Tuesday, October 14, 2014

We’ve been reflecting on what it means in responsible parenting to model the life you would like your children to emulate. We have seen that this means you are committed to Jesus Christ and are Biblically driven. We need to realize, however, that as Salvation is experienced only as a gift of God’s grace, so living out the Word of God is likewise a matter of trusting in God’s grace. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:10, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” This grace that is working in us is a work of the Holy Spirit. What Paul could not accomplish by mere effort on his part he found the Holy Spirit enabling him to do it. Romans 7 & 8 explains this, specifically in 8:4, “The righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” Yes, we must be Spirit empowered if we are going to live out the truth of the Bible. The Spirit also enables us to be love driven. Jesus declared in John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The distinguishing mark of the Christian is his love for others. If nothing else registers in the lives of your children, love will. At times it might need to be tough love. But genuine love is detected readily by children and is ultimately irresistible. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:8, “Love never fails!”