2000 issue 3 - covenant child rearing 1 - the context of the covenant - counsel of chalcedon
Post on 03-Jun-2018
218 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/12/2019 2000 Issue 3 - Covenant Child Rearing 1 - The Context of the Covenant - Counsel of Chalcedon
1/4
Covenant h i l d ~ R e a r i n g #1:
he
Context of
he
Covenant
by
Steve Wilkins
Introduction
By now you ve heard it more times than you
can count, but still it bears repeating: The family is .
one of he primary institutions of society. t is the
societal building block. Because
of
his reality,
long-term reformation ofa culture
is
impossible
if
the families which make up the culture are not
growing in conformity to God's Word. Let us be
clear however: I am not saying that the family is
the only institution necessary for reformation (as
some apparently believe today).
yourself told The family desperately needs society
(for protection and provision) and it is really and
truly dependent upon the Church (for salvation and
sanctification). God says so and that should settle
it.
We
mustnot embrace an unbiblical extreme in
our effort to avoid the corruption and heresies
of
the world.
But
having noted this, it is still true to say that
the family is essential to covenant society and to a
biblical church. Inde ed there can be no faithful
church or godly society
if
we
db
not have faithful,
godly families. Surely, the covenant shows s this.
t is vital then in such a day as this when the family
is being attacked on all sides, that Christians be
"Indeed there can be no faithful
church or godly society if we do not
have faithful, godly families."
Whenever a culture sustains an attack upon a well acquainted with what the Bible teaches
Chri ft
concemlng how we are to
II've
as "athers, mothers,
divinely ordained institution, .stians en react
i
by going to the opposite extreme and almost and children. Thus, this study is a most important
become guilty of
idolizmg the institution. This has
one-not
only for each
of
us individually or for our
been the
~ a s e
in recent years in regard to the families , but for the future of our nation and the
family. Back in the 70s it came to light that we kingdom
of
Christ in this country.
were approaching a
di
vorce rate equal to the rate The Covenant and the Family
of
marriage. This sent an alarm through the When
we
look at the covenant as it is revealed
Christian community (as well
it
Should have) and in Scripture, we see that it is inherently
familial-
produced all manner
of
marriage .seminars, i.e:
itis
inextricably tied In the"family.Another .
courses, books, and expert counselors. All
ofa
way
of
saying this is that the covenant is organic:
sudden, we found ourselves "up to here" in the
God created Adam
to
be the fountainhead of
"Total Woman" and "The Godly Husband" aI/mankind After the initial creation
of
Adam
The same has now happened with the family. and Eve, the Lord ceased creating men from the
The world has so despised it that an alarm has dust
of
the earth and women from ribs. Instead,
again sounded in the Christian community and now He gave Adam a wife and co=anded them
to
be
we are in danger of viewing the family as if it is fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. This means that
the only important institution. Thus, we have . there is an organic unity
to
mankind.
We
all de- ..
families moving offintothe wilderness so that they . scended from mothers and fathers, who were
will
not
have any contact with others and thereby descended from other mothers and fathers, who
enjoy the pure family ex
perience-they
need
no
descended from the first mother and father.
co=unity,
they jus t need each other.
We
also The covenant recognizes this unity and
have families who have decided they do not need operates in terms of
it
God blesses and curseS
the Church. They have formed a family church along family lines. And normally, salvation is
who needs the fellowship
of
the saints or the granted along family lines. The ordinary way in
corporate worship
of
God? The family
of
itself is which God's purposes
of
salvation are brought to
s e l f ~ s u f f i c i e n t pass is by fathers teaching their Children. One
Do we need to be told that these reactions are generation is
to
teach the next (see Psalm 78:1-7
fooliSh 'and are in fact departures from the teach- and note that there the psalmist mentions four
ing of the Scriptures? If so, there it is, consider . . generations).
16 .-
THE
COUNSEL ofChaIcedon -
,ApriI/May, 2000
-
8/12/2019 2000 Issue 3 - Covenant Child Rearing 1 - The Context of the Covenant - Counsel of Chalcedon
2/4
The covenant thus, does not sever the natu-
ral bond that binds parents to children.
You
do
not view your children as strangers and aliens
because they are not strangers and aliens, they are
your children You don' t require
them
to give you
their name, rank, and serial number before you
acknowledge tbem as your own. They are God's
heritage io you, His special reward (Psalm
127).
You therefore give them your family name, they
enjoy the privileges which come with being in your
family and are viewed, naturally, as members
of
the family. As members of the family, they are
expected to participate
in
all family activities, and,
preeminently, this means they are to join with the
family in the worship of Jehovah. This order is
God-ordained and holy.
When you think of it, how strange
it
would be
for God to cause His covenant to operate in such a
way that parents had to divorce themselves from
their children at this most important issue
of
whom
they are to worship and serve How could we give
them our names, our food, a room in our homes,
and then view them as aliens and strangers when it
comes
to
our covenant with the Lord? Here we
see the error
of
non-covenantal thinking. What
would you think of a couple that refused to allow
their children to live in their homes and eat their
food until the children could identify themselves
and express thanksgiving for being in the house
hold? We would all conclude that these people
have no understanding .
ofthe
parental obligation.
But I suggest it is far more appalling to give your
children all these secondary privileges and then
treat them as
if
they are spiritual "aliens and
strangers" having no covenant relationship with
God. God said He would be a God to us "and to
our children" after us, and He means it. The
covbnant
S
a blessed reality.
God does not operate His covenant contrary
to His created order. Therefore, Abraham's
children were to be given the sign
of
Abraham's
God. God's covenant promise includes the children
and they are to be cared for precisely because
they belong to Him. The children
of
a Covenant
marriage are children
of
God by virtue
of
His
covenant. Note Psalm
128:1-3-
the children are
like "olive shoots," they bear a clear relation to
their "faithful fatlter who is like an "olive tree"
(Psalm 52:8).
For this reason, the charge against Israel
brought
by
the prophet Ezekiel
when
they engaged
in child sacrifice is most pointed: "Moreover you
took your sons and your daughters, whom
YOll
bore to Me, and these you sacrificed
to them
to
be
devoured. Were your acts of harlotry a small
matter, that
YOll
have slain My children and
offered them up to them
by
causing them
to
pass
throngh
the fir
e? (Ezekiel
16:20-21 ).
Is God opposed to destroying His enemies?
Is
He opposed to destroying
the
children of His
enemies? No, He isn't.
In
fact, He often destroys
the children
of
His enemies (Egypt's firstborn,
the
children
of
the Canaanites, etc).
But He
is opposed
to destroying those who belong to
Him by
virtue of
His covenant. Thus, Jesus corrects
and
rebukes
His disciples when they seek to prevent mothers
from bringing children to
Him
because they viewed
them as having no claim upon the Savior. But
the
Lord rebukes them, commands them to allow the
little children to come and explains the permission
by noting,
o/slIch
s
the
kingdom.
(Matthew
19: 13-14). The little ones
of
believing parents are
legitimate members
of
the covenant-kingdom
of
God
The covenant is organic
in
that it recognizes
the created order and operates
in
terms of it.
The sin which disrupted the created order would
have made all children enemies and aliens to their
parents as well as to God. But God, by His gra
cious covenant restores the created order. The
covenant does not sever the bond that God or
dained between you and
your
children,
it conse.
crates it.
The family therefore, plays a vital role
in
bringing
to
pass God's covenant purposes of
redemption and in the establishment of His
kingdom in the earth. This is obvious from the
beginning. Adam and Eve were commanded
to be
fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth and subdue it.
t was God's intention that the earth
be
filled with
faithful children descending from the first Father
and Mother.
This was not changed after the fall.
Of
course, after the fall,
men
must
be
given new
natures, cleansed from sin and forgiven, trans
formed from enemies of God into His friends, all
based upon the redemptive work of Christ. God
blesses and calls His elect to Himself and fills the
earth with His knowledge as the waters cover the
sea-just
as the Lord intended from the beginning .
AprillMay 2000 -
THE
COUNSEL of Chalcedon -
17
-
8/12/2019 2000 Issue 3 - Covenant Child Rearing 1 - The Context of the Covenant - Counsel of Chalcedon
3/4
Not
only do His covenant purposes remain un
changed,
but
even the method
by
which His
purposes are brought to pass.remains unchanged.
His purpose would still
be
accomplished primarily
through families.
Dr. O .Palmer Robertson points out
that
God
accomplishes His purposes of redemption not by a
method contrary
to
the structures
of
creation,
but by a method in conformity with creation.
(Robertson, The Christ
of
the Covenants, p. 79).
God
In mercy, does not work in redemption con
trary
to
His original created order (which was
perfect), rather,
He
restores the created order by
His grace that
it may
function as He originally
intended
it.
"Redemption has the effect
of
restor
ing the order
of
creation, and the solidarity of the
family is one
of the
lireatest
of
creation's ordi
nances.
The
genealogical character
of
redemption's activity underscores the intention of
God
to work
in
accord rather than in discord with
this creational ordering." (Robertson, p. 41).
Thus, the original promise
is
given in terms
of
the seed (or descendants)
of
the woman.
And
to Abraham the promise is that "al l the
families
of
the earth" shall be blessed (Genesis
12:1-3) through his descendants (Genesis 15:5).
God
even says
that
the reason He has entered into
covenant with Abraham is in order that he might
bring His purposes to pass by means
of
Abraham's
faithful training
of
his children (Genesis
18
:17-19
And
the. Lord said,
Shall
I hi< efromAbraham .
what
I am doing, 18 "since Abraham shall surely
become a great and mighty nation, and all the
nations
o(
the earth shall be blessed in him? 19
For
I have known him,
in
order that
he may
command his children and his household after him,
that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righ
teousness and justice, that the Lord
may
bring to
Abraham what He has spoken to him.")
Note that the language
of
the .promise here is
changed from families to "nations" (which is the
language Jesus uses in the great commission,
Matthew 28:18-20).
But
here we see that the
mtlanS,by which God is going to bring to pass His
c o v e n a ~ t
purpose ofblessing upon the nations and
filling the e rth with His glory js Abraham's
faithful rearing
of
his children in the nurture
and
admonition of Christ.
he
promise attached
to
the fifth command
ment shows us that God normally brings salva-
tion through family (Exodus 20:5-6 "you shall not
bow
down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord
your God, am ajealous God, visiting the iniquity of
the fathers on the children to the third and fourth
generations
of
those who hate Me, 6 but showing.
mercy
to
thousands, to.those who love
Me
and
. keep My commandments.")
This promise is repeated by Moses in Deuter
onomy 7:9 ("Therefore know that the Lord your
God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps
covenant and mercy for a thousand generations
with those who love Him and keep His command
ments.")
After God gave a similar promise toDavid,
he
picks up the theme in the Psalms. The faithful man
is granted a blessed progeny (Psalm 112:1-2
"Praise the Lord Blessed is the man who fears
the Lord, Who delights greatly in His command
ments. 2 His descendants will be mighty on eartll: .
The generation
oftlle
uprigllt will be blessed.") . '
And
note Psalm 103: 17-18 ("But the mercy of'
the
Lord
is from everlasting to everlastiIig On
those who fear
Him,
And His righteousness to
children's children, 18 To such as keep His cov
enant,
And
to those who remember His command
ments
to do them."). The faithful receive the
blessing
of
God throughout their generations.
Throughout the Bible, God gives His people
great and precious promises that they are to
embrace by faith in regard to their
i l d r
God promises blessing upon the children
of
the faithful (Psalm 102:25-28
Of
old You laid the,
foundation of the earth, And the heavens ate ' he
work
of
Your hands. 26 They will perish, but You
will endure; Yes
, they will all grow old like a .
garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And
they will be changed. 27
But
You are the same,
And
Your years will have no end.
28
The children
ofYour servants will continue, And their descen
dants will be established before
You
") Note here
that because God does not change, He can and will
sustain the descendants
of
His faithful servants.
He always keeps covenant with His people and
thus blessing comes to a thousand generations
of
those who honor Him by their obedient covenant
keeping. (Deuteronomy 7:9 "Therefore know that
the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God .
who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand . .,'
generations willi those who love Him and keep
commandments.") . '
18 ,.THE COUNSELo Chalcedon - AprilJMay, 2
-
8/12/2019 2000 Issue 3 - Covenant Child Rearing 1 - The Context of the Covenant - Counsel of Chalcedon
4/4
Note thot the promises
o
the covenant are
not unconditional
Some might think in l ight
of
these promises that the salvation of our children is
automatically assured, and that we
don't
have to
worry about it if we have them baptized and bring
them to church. But the Bible teaches that the
blessings of the covenant are granted only to those
who fear the Lord and faithfully keep His com
mandments (Psalm 103:17-18 "Butthe mercy
of
the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On
those who
feal
Him, And His righteousness to
children's children, 18
To
such as keep His cov
enant, And to those who remember His command
ments to do them.")
The blessings of the covenant are not granted
to those who presume upon God's goodness and
refuse to give heed to His Word. The children of
the careless and indifferent will not be blessed
but
will
be
allowed
to
follow out the careless indiffer
ence demonstrated by their parents.
[fyou
break
the covenant yourself, you cannot expect the
blessings God promises to covenant keepers. But
the faithful parent, who sincerely fears God and
seeks faithfully to keep His commandments-living
faithfully himself and teaching andruling over His
children; leading them in the fear
of God--does
not
have any reason to fear that God will be unfaithful
to His Word
of
promise. His righteonsness will
be
granted to their children's children.
"The
faithful parent, who sincerely fears
God and seeks faithfully to keep His
commandments-l iving faithfully
himself and teaching and ruling over
His children, leading them in the fear
of God-does not have any reason to
fear that God will be unfaithful
to
His Word of promise. His
righteousness will be granted
to
their
children's children."
Thus, all our thinking about child-real"ing must
be viewed in the context of the covenant. We
ought to thankfully rejoice that the Lord is faithful
to His promise in the covenant. Even as He has
been faithfnl to His promise to send His Son to
fulfill the demands of the covenant for us, so
He
will be faithful
to
bless all who fear them and be a
God to them and to their children after them. And
with thankfulness for this reality,
we
faithfully, with.
holy confidence, bring
up our
children in the
nurture and admonition ofthe Lord.
We must give all diligence to following God's
Word in this bnsiness
of
rearing
our
children
faithfully. But we labor in this not as the Pharisee,
thinking that if we pay the price" God will have to
give us the product.
That
is
self-righteous
legalism; Nor do we labor with anxiety and fear
or doubt, wondering whether God will remember
His covenant with us.
That
is faithlessness and
. unbelief. We do not sit back and say, "Well the
Lord has promise to save my children, so let's
watch TV " That is presumptiou.
The proper response
to
the covenant is to labor
diligently in the task ofbringing up our children
in
the nurture and admonition
of
he Lord, following
all His commandments, admonishing, chastening,
encouraging, rebuking, beinga faithful example
ourselVeS, praying for His blessing upon
our
children and doing all with holy joy and unshakable
confidence in the faithful God who keeps His
covenant with all those who fear Him. He will
bless our efforts.
Here then is the issue for us.Are you growing
in faithfulness in teaching and training your chil-
dren or are you indifferent to it? Are you
spending
80 hours a week striving for success
at
work,
building up your bankaccount and
savings-but
.
. ignoring the covenanttraining of your children?
What are you thinking? A successful business and .
bags of money will be of no profit to
your
Children
and no comfort to you
if
your children are cov- ..
enant-breakers.
You must love the Lord with all your lieart, soul,
mind, and strength, walk
in ijis
fear all the day .
long, and so be a faithful example of a man who
honors the Lord with all he is and all that he has.
You must give careful attention to
your
highest
earthly calling of being a faithful father to your
sons and daughters. And because of the covenant, .
we can carry tbis heavy burden with a light .
heart-and
we can take np this incredib ly difficult
task with holy confidence. God is faithful andHe .
will not forsake those who love Him. Trust and
obey.
ApriI May, 2000 -
TH
COUNSEL ofChalcedon -19
top related