Passing Your Faith Down

Christianity is a taught religion. We must pass our faith down to others (Matthew 28:19-20). We cannot assume that the next generation will naturally live by Christian principles and believe Christ's teaching. When left to himself, a child will usually choose a shameful life (Proverbs 29:15). When people are not taught how to have a personal walk with God, an entire generation will arise that "does not know God"(Judges 2:10). Because when we are left to "do what is right in our own eyes" (Judges 17:6; 21:25), our choices seem right but lead to personal destruction (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25).

What can we do to pass our faith to the next generation? We must deliberately teach them healthy doctrine and Christian behavior. Paul said that the things that we know are true must be "entrusted" to "faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2). This type of instruction certainly begins in the home. Timothy had initially received his "sincere faith" from the diligent teaching of his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5). Timothy did not have the benefit of a believing, Christian father (Acts 16:1). Paul "spiritually adopted" Timothy and instructed him as if he were his own son (1 Timothy 1:2). Paul understood that fathers have a crucial role to play in training their children spiritually. Fathers are entrusted with the responsibility of bringing up their children in the "discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). Fathers must be an authentic example of faith and diligently teach their children in the midst of everyday living (Deuteronomy 6:4-8).

Several years ago, Gus Nichols wrote the following insightful words about passing our faith to the next generation:

"One hindrance to the unity of the Spirit is that we are living in a secular age. We see everything through the spectacles of 'dollar-marks.' We are materialistic, we think of values in terms of money, and houses, and lands, and things of that sort. We forget that one little child to be reared and trained for the Lord, can rear and train others, and they others, and they others (Ps. 78:5-6), until in a thousand years there may be thousands of souls in heaven--all because we took time to train one. Or, it may be the other way: if we fail, it may be that this one will fail, others under like influence will fail, and others still under those influences will fail--and there may be thousands of souls burning and suffering in hell forever, a billion years from now, all because we put money, and other things, ahead of the spiritual--because we failed to train a child, failed to put the kingdom first (Matt. 6:33)."

(Source: Gus Nichols Lectures on the Holy Spirit page 210. Nichols Bros. Publishing, 1967).

May we all as parents do our best to model and instruct our children in the ways of the Lord. How we teach our children today will effect generations throughout eternity.