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Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a
child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
This morning, our mind is again drawn to a paramount Biblical concept of "cause
and effect." Many times, people ask what the difference is between the household
of faith (Primitive Baptist Church) and other ideologies and groups of people.
The correct, Biblical stance of the church on cause and effect is one of the
major differences between the two. What most people believe to be the cause of
something, the Old Baptists believe to be the effect. For example, the Bible
teaches that confession, belief, faith, baptism, and other acts of obedience are
the effects of salvation, whereas many others believe them to be the cause. The
Bible clearly teaches that God is the cause of salvation (Hebrews 5:9), and He
is the finisher of it as well as shown by the words of the Saviour, "It is
finished." The effect of His great work is that all of His chosen and redeemed
will be housed with Him in heaven and immortal glory at that great and notable
day of the
Lord when He shall gather us unto Himself in the resurrection. While we many
times discuss "cause and effect" in the terms of the doctrinal reality of God's
salvation, the Bible also clearly teaches the concept in other more practical
ways as well. The verse above is one such cause and effect that we wish to
examine.
Many things in Holy Writ are known as positional statements of fact, and the
redemption of God's people is a positional statement of fact. But, there are
other things declared that are conditional statements of fact, and the reality
of the consequence is realized on whether the condition is met or not. For
example, God promised that if we are willing and obedient, good consequences
will result, but if we refuse and rebel, evil consequences will result. (Isaiah
1:19-20) A conditional statement proves one of two realities based on the
success or failure to meet the condition. Solomon discloses a conditional
statement of reality with a clear cause and effect in the statement. The
training of a child in the way he should go is the cause, and the effect is that
departure will not result when mature years come. There is not a hint of the
"possibility" of this effect being realized, but rather, Solomon gives it a
cemented feel of reality in his language.
So, to discover this reality, we must investigate several fields of thought to
disclose what is and what is not being said.
We understand from Scriptures that God alone can quicken someone from death in
sins to life in Christ. (John 5:25) Since that work is His alone, we understand
that parents cannot bequeath this blessed state to their children, even though
some would claim otherwise. Therefore, the point could be raised, "How can we be
assured of the reality of our children not departing from the good way if they
are never regenerated?" This is a valid question, and to identify the
correct, Biblical answer, we must understand how natural man reacts to
consequences. When we train up a child, we need to impress upon them that there
are good consequences for moral behaviour and evil consequences for immoral
behaviour. A man that is void of the Spirit of God will not act in a moral way
for the right reason (a good heart), but he can act in a moral fashion if he
perceives the consequences more than he desires to bear. If a murderer looks at
his prey who is at that
moment standing next to a policeman, he may refrain from his murderous intent
because of the dire consequences looking at him in the face of the officer of
the law. Again, this is not some benevolent act of mercy; it is a desire to not
suffer the bondage of imprisonment or death for his actions. A man that is an
adulterer may remain faithful to his spouse if he perceives that infidelity
would demote him from his status in the community. This moral behaviour
(withholding of immoral conduct) is done out of the consequences that would
arise.
Therefore, we should not get caught up in the thought of our children not being
born again, but rather, we should teach them right from wrong and the
consequences of each. In keeping with that teaching, we need to impress upon
them the reality of it by executing praise for their good conduct and enforcing
chastisement in the form of the rod (Proverbs 22:15) for their evil conduct. By
this impression from an early age, our children learn good habits to keep all
their days by heeding moral behaviour and not walking astray.
Another point that is raised from time to time is, "How can we be assured our
children will not depart from the way we teach them when only God can open the
eyes of the understanding?" Again, this is a valid question as God alone
can cause the effect of our eyes being opened to the truth. (Matthew 11:25)
Notice that our lack of ability to open their eyes does not neglect us (as
parents) from teaching them the truth of Scriptures any more than it would free
the gospel minister from proclaiming the truth by the heralding of the gospel.
The Lord has not called us to wait around doing nothing, but rather, parents
should bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and
ministers are to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. So, while we cannot
make our children understand the Scriptures, we are teach them the Scriptures as
Timothy's mother and grandmother did for him. (II Timothy 1:5)
What Solomon is declaring is that the parents have the responsibility to teach
their children right from wrong, good from evil, and the associated
consequences. We cannot make them children of God any more than we can add them
to the Lord's church, but their continuance in the right, moral path is assured
when we do our duty as parents to them. Now, consider the converse for a moment.
What would happen if we did not teach them right from wrong, and God saw fit to
regenerate them by His Spirit? What if we failed to teach them the Scriptures,
and He saw fit to show them the truth and the church? God is merciful to do so,
but consider their plight because of our negligence.
Paul was trained in all the law and the prophets from a young age while Saul of
Tarsus and eventually a Pharisee. (Philippians 3) While he had not the spirit to
see the true import of what he was taught, consider all the knowledge that he
had ready for use when the Lord quickened Him and opened His eyes. Consider
Timothy's good foundation from Lois and Eunice when his eyes were opened to the
gospel. Neither man had to begin from "ground zero" as it were. They had a head
full of knowledge now ready for the using that was immediately put to good use
in God's kingdom.
When considering my own experience, I am certainly not the cause of my own
salvation to grace and glory from sin and misery. God alone is the cause of
that, and my benefits for it are immeasurable. In conjunction with that, I am
certainly not the cause of being brought up in a Godly manner, taught the
Scriptures from a young age, and instructed on right from wrong, but the
benefits of these things from my parents are more than I can count. As I recall
to memory my experiences as a young boy, I despised being required by my parents
to read 5 chapters of Scriptures a day. Before we could play outside or do
things that we desired, mom and dad required of us to read from God's Book. I
did not do these things because I wanted to; rather, I did them because I wanted
to play outside. Eventually, the reading of 5 chapters a day was followed by a
quick recitation of what we read before we could do that which we desired.
Again, I retained what I read not
out of love for the subject matter, but to play outside. Today, the benefits of
that upbringing are more than I can count, and certainly more than I deserve.
My parents had no idea whether or not their children would be regenerated any
more than they could know whether we would ever see, rejoice, and love the truth
and God's church. But, dear friends, when the Lord quickens and enlightens, the
child has a good foundation from which to draw, and if these things never
transpire, they will certainly do the child good and not harm. Therefore, let us
not get caught up in wondering about our children's eternal state or if they
will be added to the Lord's church. Rather, let us bring them up in the good
things of God and His word, for at the very least, we are assured that our
efforts will bring about moral conduct from them as adults from their good
habits formed as children. Then, should the Lord perform His word, may we be
ready to answer their questions and guide them further into His word and truth
so that they will see why it is that these things are so precious to us.
Children understand what is
precious to us, and should they be blessed to see it, may their love for it
shine forth as well. At that day, they will have the foundation that they need
to continue studying as mature disciples of Christ and press further into His
kingdom.
In Hope,
Bro Philip
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