Sorry I missed posting yesterday. I’ve been wanting to discuss repentance with my children, but I know that my own heart isn’t ready to do so.
We’ve actually been talking in church about repentance and its relationship to salvation. One of the things that we talked about is that one of the marks of a believer is his attitude toward sin. And I think I agree, but I’m wondering how to teach that to my children.
What Scriptures should we look at?
Of course, we do see the attitude after salvation: David’s words in Psalm 51, Paul’s description of the Corinthians in I Corinthians chapter 7. But is there anything that contrasts the attitude toward sin before and after salvation?
All we like sheep have gone astray, perhaps?
If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him?
The first John verse is an interesting one, since we usually think of it as loving worldliness. But loving sin fits in there, too, right?
What Scriptures talk about attitude toward sin? Romans 6, 7, and 8? Remember I am trying to explain it to a five year old and almost four year old.
Finally, what if my children deny wanting to sin? And when I am troubled about their complacency about sin in their unsaved state, how should I think of my own complacency in my redeemed state?
I love the account of the prodigal son for bringing this idea home. When he “comes to himself” and goes home, he has eyeball to eyeball confrontation with his father. He mentions that he not only sinned against him, but recognizes his offense against God as well. He is sobered and humble. And the beautiful nature of our compassionate God is revealed. A Father, waiting with open arms to forgive. And when the other son has a bit of a jealousy issue, bewildered at his father’s response, we see the gravity of the situation from which his brother had been pulled…”he was lost, and is found!” I love listening to this account read by Alexander Scourby on our scripture tapes. It is thrilling.