Biblical Basis for Child Evangelism

Biblical Basis for Child Evangelism

Biblical Basis For Child Evangelism

Ashley

9/16/2009

All verses from The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

“…very few people past the age of 18 are led to Christ as Savior. Other studies by Barna Research have found that more than two-thirds of all adult Christians claim to have accepted Christ before turning 18. This study corroborates that conclusion…the vast majority of all Christians make that critical decision before they even reach their teens. While teen ministry clearly plays an important role in the advancement of the Gospel…the greatest susceptibility to the Gospel appears among young children, rather than teenagers; various other studies indicate the general inefficacy of evangelism among adults.”

 (Barna Research Group. “Today’s Teen” magazine. 1991, pp. 37-39. study conducted in 1990)

With almost 1/3 of the world’s population under the age of 15, the time to reach people with the Gospel is when they are young . There is great urgency as well. “After the age of 35 only one person in 50,000 receives Christ; after 45 only one in 300,000; and after 75 only one in 700,000 is converted.” (Dr. M. R. De Hann founder of Radio Bible Class) Children are important to God and it is His heart that they should come to a saving knowledge of Himself.

“…if people do not embrace Jesus Christ as their Savior before they reach their teenage years, the chance of their doing so at all is slim.”

(Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions by George Barna)

Children are the most overlooked mission field and arguably the most important. God’s Word is quite clear on His heart for the children and what our responsibility is as believers concerning them.


Passages Concerning Children



Deuteronomy 4:1-10

The Israelites were preparing to enter the Promised Land and begin life there. Their children would grow up to inherit the land and so instruction is given to the adults to train them in the ways of the Lord. Verse nine gives a warning to the adults to watch themselves closely so they didn’t forget all that God had done for them. It also instructs them to teach their children and grandchildren God’s laws, decrees and of what He had done. The young children by this time would not have seen firsthand the miracles God had performed for the Israelites during the exodus from Egypt and the 40 years spent in the desert. Since they had no written word, it was vital that the adults teach the children the ways of the Lord that they would know Him and grow to love and follow Him. By so doing their children would in turn tell their children and their children after them and in this way each generation would know the ways of God, love, and follow Him. It was commanded that the children be taught about God.



Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Moses is reminding the Israelites of the commands, decrees and laws that God had given them and they were to observe. They were to obey so that their children and the children after them would learn to fear the Lord and so they would enjoy long life. Blessing would be upon their lives in the Promised Land as well if they were “careful to obey” (verse 3) and they would increase greatly in the land. He gives them the first and greatest commandment in verse five; “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” It was the parent’s responsibility to instill in their children a love for God that was the most important thing in their lives and teach them to honor Him in every area.

“The orthodox Jewish confession of faith is called “the Shema” after the Hebrew word which means “to hear.” This confession is still recited each morning and evening by devout Jews all over the world, affirming “Jehovah, our Elohim, Jehovah is one.” So important is this confession that Jewish boys in orthodox homes are required to memorize it as soon as they can speak.”

 (Warren Wiersbe, Be Equipped)

It was a very serious and important thing that the children learned the ways of God from birth.



Deuteronomy 11:18-21

This passage is addressing the parents. They are to first fix God’s words in their own hearts and minds, be following God and maintaining a relationship with Him. They are to be a living example to their children. Then they are to teach their children about God all the time, anywhere and in every opportunity. They were to “write them on the doorframes” of their houses and their gates, keeping God’s Word visible and ever-present in their everyday life providing teachable moments for their children. The result will be continued blessing through the following generations as they continue teaching their children and following the Lord.



Deuteronomy 31:9-13

Moses gives a command to the people of Israel that every seven years all Israel was to come together to hear the law read. They were to assemble “men, women and children” for this important event. It was important for the children to be there. Verse 13 says, “Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.” The children were to hear the law and learn from it so they would fear the Lord God. God said the children “must” hear His law, it was not optional. This gathering every seven years gave every child the opportunity to hear the law of the LORD, and bring them into a relationship with God. The natural response of that being they would obey what God said, grow in Him and tell their children so there would not be a generation that did not know the law of God.



Psalm 78:1-8

The psalmist begins by telling his hearers/readers that what he is about to tell them is important and they should pay attention. He is talking of things their fathers told them, the great things the Lord had done in their past. What He did for their forefathers and the things which they had been taught by their parents as commanded by the Lord. The purpose of telling their children the works of the Lord was so they would not forget all His deeds and they would pass it on to their children and the children after them. It was God’s desire that the children should know who He is and what He did. He did not want them to grow up to be like their forefathers who were not loyal to Him. They were “stubborn and rebellious,” “not faithful,” and God desired that the children would know Him. It was the parent’s responsibility to teach their children about God and He even commanded it so that “Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.” (v. 7)



Matthew 18:1-14 (in depth. Vs. 1-5, 6, 14)

The disciples had been arguing on the way to Capernaum about who was the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus of course knew what they were arguing about but it was not until they arrived at Peter’s house in Capernaum that He answered their question. The disciples asked Him, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (v. 1) And Jesus called a little child, “paidion” which means “a little or young child” (Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Vol. 1, p. 283), up to seven years old and used him as an object lesson for His disciples. The child was old enough to come when Christ called him but small enough for Him to take him in his arms. Children in those times had a very low position in society and “had no rights according to the law.” (Bible Knowledge Commentary) In verse three He says one must be changed or converted like little children. “In the Greek, the word “converted” or “changed” is “strepho” which speaks of a change that man by himself cannot make. It means to be converted to God with all your heart, with your whole life-exactly what happens in conversion.” (Theology of Child Conversion, CEF, p. 10) Jesus is saying that you must become like children to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Obviously by using the word “strepho” He indicates that there are children who do savingly believe and adults must do the same. Christ uses the child as a model for His disciples on how to enter the kingdom of Heaven. They had to humble themselves to the point of a child with no rights, no position, and have the same kind of faith as a child. Those people, Christ says are the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. After answering the disciple’s question, Jesus then begins to talk about the importance of children and the mission field that they are. In verse five Christ says that whoever welcomes a little child in His name welcomes Himself. The word “welcome” (or receive), means “to accept deliberately and readily.” (The Complete Word Study Bible and Reference CD) Whatever you do to a child is the same as doing it to the Lord Jesus Himself.

Christ goes on to warn about causing “…one of these little ones who believe in me to sin…” (v. 6) “Believe” here is “pisteuo” and is the same word that is used in John 3:16 and Acts 16:31. It means “to have faith in, to trust.” (The Complete Word Study Bible and Reference CD) It is saving faith. The Greek word for “little ones” is “mikros” which mean “small children.” It is clear from this passage that little children can and do, savingly believe in Christ for salvation. The consequences for causing a child to sin are great. For a Jew, the worst thing that could happen would be to drown. Jesus was speaking of the large millstones that weighed tons and mules were used to turn them. Having one of those around your neck and thrown into the sea would have been a terrifying thought to those listening and yet it would be better Christ says, for that to happen than to cause a child to sin. It is a serious thing to God. “Verse 7 tells us that offenses are bound to come in a sinful world; but that the person who actually does the offending-especially against the little ones¬¬-is the one who will be judged because of the harm he has done.” (Sam Doherty The Biblical Basis of Child Evangelism p.23) In verses 8-9, Christ stresses the importance of getting rid of what causes you to sin. He is speaking figuratively that we must remove those things in our lives that cause us to sin. They can be a stumbling block to us first of all, but also to others. “Jesus was not teaching self-mutilation, cutting off one’s hand or foot or gouging out one’s eye. Doing that would not remove the source of offense, which is the heart. Jesus was saying one must remove whatever offends. To keep from offending, radical changes are often necessary.” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary) “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones…” (v. 10a) Christ is speaking literally again of the children. “Look down” or “despise” is “kataphroneo” which means “to think little of” (Bible Companion Series CD)

“We must not look upon these little ones as contemptible, because really they are considerable. Let not earth despise those whom heaven respects;…”

(Matthew Henry Commentary)

These are believing children as evidenced by Christ referring to their angels in Heaven that, “…always see the face of my Father in heaven.” “The expression intimates, as some think, the special dignity and honor of the little ones’ angels; the prime ministers of state are said to ‘see the “King’s face,”’ as if the strongest angels had the charge of the weakest saints.” (Matthew Henry Commentary, p.256) Children are so important to God that their angels are continually before Him. Christ then shows His heart for children by telling the parable of the lost sheep. The context of the story makes it clear that Christ is talking about children while telling it. In the parable, Christ is the Shepherd and it is He that searches for the lost sheep even if it is just one. “Wander off” or “gone astray” (v. 14) is the same word that is used in 1 Peter 2:25. Clearly the children are lost in their sin and in danger of eternal separation from Him. Jesus takes the initiative in actively seeking the lost sheep and He does not want even one of them to perish. When He finds and saves a lost sheep there is much rejoicing. “In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” (v. 14) It is God’s will that all men come to a saving knowledge of Him. The word “will” here means “wish” or “desire” and is also used in another form in 1 Timothy 2:4, “[God] who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” The possibility exists the children can be lost even though it is not God’s desire. “Little ones” here is the word “mikros” which means “little or small” and is referring to literal children.

“The Shepherd’s joy over finding a straying sheep should teach us to value and respect His little ones. They are important not only to the angels and to the Shepherd, but also to God the Father. It is not His will that one of them should perish. If they are important enough to engage angels, the Lord Jesus, and God the Father, then clearly we should never despise them, no matter how unlovely or lowly they might appear.”

 (MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.)

It is clear that little children are lost and God is not willing that any should perish and He will search until He finds and saves them. The lesson Christ wanted His disciples to learn was to have the same heart as Himself for the children.


Mark 10:13-16

People were bringing children to Jesus so that He might bless them. Here in Mark the word “paidion” is used meaning little children up to 7 years old. The story in Luke 18:15 uses the word “Brephos” which is also used in Acts 7:19 and 2 Timothy 3:15 and is translated as infants or babies. They were obviously young children that were being brought to Jesus, small enough for Him to take them in His arms. When the disciples tried to turn the people away, Christ was “indignant.” He was more angry about the disciples hindering the children than when He drove the money changers and merchants out of the temple. Christ commands us to let the little children come to Him and not forbid or hinder them. The kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who come to Him with childlike faith and He makes it clear that He wants the children to come to Him, even at a young age.



Ephesians 1:1-3; 6:1-4

Paul is writing this letter to the “saints in Ephesus,” a saint being anyone who had been born again through faith in Christ. In chapter 6, Paul gives instruction to both children and fathers. The fathers were to bring their children up “in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (v.4) The fathers especially, but the parents having the responsibility of teaching their children the ways of the Lord and His commands. The children were to obey their parents “in the Lord.” (v.1) A child cannot obey “in the Lord” if he is not a believer, and therefore there were saved, believing children, within the church in Ephesus with someone teaching and evangelizing them.


Colossians 1:1-2; 3:20-21

In the first two verses, Paul is writing to “the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse,” which includes all the believers there. The word “faithful” can also be translated as “believing” referring to those who had put their faith in Christ. In chapter 3 verse 20, Paul addresses the children and gives them instruction on obeying their parents. Since this letter is address to the “faithful (or believing) brothers” and he is writing to the children here, clearly there were children among the believers in Colosse that had put their faith in Christ as well.



Titus 1:6

Paul writes to Titus some instructions on setting the church in Crete in order. He gives some guidelines for leaders in the church, one of those being the position of elder. He says that an elder’s children must not be “open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.” If they are then that would show they are not believers and if would give little credibility to the father. Paul refers to the elder’s children who are old enough to have made a personal decision of faith in Christ and are believers.



Philosophies of child conversion



Traditional

The Christian life of the child is formed by his environment. Conversion is a phenomenon of adolescence and until he has the use of reason (around 12 years of age), the child is not lost, since he is safe under the covenant by belonging to a Christian family.

I disagree with this philosophy because Romans 3:23 says that “…all have sinned.” That includes children as well as adults. Psalm 51:5 says, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” If a child is born a sinner then he is in need of a Savior from birth. The parent’s faith does not cover their children since each person must make their own decision to believe in Christ as Savior. A child can understand right and wrong, and their need before age 12 and as soon as they do, they will be held accountable before God for their sin. Christ Himself says, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” (John 9:41) proving that as soon as a person, no matter what age, realizes they are a sinner, they will be held accountable for it.



Educational

The child should receive biblical knowledge from a very young age and develop Christian habits and attitudes. One day he will make a personal decision for Christ, and be saved.

I disagree with this Philosophy as well. 1 Corinthians 2 talks about spiritual wisdom and that the Spirit teaches the things of God. If one is not a believer they cannot understand the things of God or develop Christian habits and attitudes because the natural man “… without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (2 Cor. 2:14) Christian habits and attitudes come as the Spirit of God teaches and unbelievers do not have the Spirit and therefore have no means by which to develop them. Christian growth cannot come before salvation. Therefore the Gospel must be presented before a child can begin to develop Christian habits and attitudes; otherwise there is no foundation to build upon.

Psychological

The child is incapable of understanding symbolism and abstract concepts and is unable to reason; therefore, he cannot make a decision for Christ.

I strongly disagree with this philosophy. Young children are more than capable of understanding symbolism. They learn many symbols as they grow up such as the alphabet, music notes, and math. They have little difficulty understanding these as they are introduced in ways the child can understand.

“All abstract concepts can be understood through concrete examples.”

Salvation is not based on intellect but on faith. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith…” (Ephesians 2:8) Francis Schaeffer said,

“There is only one Gospel for both adults and children. Children’s evangelism is not a different Gospel but is a translation problem in which we must proclaim the great truths of the Christian faith in a very simple manner. The greatest reason for my belief that little children can really understand the vital truths of the Gospel is that I believe in the Holy Spirit’s ministry to communicate the message of salvation and sanctification to them. There is no adult, however intelligent, who can understand the Gospel without the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.”

(Sam Doherty, The Biblical Basis of Child Evangelism p.5)

“If you doubt the child’s ability to communicate with God, don’t doubt God’s ability to communicate with the child”

 (Howard Hendricks), for He has, “…hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.” (Matthew 11:25b) Thinking a child cannot understand symbolism is a dangerous misconception based on psychological theories. We must keep in mind that this idea is secular and ignores the spiritual working of the Spirit of God Who does not work according to human reason.

“The Christian educator must always respect the inner supernatural working of the Spirit of God in the life of the child. Christian educators should be careful not to limit what they think a child can do, because of research by behavioral scientists.”

(Norman Wakefield, Childhood Education in the Church by Roy B. Zuck, p. 351)

The capacity for salvation is not based on intellect or reason, but on faith. Young children are capable of saving faith and more readily believe than adults.



Child Evangelism

The Gospel should be presented to the child at an early age so that as the Holy Spirit works, he will come to know Jesus as his personal Savior. As a result the child can begin to develop Christian character, which is the outward expression of a new inward life.

I agree with this philosophy. The biblical requirement for salvation is childlike faith, not reasoning. “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3-4) The Holy Spirit intervenes outside the realm of reasoning to convict of sin. “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:” (John 16:8) There is a 32% probability that a child will receive Christ between the ages of 4-14. 85% of people who receive Christ do so by age 14, and by age 13 a child’s spiritual identity is largely set in place.
I was saved at age 8 or 9 and can remember talking with my dad about what it meant to believe in Jesus. To me it did not seem like a complicated thing and I had no trouble seeing that I was a sinner and only through faith in Christ could I have my sins forgiven. Having counseled many children, some as young as five, I have seen the Holy Spirit convict them of sin and bring about genuine conversion in their lives. Young children have the greatest capacity of faith and we must share the Gospel with them before they get older and are not as receptive. “

A child of five, if properly instructed, can savingly believe as well as an adult. My conviction is that our converts from among children are among the best that we have. I should judge them to have been more numerously genuine than any other class, more constant, and in the long run, more solid.”

 (Charles H. Spurgeon, The Biblical Basis of Child Evangelism by Sam Doherty, p. 46)

Many Christian leaders came to know Christ at an early age. James Dobson was saved at age 3, Corrie Ten Boom at age 5, Isaac Watts, age 9, Matthew Henry, age 11, and Jonathan Edwards at age 7 are just a few examples. The result of their early conversion was changed lives that impacted many others and they were faithful throughout their whole lives.



The Christian’s responsibility

“Go on, dear teachers, and believe that God will save your children. Be not content to sow principles in their minds which may possibly develop in after years, but be working for immediate conversion. Expect fruit in your children while they are children. Pray for them that they may not run into the world and fall into the evils of outward sin, and then come back with broken bones to the Good Shepherd; but that they may by God’s grace be kept from the paths of the destroyer, and grow up in the fold of Christ, first as lambs of His flock, and then as sheep of His hand.”

(Charles H. Spurgeon, The Biblical Basis of Child Evangelism by Sam Doherty p. 47)

It is the Christian’s responsibility as Christ commands to “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” (Mark 16:15) All means just that, every person in the world not matter what the age. The Bible is clear that children are lost, they can be saved and the Lord is not willing that any of them should perish. We should in no way hinder the little ones from coming to Christ to be saved but instead bring them to Him because,

“I am convinced that child evangelism is the most profitable Christian work one can engage in.”

 -J. W. Thomason