Grace and Law
I LOVE THE GOSPEL, and yet I’m amazed at the areas of my life that it has yet to truly touch.
For instance… parenting.
Hope and I try to teach our children to obey THE VERY FIRST TIME. We feel that, from Scripture, it is important that we teach them to obey us, as their parents because in it there is blessing, and we want them to develop a spirit of trust in their parents, that it might spill over to their walk with God. However, being smaller versions of us full-sized sinners, they don’t obey all the time.
So what do we do?
For the longest time, we have used the law of “obey your parents” to show them their sin, that they might repent and do better next time. Nothing wrong with that, except that we stopped there. I stopped there. I was, for the longest time, teaching them to obey, and when they didn’t they would receive correction. But God in his mercy reminded me that THE LAW WAS GIVEN THAT GRACE MIGHT INCREASE. I missed the opportunity to show them that Christ was given BECAUSE they can’t obey all the time. Let me illustrate what I mean…
Me: Nora, why did I discipline you?
Nora: Because I disobeyed (in a cute, Nora voice)
Me: Yes, you did. What does the Bible say?
Nora: Childwen, obey you-uh parwents.
Me: That’s right, please obey next time.
Did you catch it. It was okay, but missed a great gospel opportunity. Let’s try again…
Me: Nora, why did I discipline you?
Nora: Because I disobeyed (in a cute, Nora voice)
Me: Yes, you did. What does the Bible say?
Nora: Childwen, obey you-uh parwents.
Me: Right. You know, sometimes I disobey too, but you know what?
Nora: What?
Me: Jesus obeyed for me, even when I don’t. He obeyed for you too, even when you don’t. Isn’t Jesus great?
Nora: Yeah.
Me: Yeah, he is. Now, please obey Mommy and Daddy.
IN MY PARENTING AND IN MY LIFE, I WANT THEM TO KNOW GRACE WHEN THEY BREAK THE LAW, because they simply will, and so will I, and so will you. That’s why we need Jesus.
yep…good point…had a similar lesson tonight myself…
If I might add to the end:
Me: Jesus obeyed for me, even when I don’t. He obeyed for you too, even when you don’t. Isn’t Jesus great?
Nora: Yeah.
Me: Yeah, he is. And because He obeyed, He gives us the ability to obey in Him. Let’s pray for Him to give us His strength to obey.
No?
Hi Adam – long time! I just linked on to your blog because Caroline’s blog recommends you and found this Nora-obedience story. Can I say I LOVE THE GOSPEL too? I love this story – thank you so much for sharing it. I pray with you that your children will always know grace that increases. Thinking about grace is insane, as in, hectic, amazing, too big for my brain. Personally, I sometimes wonder if the church has really not ‘got it’ at the moment. If the Church could lose sight of grace so much that it took Martin Luther all that study and thought to find it again, then perhaps we have lost sight – again? Pray God he raises up the Martin Luthers!
God bless y’all and the church plant!
love
Pam
Pam Lewsey´s last blog ..The Act of Writing