Noah, "a preacher of righteousness" (2 Peter 2:5), did much of his teaching at home. As a result, "In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark" (Genesis 7:13). On this great day, Noah saved his family. Others were not so successful. Judges 2:10 says, "... and there arose another generation after them that knew not Jehovah, nor yet the work which he had wrought for Israel."
It is disturbing when children of faithful brethren never obey the gospel or, as soon as they leave home, forsake the Lord and His church. I, too, am a parent, and I want my children to love and serve God all their lives. If they forsake the Lord, I want it to be in spite of me, not because of me (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4; Matthew 16:26).
The young man Timothy was a second- or third-generation Christian. He had "unfeigned faith...which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice..." (2 Timothy 1:5). His mother and grandmother taught him the Scriptures from the time he was a "babe," that he might become "wise unto salvation through faith ..." (2 Timothy 3: 15). Salvation is an individual's choice. A person converts to Christ when he is personally convicted of his sins and obeys the gospel from his heart. However, I am persuaded that one reason we lose our young people to the world is that parents fail in their responsibility to consistently train unto godliness "FROM A BABE."
Paul, who considered himself Timothy's spiritual father, gave instructions and warnings to prevent him from casting aside his faith:
| Be godly (1 Timothy 4:7-8), devout, and sincere in the faith. Don't just go through the motions. | Trust in God (1 Timothy 4:10). | Be a faithful example to others in all areas of life (1 Timothy 4:12). |
| Be completely dedicated in faith, not half-hearted (1 Timothy 4:13-15). | Take heed to thyself and the doctrine, i.e., practice what you preach (1 Timothy 4:16). | Flee sin and follow after righteousness (1 Timothy 6:11). |
| Keep the commandments until the day of the Lord (1 Timothy 6:14). | Be not ashamed of your faith, nor the gospel; be bold (2 Timothy 1:8, 11-14). | Be diligent, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, ..." (2 Timothy 2:15). |
Today's children need to hear and heed these things. There is real danger of one's faith not being genuine. It is possible for our children to believe certain things just because we believe them, instead of being convicted because they "learn" of God (John 6:44-45). Conviction is not inherited! True faith comes when the individual hears and believes (Romans 10:17). Faithfulness is individual. "...The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him" (Ezekiel 18:20). The Bible teaches that one can fall from grace, no matter how good the environment in which he was reared (Galatians 5:4; 1 Corinthians 10:12). Many fail to study God's Word for themselves. Christians, from the beginning, must "long for spiritual milk..." (1 Peter 2:2), so they may grow in faith. First-generation Christians hunger and thirst after Bible knowledge; but some who are "raised in the church" may think they already "know" all they need to without personal study. Parents need to provide proper spiritual training (Ephesians 6:1-4).
Taking children to worship, as important as it is, is no substitute for providing godly homes, coupled with good examples. The "do as I say, not as I do" approach doesn't work!
Parents and children must examine ourselves by the standard of God's word (2 Corinthians 13:5). Serve God out of personal conviction; continue in spiritual growth (2 Peter 1:5-10).