His little voice was teary and very serious. He had some very hard questions for Daddy.
At the first hesitant words, Daddy stopped what he was doing at the desk and took him on his lap. He is almost getting too big. His legs dangle on the ground. He is 9.
"Dad, how do you know if you want to be a Christian for the right reason? " His words kinda tumbled and jumbled from there. His thoughts were difficult for him to form.
Paraphrased something like this, "I don't really intentionally do wrong things. But I do wrong things sometimes. Does that mean I will go to hell? I don't want to go to Hell . I want to go to Heaven. But I don't know if being afraid of going to Hell is a reason to be a christian."
Wise little man.
Mommy had stopped on the stairs at the first words and came back to join the conversation somewhere in the middle there. This was going to be an important conversation.
My husband gently , slowly, explained salvation, discipleship, love and fear , motivations and convictions with him. Big concepts, are sometimes hard to put into words clearly enough for such important questions in one so young.
It was one of those moments when you know the gravity of your responsibility of training this little one for life, for God , for eternity.
Big questions; Hard questions; Wise questions. Thank you , Lord for your infinitely, gentle, leading of your little ones.
Questions....questions that a lot of us adults need to ponder long and hard ourselves.
Are we a Christian for the right reasons?
finding orchids in the laundry....
Showing posts with label cross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cross. Show all posts
Monday, February 27, 2012
Friday, February 18, 2011
Nailing Jesus to The Cross
I found this in my xanga blog archives and it touched me again.....
It was an ordinary day, with ordinary duties and conversation.Then out of the mouth of the 4 yr old it came, "Mom, if I tell a lie, is that just like nailing Jesus to the cross again?" His little voice was very serious.
I stopped... Now that is a good question! In trying to understand where the question came from, it became apparent he had overheard conversation on Heb. 4:6 "...seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame." and Heb.10:29..."who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing..."
As I attempted to put into 4 yr old language the concept of those verses, suddenly the day was no longer ordinary. What an awesome concept and leave it to a little child to see it in its simplicity. How often have I stopped to really put that into perspective against my sin?
What could I say? Yes, really it is that simple. We, as adults try to distance ourselves from these verses by saying that means the hardened,unrepentant sinner. Why not make it more personal? When I sin, I may as well be nailing my Saviour to the cross again. He bore my sin once and for all to grant me forgiveness and freedom from sin. Why do act as if that wasn't sufficient? Why do I shame Him by treating that great sacrifice of so little consequence that I can't even get victory over those same pesky "little " things that cloud my life over and over?
It was a gem of truth in an otherwise ordinary day. There are so, many, many reasons Jesus said " ye must become as little children". Thank You, my son, thank you, my Father!
It was an ordinary day, with ordinary duties and conversation.Then out of the mouth of the 4 yr old it came, "Mom, if I tell a lie, is that just like nailing Jesus to the cross again?" His little voice was very serious.
I stopped... Now that is a good question! In trying to understand where the question came from, it became apparent he had overheard conversation on Heb. 4:6 "...seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put Him to an open shame." and Heb.10:29..."who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing..."
As I attempted to put into 4 yr old language the concept of those verses, suddenly the day was no longer ordinary. What an awesome concept and leave it to a little child to see it in its simplicity. How often have I stopped to really put that into perspective against my sin?
What could I say? Yes, really it is that simple. We, as adults try to distance ourselves from these verses by saying that means the hardened,unrepentant sinner. Why not make it more personal? When I sin, I may as well be nailing my Saviour to the cross again. He bore my sin once and for all to grant me forgiveness and freedom from sin. Why do act as if that wasn't sufficient? Why do I shame Him by treating that great sacrifice of so little consequence that I can't even get victory over those same pesky "little " things that cloud my life over and over?
It was a gem of truth in an otherwise ordinary day. There are so, many, many reasons Jesus said " ye must become as little children". Thank You, my son, thank you, my Father!
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