FOURTH QUARTER 2020 SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #2 OCTOBER 10, 2020 “THE FAMILY”
“My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother." Proverbs 1:9
How refreshing to find a lesson on the family in the Sabbath School lesson quarterly! I have gone through a number of different Bible lesson sets published by various Adventist entities, and I can only recall one set that addressed that topic. And I can't ever remember an evangelistic series that encompassed this theme. It's an important and overlooked subject that we would do well to spend an entire quarter studying.
Pertaining to this week's lesson, a friend of mine said, "I can't study the lesson this week. I tried, but it's just too painful. All it did was make me relive the guilt I feel for my failures as a mother. I have repented for my mistakes over and over. I know God forgives, but it hurts to live with the consequences of my failings as I see my (now grown) young adult children struggling in their walk with Christ."
Furthermore, the resulting discouragement is so great that at times, she said, "It's debilitating."
I can relate.
As a new mother, I recognized some areas where my parents had failed. I determined not to repeat those mistakes. "I want to raise my children without regrets," I often said. That was my goal. Do it right the first time.
The ideals for raising and training children set forth in our lesson this week are lofty ones. This is what heaven intended for every home, from the Garden of Eden until now. Yet how few of us can read these counsels without recognizing we fell short of the mark. I freely confess, I fell short. Now that my children are grown, I have no opportunity to go back to repair the damage that was unwittingly done. We only get to raise our children once, and my turn is past.
I don't know what percent of people who study the lesson are actually in the mode of planning a family or raising a family now, but I would guess there is a sizable percentage of people who, like myself, are now viewing that most significant stage of life in the rear view mirror.
What promises can we claim when we feel undeserving of God's mercy or blessing? How can we pray in faith for our children's salvation when, retracing our steps, we find our own neglect or actions to be at the root of many of our children's present struggles? Inspiration tells us we will face our words and actions again in the judgment. It tells us that the salvation of our children is to a great degree the result of the training we give them. Is there hope? Or is it presumptuous to pray for our children's salvation when we are/were part of the reason they are where they are today?
The Bible is filled with stories of families that experienced disastrous consequences owing to the failure of the parents. Think of Adam, Noah, Jacob, Eli, David and many more. We are not alone, but that does not lessen the pain of our own mistakes.
I wouldn't get sidetracked on this except that I have so many friends who love the Lord who are now interceding for the salvation and conversion of their grown children. This is a huge issue for many Seventh-day Adventists.
I could fill up a book of instructions on how to raise godly children. Love your children. Read Child Guidance. Read the Testimonies, aloud, to the whole family (RH Dec. 26, 1892). Read the Adventist Home. Read the stories of the children of Israel and their journeyings. Study the life of Jesus. Pray without ceasing. Move to the country. Grow a garden. Declutter, clean, and organize your life and home. Delete the world from your life (social media, movies, music, sports, internet trivia). Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Live to bless others. Go camping. Memorize Scripture. Go hiking. Sing hymns and songs and spiritual songs. Have family worship morning and night. Vary the content and themes. Lift up Jesus. Teach your children to be diligent, efficient, and skilled workers, cheerful, affectionate, loyal, honest, open to sharing their burdens with you. Spend time, lots of time, with your children. Live the health message. Guard your mouth. Love your spouse. Model a life of self-sacrifice. Homeschool. Love your children.
There's a list, and it's just the beginning. But who is sufficient for these things? No one.
Is there any Good News in the Word for parents who are struggling to raise their children in Christ? For parents with grown children who have lost their way? Yes.
Is it God who whispers in our ear, "You messed up, there's no hope for you or your children"?
I don't think so. "The devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time" Revelation 12:17. We are experiencing the death pangs of a world suffocating in sin. Satan is seeking to discourage and destroy. He has refined his techniques to capture as many as possible in his grasp. Sin abounds! You can't escape it, even in the country! Sin is as close as a click away on your phone. Or your child's phone.
Jesus said, "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and My judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me" John 5:30. If Jesus could do nothing of Himself, we can certainly do nothing of ourselves. The enemy is too great. We cannot resist him in our own strength.
But the 1888 messengers draw our attention to the Bible truth that where sin abounds, grace MUCH MORE abounds! Romans 5:20.
"For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" Romans 5:6.
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8.
This is good news! Jesus did not come to save good people. He came to rescue us when we were His enemies. When we were living for ourselves, focused on our Instagram accounts and forgetful of His tender mercies. He came to save the lost, the hopeless. He came to save those who are caught firmly in Satan's grasp. He came to wipe the tears from our eyes and give us hope through His promises -- something we can believe in even if we can't see it.
"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief" 1 Timothy 1:15. Praise God! There is hope for sinners. There is hope for parents. There is hope for children.
What we need to learn is how to abide in Christ and claim His promises: "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you" John 15:7. Heaven and earth may pass away, Jesus said, "but My words will by no means pass away" Matthew 24:35. God's Word is sure. It stands forever. We can depend upon it. We cannot depend on ourselves. When I look back at my life, it's discouraging. But Jesus is not discouraged. He has faith . . . in us! He has faith in our children.
Now, like never before, we need to learn how to pray the promises of God.
"God wills that 'all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth' 1 Timothy 2:4. And He 'worketh all things after the counsel of His own will' Ephesians 1:11. 'What! do you mean to teach universal salvation?' We mean to teach just what the Word of God teaches, -- that 'the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men' Titus 2:11, R.V. God has wrought out salvation for every man, and has given it to him, the majority spurn it, and throw it away. The Judgment will reveal the fact that full and complete salvation was given to every man, and that the lost have deliberately thrown away their birthright possession. Thus, every mouth will be stopped." E. J. Waggoner, Glad Tidings, pp. 8, 9 (original edition).
Lately we've had a lot of fires in California with a lot of stories coming out about dramatic rescues and escapes. According to the texts just quoted, Jesus has already accomplished the rescue mission from sin, successfully, for the whole world. What is left for us?
"Our Saviour wants you to keep in close relation to Himself, that He may make you happy. When Christ lets His blessing rest upon us, we should offer thanksgiving and praise to His dear name. But, you say, if I could only know that He is my Saviour! Well, what kind of evidence do you want? Do you want a special feeling or emotion to prove that Christ is yours? Is this more reliable than pure faith in God’s promises? Would it not be better to take the blessed promises of God and apply them to yourself, bearing your whole weight upon them? This is faith. It is by faith that we are to come into a sacred nearness to Christ, not depending upon feeling; we are to say, 'I believe Thy promise, Lord, because Thou hast said it. Thy word is pledged; we know that we are the children of God because we comply with the conditions, because He has pledged his word.' There is not a friend in the world of whom you would require one-half the assurance that our Heavenly Father has given you in His promises." {RH July 29, 1890, par. 6}
A couple of years ago while attending a gathering at church, a woman of 40 years stood up and shared her testimony. For 20 years she had practiced an alternative lifestyle. She hadn't merely practiced it. She had campaigned for laws to be passed in favor of this lifestyle. She was militant. For 20 years or more, her mother was praying for her daughter. Outwardly, there was no hope, but this mother continued to press her petitions to the throne of grace. By a miracle of God, this young woman's heart was changed. She surrendered her life to Jesus and forsook her ungodly lifestyle. She turned to her mother who was seated next to her and praised her for her unwavering faith and prayers all those years.
"Faith is complete dependence upon the word of God, expecting that word to do what the word itself says." A.T. Jones, Lessons on Faith, p. 31. And it will, regardless of how we feel!
