Raising Children By Raising them In Christ

The Bible exhorts us to raise Godly children:

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22: 6)

and

"Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate." (Psalm 127: 5)

Yet let us also rightly divide the Word, and read with ease:

"Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

"Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband." (1 Corinthians 7: 1-2)

There is no shame if a man or woman does not feel called to be married. Yet for those who receive the gift to have and raise children, let us then consider the following

Regarding children, grace in Christ gives us the will and the power and the wisdom to raise children:

"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." (Ephesians 6: 4)

Jesus is the focus, even in raising one's children.

Let us raise every child, conveying to them that Christ holds all things together for us:

"And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

"For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

"And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." (Colossians 1: 18-20)

Yet what does He do for us, in regards to family and status? Too glorious to miss:

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." (1 John 3: 1)

Let your kids know that in Christ, they are full-grown sons (Galatians 4: 5), and He will lead you in the Way to raise them up.