PARENTHOOD
a divine stewardship

Educating Our Children Concerning The Negative Elements of the World

"Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children." Deuteronomy 4:10b

"O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!" Deuteronomy 5:29

"And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children , and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Johovah's instructions through Moses to the children of Israel gave clear instructions indicating that it is the responsibility of the parents to educate their children concerning God and His purpose both by their teaching and by their example. First, we must hear the Lord's words and learn to fear Him. Second, we must have a heart to keep always His commandments for our own sake and for the sake of the children the Lord has given us. Finally, we must practice to teach the Lord's words diligently to our children in every kind of situation.

The majority of today's Christian parents have abandoned the education of their children to public or private education systems and to the television industry. Such training is often not only not helpful to them, but rather it damages them to live and have their being in the Lord. There are two principles in the universe, two sources of living, the natural and the spiritual. Our children must be taught in their knowledge about the acts of God, and in their conscience about the reality of God and Satan. They must know that before salvation, man lives in a state of deadness in spirit, active in the age of the world, under the dominion of the authority of the air, and in the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts.

DEAD IN OFFENSES AND SINS—OUR BLACK BACKGROUND

Chapter two [of Ephesians] describes a miserable situation, a situation that requires the rich mercy of God. In this message we shall be concerned with the first three verses of chapter two….

II. DEAD IN OFFENSES AND SINS

A. Dead Spiritually

Verse 1 says that we were dead in our offenses and sins. The words "being dead" refer to the dead condition of our spirit, a death that pervades our entire being. We were not only fallen and sinful; we were dead.

As I was preaching the gospel in Shanghai on New Year's Day in 1947, I said to the people, "Friends, we Christian preachers must be honest and tell people what their real situation is. You are not only sinners—all of you are dead. You are all in a coffin and in a tomb. You may regard yourselves as cultured ladies and gentlemen, but actually you are dead and buried in a tomb. I tell you this because now Christ wants to make you alive and raise you up out of your coffin." This is a good way to preach the gospel....

B. Having Lost the Function That Enables Us to Contact God

By being dead in offenses and sins, we lost the function that enables us to contact God. Spiritual death has annulled the function of our spirit. No matter how active we were in our body and soul, we were deadened in our spirit, unable to contact God.

C. In Offenses and Sins

Verse 1 says that we were dead in our offenses and sins. Offenses are acts that overstep the limit of right, and sins are evil doings. It was from such a background of death in our offenses and sins that we were saved to be the church, the Body. The dead have been made alive to be a living organism to express Christ.

We need to say a further word about offenses. In running a race you must stay within the lines. To go outside the lines is to commit an offense. You have the right to run within the lines, but if you run outside the lines, you overstep your rights.

(continued on page 2)