PARENTHOOD
a divine stewardship

In like manner, culture keeps children in custody today. However, as the book of Galatians indicates, the law was misused by the Judaizers. Now that Christ has come, the law should deliver God's chosen people to Christ. But the Judaizers misused the law, even over using it. Instead of allowing the law to release God's chosen people and to give them over to Christ, the Judaizers used the law to keep people from Christ. The concept of the Judaizers even crept into the church to distract some of the genuine Jewish believers in Christ back to the law. Although culture is right and necessary, it is also subject to misuse and can actually keep people from Christ. Culture should be used to keep the children until they are able to receive Christ and live according to Christ. Children need to be preserved by culture while they are growing up.

As Moses gave the commandments to God's chosen people, parents must give commandments to their children. But when the children are able to realize their need for Christ and repent, we should minister the rich Christ to them and help them to receive Him. We should tell our children that the culture we gave them was only good for a certain time and that now they need to receive Christ. Hence, culture is used by God through parents to keep their children in custody until the time comes for them to receive the Lord. It is important to see this proper use of culture.
(Life-Study of Colossians, Message #49, pp. 425-426, Witness Lee, Sept. 1979)