Some parents like to say this: “Let’s wait until the children grow up and let them decide whether or not to believe in Jesus.” In other words, they are saying that belief in Jesus is something only for adults, not for little children.
But the same parents make many choices for their children. They choose daily nutritious food, they choose the best schools, they choose the best teachers for tuition classes, they choose the clothes, the house, even their children’s future careers and marriages. But when it comes to the most important matter of belief, they do not help their children to choose.
Dear brothers and sisters, friends, you must help your children from young to understand the most important thing in life – an eternal matter – that is, to lead them to Christ.
Trust in Christ as Your Saviour
To lead your children to Christ, first you must be a believer in Christ. Have you repented and trusted in Jesus Christ as your Saviour? You must understand clearly that Jesus is truly God and fully man. 2000 years ago on that first Christmas, he was born. On that first Good Friday, he died for our sins, and on that first Easter he was resurrected. He loves you. He came to the world, died, rose again, to give you new life. So you must first tell Jesus: “Lord Jesus, I am a sinner, I trust in you to save me!”
Only then can you lead your children to Christ. Please do not put this responsibility on anyone else, not on the children themselves, not on Sunday School in church. You yourself must shoulder the responsibility and lead your children to Christ.
You may ask: “How do I lead my children to Christ? At what age can they believe in Jesus?” Good question! In fact, once children are able to talk, they are able to pray. Once they can pray, you can lead them into the sinner’s prayer, to call on Jesus’ name.
Almost every year before Maundy Thursday service at church, my family of five would eat our own “last supper”, which is also the Jewish passover. We prepare some simple food, like lamb chops, bitter greens, grape juice, and unleavened bread. We explain how the Israelites left Egypt, and we also talk about how Jesus is the lamb that was slain, to take away the sins of the world. My children, at one or two years of age when they could talk, prayed one Maundy Thursday night and received Jesus as their Saviour. As they grew up, they also joined in retelling the events of Jesus’ death, to affirm their faith.
Four Points of Gospel
Besides the last supper, important church events such as Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter are all good times to lead children to Christ. Besides these special days, we can also lead them to Christ on normal days. We can summarize the contents of the gospel in 4 points:
1. All have sinned (Romans 3:23)
2. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23)
3. Jesus died for our sins, and was resurrected (2 Cor 15:3-4)
4. Those who believe in Jesus are s aved (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Dear brothers and sisters, as parents, we have the responsibility to lead our children to Christ, just like Timothy in the Bible, who was wise for salvation from infancy. The Apostle Paul said to him: “and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation throughfaith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim 3:15)
Jesus said: “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14)
Little children, you can believe in Jesus Christ now. Express your faith through the sinner’s prayer, and you will become children of the Heavenly Father.
Dear parents, lead your children to Christ now, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as them.
By Rev Dr Tie King Tai, SCAC President