Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Psalms 63:6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. .7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice .8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.
Psalms 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
When our daughter Rebecca was old enough to walk and climb, one of her favorite things to do was to climb up in her daddy's lap and snuggle. Often she would go to sleep cuddled in my arms; at other times, I'd let her beat up on me, and show how strong she was. Those are some of the most precious experiences we all share as parents, whether mothers or fathers, but I can only speak for daddies. Yes, there were times to be firm, and times for discipline, but those were duties; cuddling was just fun.
Too often we think of God as just a stern disciplinarian, ready to punish us if we step out of line. The Father does chastise his children, like all good fathers, but what he really wants to do is love us. His very nature is love I John 4:8). The kind of intimacy and tenderness we share with our own children is only a shadow of what he desires for us. His heart's desire, as expressed by Christ in his high priestly prayer, is to be one with us (John 17:20-22). The church is his bride (Revelation 19:7-8); in human terms, there is no greater expression of love and tenderness than of a husband for his bride, or a bride for her groom.
When we think of fellowship with God, if we think of it at all, we think of prayer and praise. That's exactly it, but too often our prayer is a monologue, and our praise is a rote recitation of stock words and phrases. Prayer is conversation with God, a time of sharing our inmost thoughts and concerns with our best friend. That's not to take away from the reverence due the Father, but so long as we keep the right attitude toward God, there is every reason we should talk to him about anything and everything.
Fellowship in the Spirit is sweet. Those of us who have experienced that in the company of other believers know that. Our time alone with the Father should be no less sweet. Remember how it was when we first fell in love? (That has, admittedly, been a while for some of us!) We couldn't get enough of our lover's company, and we could hardly stand to be away from him or her, even for a few hours. At the first opportunity, we rushed to be with that special someone. That's the way our time with the Lord should be.
How long has it been since we wrote love letters? The whole Bible, someone said, is God's love letter to us. Sometimes, though, it wouldn't hurt for us to write one back. We might think of the Father as our closest, most intimate friend in all the world (as he should be), and of Christ as our lover (and he is – the lover of our souls). We could write as we would to our wife or husband during our courtship days, sharing the most intimate details of our hearts. If we can't really express in words how much we love him, we should say that. Try it, and see if you can carry that same attitude over into your daily fellowship with the Lord.
Our Father isn't just our Father in the good times, but in the bad ones as well. Just as my daughter used to come to me (and still does!) when she was hurt or afraid, we can do the same with our heavenly Father. Just as I was interested in all the details of my daughter's day to day life, so the Father is interested in all the things, big and little, that happen to us. He's never too busy to listen to everything we have to say, and doesn't mind being troubled by things others might consider trivial. He wants to hear about our triumphs and failures, our victories and defeats.
When we disobey, and we know in our spirits that God is displeased, that doesn't mean he has given up on us. He disciplines us, again, because he loves us (Hebrews 12:4-11). His longing is to restore us to fellowship with him; that is, after all, why he sent his Son to die for us. Even if we make the same mistake a thousand times, and repent a thousand times, and do it a thousand times more, he doesn't lose patience with us. He provided confession as a means to restore us to a right relationship with him.
So — when we feel alone or discouraged or defeated, or just need a hug, let's just crawl up into Abba Daddy's lap. The kind of intimate relationship that David had with him, and the kind of relationship that Jesus himself had with the Father, is the same kind he wants with each of us. We'll spend all of eternity in close fellowship with him, even as we reverence and praise him. Let's not wait!
Lord, gather me in your arms
Like a little child.
With words of love and gentle touch
In Abba's arms.
Abba's arms – Abba's arms,
Just lift me up, and comfort me, in Abba's arms.
Abba's arms – Abba's arms.
Lord, let me rest in Abba's arms.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
1 Peter 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
One of the vices of which the Lord has convicted me recently is watching too much television. I go through times when I watch almost none at all, then I gradually slide back into my old habit of spending many of my waking hours in front of the tube. Besides being a monumental waste of time, TV usually makes me feel angry and depressed, even when I'm watching wholesome fare (not much of that around, unfortunately). It also encourages me to compromise deeply felt principles. One hard and fast rule I've followed for many years is not to watch a movie with an "R" rating. Yet, I do not hesitate to watch these movies once they're sanitized for network TV, with a reduced body count or editing of explicit sexual material.
I have an equally ambivalent attitude towards PG-13 movies, which more often than not "only" have some filthy language thrown in to assure the rating. The whole concept of following the world's system of rating entertainment is flawed anyway; what I am forced to do is to accept the world's notion of what is good or bad, and that changes over time. As people in my generation well know, we can now see and hear things in primetime TV that our parents couldn't see or hear even in movie theaters. Over time, we've come to accept things, both as Americans and Christians, which would have scandalized an earlier generation.
Most of us have heard the story of the frog in the kettle; drop a frog into a pot of hot water, and he will immediately jump out. Put him in cold water, and heat it up gradually, and he'll stay there until he dies. That's what has happened to many of us as Christians, and explains why there is so little difference between the church and the world. It's like compound interest; at first, it doesn't amount to much, but over time it really adds up.
How many Christians have fuzz busters in their cars, or routinely exceed the speed limit, and see nothing wrong with it? How many have marriages that end in divorce, usually for causes other than adultery or desertion (recent statistics indicate the divorce rate for Christians is higher than for non-Christians)? How many of us, like me, will justify seeing a movie because it has "just violence" or "just a little profanity"? How many bend the rules on their taxes, or carry company property home for their private use? Is reading a racy novel OK? What about skipping church for a basketball game?
One of the guiding spiritual objectives for Gideons is to be "men of a separated walk." God has called all of us to be holy, set apart for his use (Leviticus 20:7-8). While we have to live in the world, we shouldn't be of the world. Israel's downfall came from adopting the ways, customs, and gods of the surrounding nations, and of the Canaanites in their midst. If we compromise our beliefs and standards, just a little bit, we end up no better than the world called us out of.
This is one of the areas of our lives that require regular inspection. First, we have to have firmly planted in our minds what the Biblical standard of behavior is. It can be summed up in the popular WWJD slogan, "What would Jesus do?" Beyond that, we need to know what the Word says about the ways we should behave, the ways we should think, and the places we should and shouldn't go. If we deliberately take garbage into our minds, as happens with computes, then garbage is what comes out. If our thought life is devoted to pursuit of the world's version of success and happiness, there is little room left for thinking on Christ.
Second, if we understand what the standard is, we must be honest with ourselves in how we measure up. We'll always fall short at some point, this side of glory, but we need to recognize that. A Christian who ignores his or her behavior in light of the standards God sets is backsliding. We don't always recognize what we're doing, so we need to ask the Holy Sprit's discernment and wisdom. We can't wait weeks or months for this kind of self-examination; it needs to be done every day.
Finally, as we recognize areas where we have fallen short of the standard, and adopted the world's standard instead, we need to confess this to God, and ask his forgiveness. Having done that, we need to repent, and turn away from whatever attitude or action we engaged in. Confession is necessary, but if it isn't accompanied by repentance, we're no better off than before. We just keep doing the same things over and over. For me, it's not enough to recognize that I shouldn't be watching some of the programs or movies I watch; with God's help, I have to stop doing it altogether. How hot is the water you're in?
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 19:14
And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child….And the Lord came and stood, and called as at other times. Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak, for thy servant heareth. I Samuel 3:8b, 10
And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight this Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:32
If you've been to any church dinners lately, you know that children usually eat first. The little tots just jump right to the head of the line. That wasn't the case when I was a kid. One of the popular country songs back then was "Take An Old Cold Tater And Wait." And the one doing the waiting wasn't dear old Dad, but Junior. Then there was "Pass The Biscuits, Please," another lament by a youngster who was always last in line when the bread went around the table. Today it's "Let the kids go first," and the old folks bring up the rear.
Jesus' disciples didn't want their Master to be disturbed by the children, who had far less status in that society than they do in ours. To Jesus, though, they were far from a bother. He saw in them a trusting, unquestioning acceptance he rarely saw in adults. It is that same kind of faith and innocence, he said, that we must have when we come to the Father. Salvation does not come without faith, and faith does not come to a cynical mind that insists that everything be seen before it can be believed.
That was the kind of faith young David had when he went out to face Goliath. It was the kind of faith young Samuel had when he heard the voice of God calling to him. It's the same kind of faith that draws young children to Christ even now. It is no accident that the vast majority of Christians are saved before they reach adulthood. As we grow older we almost inevitably lose the quality of innocence, and the capacity to believe in what we cannot see.
I was just shy of thirteen when I accepted Christ as my savior. Many, many children are saved at a much younger age, even four or five years old. Age itself is not so much the deciding factor as the degree of understanding the child has. I know from the testimony of some people that they feel they really had no understanding of what they were doing when they came forward for salvation at a very young age. Others go on through adulthood without the least doubt of their salvation at five or six. The people in the best position to tell how much the child really understands are his or her parents. Sometimes they want so much for their child to be saved they unconsciously lead the youngster along. The child responds because doing so obviously pleases Mommy and Daddy very much. Sometimes, too, a child has a friend, or friends, maybe a sibling, who is saved, and he or she doesn't want to be left out.
Again, age in and of itself is not the primary consideration. We should take the time to ask questions. If Tommy or Suzy understands what sin is, and realizes he or she is a sinner, that's a large part of the battle. The child still, though, must know what the consequences of sin are, and how Christ provides the remedy. One of the things I appreciate about my former pastor is that he always wants to be certain that both he and the child's parents are confident that the child understands the decision they've made. Many young people were saved at First Baptist Church during the time I was there, and some were barely out of kindergarten.
Just as we need to take special care when a child professes Christ, we must also be careful to nurture them in their faith. That means making sure they're receiving sound instruction in the Scriptures in Sunday School and at home. We should ask questions regularly, meaning every week, about what they've learned. By the same token, we should always be prepared to answer questions; some of them will be hard ones. Being innocent, the very young will accept whatever answer we give as gospel, so we need to be careful both of what we say and of how the child understands our words.
No matter what we say, our loudest message comes from the life we live. If we teach our children to be honest and fair, then proceed to lie and cheat, even in small things, they'll get the message. We can't teach them they should love, then act in a very unlovely way in and outside of our homes. If we do, we shouldn't be surprised if they don't show love in their own lives when they get older. Little wonder that many children who grow up in Christian homes adopt the cynical view that all Christians are hypocrites.
We can best take care of our children, as Christian parents, by showing them what being a Christian really means. It doesn't mean perfection, but it does mean a consistent witness, inside church and out. If we expect our child to want a Christian marriage, they should have us as models. One of the great regrets of my life as a Christian is that I haven't been the kind of father and husband I should have been, so many times. Even when our children are grown, though, and even if we've messed things up royally, we can still live Christian lives in front of them. That should never change, no matter how old they are. For those of you who have young children, you have the chance to avoid a lot of the mistakes some of us older parents, maybe even your own, have made. There's only one real rule for any Christian home: Let Christ be the center, always and in everything. There is no better childcare.