"Why do people choose the substitute over God himself? Probably the most important reason is that it obviates accountability to God. We can meet idols on our own terms because they are our own creations. They are safe, predictable, and controllable; they are, in Jeremiah's colorful language, the 'scarecrows in a cornfield' (10:5). They are portable and completely under the user's control. They offer nothing like the threat of a God who thunders from Sinai and whose providence in this world so often appears to us to be incomprehensible and dangerous . . . [People] need face only themselves. That is the appeal of idolatry."
- David F. Wells
Monday, July 17, 2006
Last Friday, my wife and I actually had a chance to get out of the house and attend a performance. Well, it may have been only a Vacation Bible School children's performance, but with a houseful of little kids running around, we try to emphasize the little victories.
The pastor said something during the evening that really bothered me. He's said it before, and makes it a matter of emphasis. He refuses to take professions of faith from children at face value. He said they had X number of children accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, but while they had more than that profess faith, they didn't count those. He assumes they don't mean it, unless they can hold up under his cross-examination and prove a relatively nuanced understanding of the gospel message to his satisfaction (which cross-examination, incidentally, was not performed on adults who came forward at the close of the service and who were announced as having been saved before the gathered congregation).
And not only that, but they did not even present the gospel to children under first grade. On principle, as it were.
Perhaps the intrepid interpretive methodologies which have in the past announced fixed dates for the return of Christ have now been turned on the doctrine of "the age of accountability" to arrive at a precise age for delivery of the gospel.
And where, by the way, would support for such an approach to children be in the scriptures? Anywhere?
When I think of how the scriptures instruct us to treat new converts, a host of passages come to mind. I think of Jesus encountering sinners, healing them, accepting their faith, and sending them away. I think of the Ethiopian eunuch immediately receiving baptism after hearing the gospel.
When I think of how the scriptures instruct us to teach children, a host of passages come to mind. Suffer the children to come to me. Do not provoke your children to wrath. Have faith like a child. Whoever causes a child to stumble should've rather jumped into a lake tied to a millstone. The list goes on. But nowhere do I see a biblical pattern for treating any professor of faith, let alone a child, like this.
I get the fact that it's important not to leave people with a false sense of security based upon a false profession of faith. But isn't that a problem for all ages, not just children? And isn't anyone-- even a pastor-- who thinks that he can discern who is or is not converted by questioning them, going beyond the pale in arrogance?
I also get that children are susceptible to the influence of others. But-- good grief-- are we going to say that's what makes them different from adults? Seriously?
Let me emphasize that I get what's behind this, and I understand the evil the pastor is trying to avoid. He's trying to do battle with a superficial replica of the Christian faith which has far too much currency in America. Too many grow up thinking that they can go to VBS, or a revival, or any kind of Christian event, say a prayer, and get innoculated against Hell. The grim reality is they are innoculated against the gospel. So I won't pretend everything's fine. It's not.
But when you recognize a serious biblical problem-- apostasy and superficial professions of faith-- you need to attack it with a biblical solution. Fighting God's enemies requires using God's weapons. Very often, as with Joshua and David, God's weapons come off as counter-intuitive and stupid ideas that are doomed to fail. It is easy for us to be nonplussed by the Israelites sacking Jericho armed with trumpets, and David killing a giant with a sling and a stone. We know how the stories end. But, on their face, those methods are so crazy that one might question God's sanity in ordaining them. If he weren't who he is.
He is a God who is Triune, writes sixty-six books through human authors (just to scratch the surface of who he is and what he's about) involving five law books, ten commandments, over a dozen prophets. four gospels, and an apocalypse. He is the same God who weaves a pattern of redemption through history that involves creating a world out of nothing, making a man out of dirt, making a woman out of man, flooding the world, picking a bunch of misfit slaves to be his people, teaching them how to kill animals, and a climax in which he sends his own Son to die. And live again. And, by the way, in order to get this, you need to be like a child.
So any solution to this problem that encourages converts-- especially children-- not to be like a child, or assumes that being a child is an impediment to the gospel, has to have it wrong from the outset.
Using Saul's armor to fight Goliath always has its own unanticipated negative consequences. A student aspires to be like his teacher. When the pastor weighs in the balance children who profess to love Jesus, and finds them wanting, he teaches them to question their faith, and to find it lacking. Even if it's not. When a child-- or any convert-- looks into his own heart and sees true faith, but is told that his teacher sees no sign of true faith, who will he think is right? He or the teacher? The answer may portend years of struggle against doubt.
The real problem is not where this pastor is mounting the attack-- on the front end, keeping would-be converts out. It is on the back end, failing to keep them in. The failure is in discipleship and church discipline. Many times discipleship is an option for new Christians, encouraging a kind of Christian Darwinism, in which only the strong in faith survive. And church discipline is non-existent, tacitly encouraging those who once professed, but have long spurned God's word and his people, to think they are secure.
Discipleship and church discpline? All of that takes work. Much more work than just keeping them out.
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1. Thinking Christian
- 07/18/2006 7:07 am CDT
Can we save our children? This past week my son attended Vacation Bible School at his aunt's church. Halfway through they had a family night where the parents could go and see what their children had been doing so far. One of the things that...
Comments on "You Must Be This Tall to Receive the Gospel":
2. Alan
- 07/17/2006 1:57 pm CDT
I'm not really sure what you mean by a catechism like the one I describe, but I'll assume that you just mean the idea of accepting simple, childlike professions of faith unless you tell me otherwise.
My answer would be certainly they are afraid of screwing up their dealings with children. I don't deny that's a valid concern. My issue is that Jesus, when specifically confronted with the issue of children and the faith, says not only that children are to come to him, but that we are to be like little children.
So the answer to any sort of pastoral problem like this is always going to center around, not some bad thing that I think might happen, and how, in my wisdom, I think I can avoid it, but what the Bible commands me to do.
And it commands the opposite of what I saw being taught.
4. Alan
- 07/17/2006 2:01 pm CDT
Okay, I get it. I think that's right. The goal should not be to try to ask enough questions to create doubt.
That should also not be the goal of discipleship. Discipleship for any new convert should generally avoid the navel-gazing question of trying to figure out if you have true faith. Don't keep wondering if you have true faith. Just trust in Jesus and ask him to help you do the things that go along with true faith. Look for fruit. If you take that approach, the kind of introspection that has haunted many Christians will be unnecessary. The kind of introspection generally referred to in the scriptures has to do with seeking and rooting out sin, as opposed to verifying the presence of faith.
5. Brian in Fresno
- 07/17/2006 2:30 pm CDT
Doesn't the New Testament say that we are to assume the best of people? Galations has a list of attributes that indicate true Christian belief, the fruits that you spoke of in your post. I see this as another "instant" action. Discipleship takes time and effort, work if you will, and this action requires no work. It would be far better to have a number of people observe the childs behavior for six months to a year before off-handedly rejecting them. I do applaude the minister for asking the children questions but this should also extend to adults as well as the six month to one year observation. Of course observation would be much easier if we lived in real community rather than meeting at the club house once or twice a week.
6. Milly
- 07/17/2006 3:18 pm CDT
A story from the Milly.
My husband wasn’t an attend church guy. I took my son every Sunday. When we came home my husband asked him how church was. He looked up and proudly said “I saw God†My husband smiled and asked “And how is God?†“ He’s great†was the response. Children plant seeds and need to be heard. My husband is now very involved in our church and won’t miss a Sunday. When my children talk about their beliefs we listen.
7. Leslie27
- 07/17/2006 6:08 pm CDT
"Of course observation would be much easier if we lived in real community rather than meeting at the clubhouse once or twice a week."
You said a mouthful! My heart's aching a little in that spot recently. We miss that real community in our new home, even though we've been here for three years!
Personally, I think that while us adults may find it beneficial to observe a child for six months looking for fruit, the child would actually benefit more by US having faith in their sincerity and getting personally involved in discipling them.
What benefit is it to a child to doubt their faith? What begins as a sense of security is meant to blossom--in God's time. How can a seedling take root and grow if it is either plucked as soon as it sprouts or is peppered with questions meant to fertilize, but actually burn its shallow root system in the end?
When a child professes faith, they DO crave that spiritual milk, and it is our job to be sure they are fed good, nourishing food as opposed to a bunch of junk, and to keep feeding them until they can feed themselves.
That's where the discipleship comes in. I don't mean just teaching them their bible stories, etc. which can result in that empty religion that we are all so discouraged by when that is all that's offered. I mean seeing them--really seeing them. Like the moment when you see a generally belligerant child act in kindness, TELL them you saw it. Encourage their faith. Or when you see a generally nonverbal, shy child welcome someone who is new to church, or when you see a child growing "in stature and in wisdom." Maybe it's not change you're looking for with some kids, but rather a deepening of qualities they already have displayed. The problem is that requires US to LOOK for them.
Who has time to be bothered with hopeless little whelps who panic and clam up when you ask them a question? (They must not know the answer, so they must not understand what they're saying.) Or who are too aggressive to approach? (Yeah--you're not going to scratch my kid's eyeballs out every chance you get? Sure. Ok. You're in.) Or are the children of someone you dislike? (If I get involved with him, I have to deal with Daddy. Great.) Or are the preacher's kids? (Let him save his own kids. Then we'll evaluate his effectiveness in this world.)
It saddens me to see how I choose to "love one another" sometimes. And it grieves me to know that I'm not the only one. And when I look at my oldest son (the belligerent child) I am pained to know that his mustard seed of faith faces opposition at every turn--and not from "those that are of the world."
8. Scott
- 07/18/2006 2:45 am CDT
Someone told me recently (or I read it I forget) that the Reformed churches (generally) treat their children like disciples and the non-Reformed treat theirs like potential converts. That makes sense to me given their respective theologies and so when my daughter makes a profession of faith we believe her. Granted before she makes a public profession and officially joins the church she does have to talk to an Elder but that seems to be so we as her parents can disciple her in areas that she may be weak. Once she does that she'll be "able" to take Communion. She's six btw and our church doesn't have a specific age requirement.
9. nhe
- 07/18/2006 4:01 am CDT
Scott, I don't know about that being merely a reformed view, but I think it's right - everything I see in Scripture - Deut 6, Proverbs, whole households being baptized in Acts - leads me to believe that training up a child as a disciple is what we're called to do.
My wife and I lead a community group through our church and really approach it the same way. There are people in our group that - if I had venture a guess as to whether or not they've truly come to saving faith - I'd say no. But we view them as believers because of their profession - God has put them in our lives for a reason, and the reason is not to figure out whether or not they're believers, or to assume they're not and try to convert them. Our role in their lives is to love them and to point to Christ as often as we can.
I think that's where this pastor that Alan speaks about is wrong. Only the people that know us the best have the platform in our lives that enables them to question our profession of faith. Certainly the pastor of a church (usually) does not have this platform in the lives of the children in his congregation.
10. Matt Self
- 07/18/2006 5:52 am CDT
That just blows my mind. That is really a man-centered philosophy, and I hardly *ever* get on that whole man-centered high horse.
Luke 18:16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.
11. Cara
- 07/18/2006 6:33 am CDT
Huh. I've never heard of interrogating a child to see if their faith is "true". In my own case with my three kids, 3,5,11, what they tell me they believe about God and how they relate to Him, and therefore each other, I tend to take at face value. And so does my church. If it lines up with the "fruits" of Scripture, then great. If it doesn't, then a discussion of "If we love Jesus, then we don't..." ensues.
I don't even know if MY faith could stand up to the "navel gazing" someone mentioned earlier. Isn't that what Satan wants us to do anyhow? Since it keeps us preoccupied with Self and then "off the streets" leaving him free access to a dying world.
Seems silly, and I'd have a few words with the pastor... but that's just me.
I love this site, btw. It has brought such fresh fire to my walk (the book "The Bible and the Future" has my friends and I having animated dialogue ;)). And of course, you know I saw it here first!
Cara, former dispensationalist pre-millenialist.
12. Chris Campbell
- 07/18/2006 7:04 am CDT
I just wrote about this over my blog: Thinking Christian. I had a similar experience this past week, went to VBS family night, and the pastor said they presented the Gospel to the kids and had X number of converts. My question is are these really converts or not? I can truly understand and see your position this but I really think it is dangerous to declare someone saved willy nilly. Of course I am not saying we shouldn't present the Gospel to them but if we do we should make that commitment to them to disciple them and to make sure they always understand their salvation. I use myself as an example. I was baptized as an infant, and went to church all my life. I grew up knowing about Jesus, and visited my grandmothers baptist church as a cihld and was "saved" but when i was older I had no real understanding of what my salvation was. I thought since I had sinned so much i would never make it into heaven. Later when I started researching things for myself did I realize it wasn't about my works but about my acceptance of Jesus. I dropped to my knees and accepted him and was saved at that point. So I guess it is my own experience that makes me a little bit wary of "saving" children.
13. Raindream
- 07/18/2006 7:35 am CDT
Chris, there are many stories like yours, and then there are stories like my pastor's daughter who can't point to a day of conversion b/c she always believed the Lord. She wasn't always "saved" in the sense we use the word, but her conversion wasn't remarkable enough to remember.
I have two children, ages 5 and 7, whom I believe have received new hearts from the Lord, but I don't take their profession for granted and don't allow them to have communion yet. I'm not sure what our elders would recommend for their first communion, but I think we have a little class for 8-10 year olds to help them understand the seriousness of their faith before celebrating their first communion.
14. Cindy
- 07/19/2006 4:23 am CDT
A few Sundays ago our pastor did a little experiment on this very topic. He asked the adult members of our congregation to stand up if they had accepted Jesus as Savior before the age of 10. Probably about 60% of the adults stood. He then asked how many had received Christ in adolescence and another 20% stood up. His point was to show us that childhood statements of faith are often meaningful and in fact most of us had come to Christ as children. Of course, we had a lot of maturing to do spiritually, but we also had a lot of maturing to do in all aspects of our little lives.
Whoever causes a child to stumble should’ve rather jumped into a lake tied to a millstone.
But mightn't this be what they're afraid of doing? It seems to me that a catechism like the one you describe is more likely to come between a child and his faith than be a vehicle for it.