. So, I would like us to think about family during the first and the second of this month.

1. In a Christian family, the parents should be faithful.

Timothy has the biggest privilege that children could have. He has a faithful parents. 2 Timothy 1:5 says, "I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also."

His mother and grandmother were very faithful and live their lives according to God뭩 words. Living our lives by following God faithfully is the best education for our children. There is not any better education for our children than showing them our faithful lives.

Timothy뭩 faith was crystal pure and honest. He accept God as his savior and his Lord; and he believed God and lived his life in obeying His directions. One of the reason for him to had a such a great faith was because of the sincere faith of his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois. They raised Timothy in a way that he could have a strong root for his faith in God.

Raising and teaching children in faith means that showing them our faithful lives in action. If parents tell their children not to do something but if they themselves doing those things, what children would think? They may think of their parents as people who are full of lies and are not reliable. In fact, it happens all the time, to so many parents. One of the main reasons of children뭩 depravities and crimes are caused by parents.

Parents must keep their standards in a same way, all the time. It applies when they punish their children. Some parents are very generous to their children when they are in a good mood; on the other hand, they get overly angry at their children about something insignificant if it happens when they are in a bad mood. This should never happen.

If we don뭪 correct something needs to be corrected, even if it is not a big thing at that time, we will find out in the future it becomes a huge matter. The best advice parents could give to children is showing them how to live with their own lives.

2. Parents should teach children to have a faith in God and depend on God.

Timothy뭩 mother and grandmother started to teach him the Bible from his very young age. 2 Timothy 3:15 says, "and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise from salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."

Parents should help their children to realize how they must live their lives based on God뭩 words. Ephesians 6: 4 says, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Deuteronomy 6:7 says, " Impress them on your children Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

Parents must raise their children in the God뭩 way. Raise them according to God뭩 discipline and education. The word "education" means, according to the dictionary, raise and discipline children to the right way both morally and sociologically; teach them the doctrines and command; correct and punish them when they do wrong things; and teach them to control themselves and lead them to have virtuous conduct.

One of the things I have realized since I came to America is that Korean parents are not as hard as American parents when it comes to punish our children. We often can see American parents and their children, around three to five years old, in play grounds; and see parents correct their children what not to do and what they should do with others. They discipline their children about their social behavior along with everything else from their young ages. Also, Jewish parents are known for educating their children according to Talmud and other books. Korean parents are, also, into their children뭩 education.

However, we all must think if the parents?caring about their children뭩 education is raising and disciplining their children to the right way, both morally and sociologically; teaching them the doctrines and command; correcting and punishing them when they do wrong things; and teaching them to control themselves and leading them to have virtuous conduct.

Parents should not raise their children either to fulfill their own ambition or satisfy their own needs. The Bible says that parents should raise their children according to God뭩 discipline and education. The holy Scripture should be the lead of raising children.

a. The holy Scripture leads children to be like Jesus and it teaches them about love.

By learning God뭩 words and being more and more Christian-like, they will be loved by God and others. People who were loved by others could also love others.

b. Children who were raised to be like Jesus would also learn about real meaning of power and success in this life. In the other words, they would know that God helps them through all and every things. They would realized that there is nothing they can not achieve in God.

c. Children who were taught to be like Jesus would have faith and hope, naturally.

They always will have the faith and hope through out their life time, even when they are walking through the middle of hardest thunders and storm. That is only possible because they know about God and His salvation.

3. We, as a parent, must guide our children to the path that will lead them to salvation.

There is something we need to think seriously about, for our children.

Let뭩 say there are two roads and we are standing middle of those two roads. Now, we have to make a decision for our children to go to. One road is the way to go to the University of Harvard and the other road is to the Heaven. Which road would you choose for your children? There shouldn뭪 be no doubt to choose the road to lead them to salvation, to the Heaven. We, of course, cannot choose the road for our children to go to destroy themselves, to the hell.

But, the reality where we live in is not that way. Please don뭪 get confused, please do not lead our children to wrong way under the name of love. Why do we push our children to go to wrong way knowing clearly that would lead them the way where they will use drugs, commit sins, be lascivious, and where there is no salvation? If we could see with our eyes that they are going into the fire of hell we would do anything to prevent from them to go to that way. But, strangely, it does not work that way in our present life.

We don뭪 realize the seriousness of it. We may realize it after we go to Heaven and look down what is really going on, then may regret our mistakes.

Of course, God chose our children, gives them faith in Him, and leads them to the path to reach the salvation. However, the point is we must realize that it is our responsibilities to raise our children in God뭩 words and lead them to live their lives based on the holy Scriptures: Teach them how to live their lives to go to salvation.

Then what are the benefits that we would get by raise our children according to God뭩 words?

2Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness".

The Scripture was written for us. God gave it to us. We can find four benefits in it.

1. Teaching

The holy Scripture is good for teaching. It teaches who we are, the beginning of everything and its meaning, and it teaches the rules and command of life.

Romans 15:4 says, "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

2. Discipline

The holy Scripture is beneficial for discipline. God wants us to realized our wrong-doings when we disobey Him and wants us to be disciplined for it. The holy Scripture shows us about people who were disobedient and the results of it. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

3. Be reverent

The holy Scripture teaches us to be righteous. God wants to correct us when we are going to the wrong paths. The holy Scripture leads us to discipline ourselves even if we have to go through hardships. It teaches us to be obedient.

Hebrews 5:8 says, "Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered."

4. Righteousness

The holy Scripture is good to educate us to be righteous. God wants us to know what to act, think, and say right things. Titus 2:12-13 says, "It teaches us to say "No" to ungoldliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,".

The Conclusion

1. We should be faithful parents.

-We should be a model for our children when it comes to the faithfulness.

2. We should raise our children to believe in God and depend on Him.

-We should teach the holy Scripture to our children.

3. We should lead our children to salvation.

- Teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness will lead our children to salvation.