Childish Nature
Original Design
By design, our spirits were to control our souls, emotions and eventually our flesh. We were created to dominate (Genesis 2:18-20).
Perverted Design Sin turned this constant state of desire and appetite for God to self (Genesis 3:7-13). The spirit of life became the spirit of death and the soul became deformed, overgrown, and perverted, focused solely on self (Psalm 49:12-20).
New Creature in Christ Jesus God in His infinite wisdom, placed us back into the life-giving Spirit (1 Corinthians 15:45). We are now in a better position than Adam was, even better than John the Baptist. We have now been given a “new and living way” (Hebrews 10:20). We have Christ’s body, mind, and faith to use (Colossians 2:6-10, 3:3).
Natural Development of a Child Babies are born with an overdeveloped soul (Psalm 58:3). If a parent waits until an age of reason to start training, the root of self and fleshly desires has already taken root (Proverbs 29:15). Because of sin nature, your child is focused only on self (Proverbs 22:15). As children grow and mature in their reasoning ability, parents automatically expect them to “buck up” and be responsible, not recognizing that the root of self has had between 1-4 years to develop.
Parental Responsibility From birth, parents must assume control and accountability for the moral development of their children* (Proverbs 23:13-14). Understand that small children do not “sin.” They are strictly going by conditioning – action and reaction. Parents are to condition their children to deny their flesh, so when the age of reason comes about in its fullness, children don’t have to “fight” their fleshly appetites. They just move into being dead to self and alive to Christ. (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 2:11-15).
Reasons for Parental Anger Being offended at children for acting the way that they have been trained. Feeling guilty for not liking their children. Giving children a license to disobey. Seeing things in their children that they do not like about themselves or their spouse.
God is not as interested in our children’s actions as we are. As parents, many times we are more interested in our children’s actions than we are their hearts – our response to them tells all. We are offended, embarrassed, angry, revengeful, lack confidence, hurt or feel guilty.
God is interested in His relationship with our children, which involves their hearts. We, as parents, need to see our children as new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our children are now of an incorruptible seed (1 Peter 1:23). They are now "sons" of God (John 1:12, 13). Their "old man" has been crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6).
When we, as parents, are action minded, we cause our children to become performance minded. Love becomes conditional and something to be earned. Perfectionism sets in and nothing is ever good enough, which breeds discontentedness. Later on in teen years, criticism of parents and their actions can develop. Later still, we see discontent with an imperfect spouse.
Training in righteousness brings freedom. Training with law brings condemnation. Example of right and wrong way to teach: Wrong: “Don’t, here’s the rules.” Right: “Do, here’s where freedom begins.” * Statement is a direct quote from the book “To Train Up A Child” by Michael and Debi Pearl.
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A New and Living Way
A New and Living
Way