Perhaps you are like me and have known someone who has a child suffering from the condition of autism, or an elderly person who has Alzheimer Disease. One of the saddest parts of these conditions is the person is unable to communicate with others in a mutually satisfying way.
Today we want to talk about some ideas presented in the book by Tedd Tripp called Instructing a Child’s Heart.
The growing child soon experiences circumstances where there is the temptation to do wrong things and the resulting guilt and consequences of failure to resist temptation. Or perhaps your child will have experienced pain as a result of others who are unkind and selfish, or the loss of a loved one and the resulting sense of hopeless despair.
The growing child soon experiences circumstances where there is the temptation to do wrong things and the resulting guilt and consequences of failure to resist temptation. Or perhaps your child will have experienced pain as a result of others who are unkind and selfish, or the loss of a loved one and the resulting sense of hopeless despair.
Let’s look at Colossians 2:9-10a to see what the Bible says about God’s solution for our problems relationally in life. “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete.” NASB.
Colossians here is talking about the fact that all we need is found IN Christ Jesus. In spite of the difficult circumstances in life and the sins of others against us and our own sinful ways, Christ is all we need. We stand complete in Him.
But how can I say this? We live in a world with cancer, child abuse, sexual trafficking, murder, adultery, autism, Alzheimer, AIDS and whatever else is the ugly side of life.
But how can I say this? We live in a world with cancer, child abuse, sexual trafficking, murder, adultery, autism, Alzheimer, AIDS and whatever else is the ugly side of life.
Everyone wants to ‘belong’. We are relational beings. How so? Can our belonging needs be met in Christ? Did relationships begin at creation? NO.
Before creation God, the Father, God the Eternal Son, and God the Holy Spirit lived in a relationship of love, communication and purpose.
God has never been lonely. God did not need to belong to us. God did not need man to relate to. However, we need God! We belong to God by creation. We are His, made BY and FOR Him. God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him. Let’s look at one passage in the Bible that talks about the relational aspect of God. Ephesians 1 verses 1 through 13 we see God the Father choosing us before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in Jesus Christ; predestining us to adoption as His children; the redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ; the seal of our salvation and inheritance through the Holy Spirit as God’s own possession. So we see the Father chooses [love], the Son redeems [purpose] and the Spirit seals [communication]. Genesis 1;26,27 shows that man’s original relationship with God mirrors those same elements: love, communication and purpose. Man needs relationship because he was made in the image of God.
The Gospel is relational. Holy God, Sinful Man, Substitutionary Sacrificial Lamb of God Who died and was resurrected to life, Man’s response of repentance and trust. Restored Relationship. We call it reconciliation.
Look at these words from 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 NASB
For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
Look at these words from 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 NASB
For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Notice that it is through reconciliation to God that man finds his true identity. We no longer live for ourselves. Our belonging needs are met in Christ. We become as Christ, reaching out in love and mercy to our enemies and sharing with them the Good News. Ironically, Jesus teaches that to find our lives, we must lose our lives for the sake of His Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is within you [Luke 17:21] is true only for the person who is born again of the Spirit of God and has a new heart.
Keep reaching your child’s heart with the gospel.
Keep reaching your child’s heart with the gospel.
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