How do you know?
Today, I had the great privilege to share the gospel with about 35 children, both in the Good News Club at the elementary school and my Upward basketball team. I love it. Some pastors would not consider it a good use of their time to teach children and to take the time for these types of activities, but I can't pass them up. It is so wonderful to see their faces and to know that their hearts are soaking up the truth.
My big challenge is knowing how to tell when a child has accepted Christ. How do you know? I realize that no human can tell when any person accepts Christ for sure. However, with children it is a special challenge. I try to make sure they know about sin and trusting Christ. I want to make sure they know what it means to repent and to make Jesus Lord, too. The problem for me is that I can't tell if they are just giving me the answers I want to hear, or if they are really being drawn by the Spirit to accept Christ. My fear is that by baptizing one of these little ones, I might give him or her a false security. I have met too many adults who have told me stories about their false conversion experiences.
Therefore, I try my best to be discerning, and then, I baptize them entrusting them to the Lord. The one verse that seems to be a definite teaching on this is Matthew 19:14. I believe Jesus is saying that we should not do anything to put the children off, because it takes a child-like faith to be saved. I do not completely grasp how that works with repentance from sin and Lordship, but I do not want to drive any child away. Please, pray for me, because this is one of the hardest decisions I have to make as a pastor. It is very sobering to be dealing with the eternal destiny of an impressionable child. Ask the Lord to show me how I can know.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Exodus 23-24 and Matthew 20:1-16.
My big challenge is knowing how to tell when a child has accepted Christ. How do you know? I realize that no human can tell when any person accepts Christ for sure. However, with children it is a special challenge. I try to make sure they know about sin and trusting Christ. I want to make sure they know what it means to repent and to make Jesus Lord, too. The problem for me is that I can't tell if they are just giving me the answers I want to hear, or if they are really being drawn by the Spirit to accept Christ. My fear is that by baptizing one of these little ones, I might give him or her a false security. I have met too many adults who have told me stories about their false conversion experiences.
Therefore, I try my best to be discerning, and then, I baptize them entrusting them to the Lord. The one verse that seems to be a definite teaching on this is Matthew 19:14. I believe Jesus is saying that we should not do anything to put the children off, because it takes a child-like faith to be saved. I do not completely grasp how that works with repentance from sin and Lordship, but I do not want to drive any child away. Please, pray for me, because this is one of the hardest decisions I have to make as a pastor. It is very sobering to be dealing with the eternal destiny of an impressionable child. Ask the Lord to show me how I can know.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Exodus 23-24 and Matthew 20:1-16.