Trout
February 13th 2006, 04:18 PM
Evangelizing Children
by angie love
Besides being known as great Christian leaders, Jonathan Edwards, Amy Carmichael, Corrie Ten Boom and Dr. Isaac Watts have something else in common. They were all saved before they were ten years old, one as early as three. And according to Charles H. Spurgeon “a child of five, if properly instructed, can savingly believe as well as an adult.” Despite this wealth of personal testimony of childhood conversions, there is debate as to whether or not a child under the age of twelve can or should be told the Gospel and be given the chance to receive Jesus as their Savior.
There are four major philosophies of child evangelism, and only one of these actually proposes evangelizing children. The first is the traditional view that the Christian life of the child is brought about through his family. The thought behind this philosophy is that the child who is born in a Christian home is not lost since he is safe under “God’s covenant” by belonging to a Christian home. Christians who hold to this view on child conversion will baptize their children when they are infants, and believe that this baptism will keep them ‘safe’ until they are old enough (an adolescent) to choose to receive Jesus as their Savior. The main emphasis of this philosophy is on the family and the Christian home. The problem with this viewpoint is the fact that most of the children born are not born into Christian families. They don’t have the advantage of being brought up with the knowledge of the Lord. In fact, 70-80% of children don’t have Christian parents according to Dr. Martha Wright, the Vice President of Education for Child Evangelism Fellowship® .. Also lost in this philosophy is the personal aspect of salvation. The children aren’t encouraged to have a personal relationship with Jesus because they aren’t thought of as needing Him yet. According to Romans 3:23 “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” even children born into Christian homes.
The second philosophy of child evangelism is the educational philosophy.
This viewpoint states that from a very early age the child should receive biblical education and through the process of knowing more about God and the Christian life he will receive Jesus as his Savior. The main emphasis is placed on education. It is thought that while learning about the Bible and gaining head knowledge of God, children will be saved when they are old enough to understand. In 1 Corinthians 2:14 the apostle Paul states that men will never understand the things of God, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Without the working of the Holy Spirit, no one, including children, can come to a saving knowledge of God. A dead plant can get all the love, sunlight, water and fertilizer available, but it will still be a dead plant, it is not going to come alive. Children, in the same way, will not become saved through Sunday school, memorizing Bible verses and going to a Christian church. In fact, according to George Barna, a leading researcher of the Evangelical church today, “there has been a 92% increase in the number of unchurched Americans in the last thirteen years. In 1991 there were 39 million unchurched Americans compared with 75 million currently” (www.barna.org). The children of these unchruched Americans won’t have the chance to learn about God at church since they won’t be there.
The Psychological philosophy of child evangelism is that children aren’t able to understand abstract concepts such as salvation, and don’t have the ability to reason. According to this viewpoint, children don’t have the mental capacity to receive Jesus as their Savior until they are around the age of 12. This philosophy is based largely on the work of psychologist Jean Piaget who studied the mental development of children. Piaget concluded that children before the age of about 12 can only grasp concrete ideas, and not abstract ideas. But this philosophy assumes that salvation is based on intellectual understanding. Salvation, in actuality, is based on faith not head knowledge as said in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” As with the first two philosophies, the working of the Holy Spirit is not mentioned or taken into consideration with the psychological viewpoint. While it is reasonable to say that children under the age of 12 can’t understand abstract thoughts, “abstract concepts can be understood through concrete ideas” (Martha Wright). Billy Graham, a well-known evangelist, said “I am certain that the Gospel is just as real to the small child as to the educated adult.”
The fourth and final philosophy on child evangelism is the viewpoint held by Child Evangelism Fellowship. The Gospel should be presented to children at the earliest age possible so that the Holy Spirit can work on the kids’ hearts, and they can receive Jesus as their Savior. Then, in light of the heart change that occurred when they were saved, the child will grow in the Lord and will develop Christian character. According to this philosophy, the biblical requirement for salvation is childlike faith, as opposed to faith based on reason and intelligence. This final viewpoint is the viewpoint that Christians should take on child evangelism, given the wealth of scripture verses supporting it. There are many verses in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy addressing children. Deuteronomy 4:1-10 is a key passage in the Old Testament concerning children. In verses nine and ten, the Israelites are charged to remember what the Lord has done for them. The warning given in verse nine is that if they didn’t constantly remind themselves of the Lord’s guidance and hand in their lives, they would forget what He has done for them, and His commandments would depart from their hearts. He urged them to teach the Lord’s commandments to their children and to tell them all the powerful works that He had performed. The Hebrew word for children in verse ten is bên, which means a son as a builder of the family name. The people of Israel were charged to pass down with the family name the commandments of God. Not only were the Israelites told to know what the commandments were, but according to verse nine, it was assumed that the Law was in their hearts. They weren’t supposed to only pass down head knowledge of the Law to their children, but to teach their children to hide it in their hearts.
Deuteronomy 6:1-9 also emphasized the importance God placed on the children knowing Him and His laws. Verse two in this passage refers to keeping God’s commandments and statutes. Not only are the men told to keep God’s Law, but his son, and his “son’s son” were expected to know it and keep it as well. It was expected that the Israelites teach their children the way of the Lord, and not only to obey God but, according to verse six, they were to have God’s words in their heart. They were told in verses seven through nine how to give their children a love for the ways of God. They were to “teach them diligently,” to talk of God’s words all throughout the day, to have them as a sign on their hand and forehead and to “write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” Deuteronomy 11:18-21 states: “Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth” (King James Version). Not only are the Israelites called to have God’s words in their own hearts and souls, they are told to teach them to their children. They were encouraged to talk about God’s works all the time: when they were at home, traveling, going to bed and waking up. In Deuteronomy 31:9-13 Moses told the people to gather every seven years at the feast of the tabernacles and hear the word being read to them. In verse twelve, Moses tells them to not only gather the men, women and aliens to listen to the Law being read to them, but they were told to also gather the children. The rest of the passage goes on to explain why the children should be there to hear what God’s law says, “that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it” (King James Version). Letting the kids hear what the Lord has spoken, and learn about who God is, will encourage them to have a personal relationship with God. They will see that God is not just interested in adults.
Children are also spoken of in the book of Psalms. In chapter 78 the psalmist charges the people to make known the wonderful works of God to their children. “We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done” (King James Version). In verse five, fathers are commanded to make God’s works known to their children so, “that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born.” The works of the Lord were to be such a part of the children’s lives that they tell their own children. Why should the children know God’s mighty works? There are four reasons listed in verses seven and eight: (1) set their hope in God, (2) not forget His works, (3) keep His commandments and (4) not be like their rebellious fathers who did not put their trust in the Lord. It is interesting to note that the first reason listed is a matter of the heart. They were to set their hope in Him, to believe and trust that he would take care of them. They weren’t only to have head knowledge of God, but to have a trusting relationship with Him, to know Him personally.
There are two accounts in the Gospels where Jesus spoke specifically regarding children. The first is Matthew 18:1-14. The disciples asked Jesus who the greatest in the kingdom of heaven was. Jesus calls a little child to him. The Greek word for little child in this passage is paidión which means “a child under seven years of age” (Dictionary of New Testament Theology Vol. 1.p.283). Before Jesus told His disciples who the greatest in the kingdom of heaven was, He wanted them to know what was required to be in the kingdom of heaven in the first place. Jesus was using this paidión as an object lesson. In verse three Jesus says, “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” “Little children” once again is the Greek word paidión. The word “converted” is the Greek word strepho which means to turn, change, voluntarily turning from sin. What Jesus was saying is that children, even little children under the age of seven, can be saved. If they have the capability to be saved, they must need to be saved. They can voluntarily turn from their sin and trust in Him to be their Savior, just as readily as adults. He was telling the disciples that for someone to even enter into the kingdom of heaven they must become as little children by having simple faith and trust in Him. In verse four Jesus, with the “paidión” still in His arms, answers their question of who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven: “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Back in this time period children were viewed as less then important. People didn’t think that it was important to value children. Jesus shattered that concept by telling His disciples that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is anyone who humbles himself, who brings himself down to the level of children. And in verse five He makes His point clear: “And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.” Not only did Jesus say that one must humble himself as a little child to enter heaven, but He said that if someone welcomes a child in His name, they welcome Him. “To serve or minister to a child is to serve Christ Himself” (Martha Wright). Jesus was giving high priority to children. Following, in verse six Jesus says: “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” Not only did Jesus say that one must become as a little child to enter into His kingdom, but He said that if anyone even offended a little child it would be better for them if they were dead! At this point, the Greek word for children changes from the word paidión, to mikros, which means little or small, in reference to age or station. For that reason, some people think that Jesus is referring to a new believer here. While mikros does refer to new believers in other passages in the Bible, it does not make sense for it to be referring to new believers in this passage. For one thing, Jesus is holding a little child in His arms while he is talking about children. Then, in verse fourteen, Jesus, while still using the word mikros, says that “it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.” He can’t be referring to new believers in this passage because perish means to be lost eternally in a place of punishment. Believers, once they have received Jesus as their Savior, are saved. They are not in danger of perishing. It is highly unlikely that Jesus would mean ‘new believer’ because as He is talking He is holding a little child in his arms, and earlier, He specifically was speaking of children. He also wouldn’t talk about new believers perishing, since they are already saved. Going back to verse ten of Matthew 18, Jesus warns His disciples to not despise little children because “in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” These little ones, which are highly esteemed by Jesus, have angels who see God all the time. It is clear that Jesus placed a high priority on children. Verses eleven through fourteen contain the parable of the lost sheep. While some may say this parable is only for adult believers, one must conclude that, within the context, Jesus was also including children as His sheep, confirming that children can be saved.
The second account of Jesus speaking directly about children comes in the book of Mark. In Mark 10:13-16 Jesus’ disciples saw that parents were bringing their children to Jesus to have Him bless them. The disciples rebuked them, and tried to get them to go away. They thought that Jesus was too busy to take time out to bless the children. When Jesus saw what His disciples were doing, he was “much displeased” and said to them “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” According to Sam Doherty, the former CEF® regional director for Europe, “Children (and those who become like children) can enter the kingdom of God. Let the children come to Christ.” Instead of hindering them in their search for salvation, we should be showing them the Way. In verse fifteen of Mark chapter ten Jesus, once again, stresses the fact that if one wants to be saved and enter the kingdom of heaven, they must come to Jesus like a child. Finally, in verse sixteen, Jesus took the children up in His arms and blessed them. The Greek word for children in this passage of scripture is paidión, which, as stated before, means a child less than seven years of age. Through these two passages in the Bible, it is clear that children held a special place in Jesus’ heart. He warned His disciples to not despise them or offend them, and took them up in His arms and blessed them.
The books of the Gospels aren’t the only books of the New Testament where children are directly referenced. Ephesians 6:1-4 addresses children specifically. The book of Ephesians, as noted in Ephesians 1:1-3, was written to the “saints which are at Ephesus.” The word ‘saints’ means holy ones or believers. Paul gave a direct command to the believing children in Ephesus in chapter six, verse one: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” The Greek word for children is teknión which means small sons or daughters. Since this letter is directed specifically to the believers in Ephesus, it is safe to say that the children addressed in 6:1 were believers.
In the book of Colossians, which was written for the saints, or believers in Colosse (Colossians 1:1-2), Paul also directly addresses children: “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord (3:20-21).” These children, teknións, had to be believers, since the letter was written to believers. These children couldn’t come to know the Lord as their Savior without someone telling them the Gospel.
Titus 1:6 is also another account of believing children in the early church. Elders were expected to have “faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.” For the children to be faithful, they have to have faith in the first place.
It would seem reasonable to assume that these three passages are the first examples of child evangelism. These children had to come to know the Lord as their Savior somehow and according to Romans 10:17: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Someone had to tell them the Good News.
Coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ at a young age is not a rarity. In fact, according to George Barna, “43% of all Americans who accept Jesus Christ as their savior do so before reaching the age of 13.” James Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family, was saved at the age of three, as well as Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of Billy and Ruth Graham. Matthew Henry, a well-known writer of Bible commentaries, who was saved at the age of 11 said, “It is of great happiness to know the Holy Scriptures from our childhood. The age of childhood is the learning age; and those who would get true learning must get it out of the scriptures” (The Biblical Basis for Child Evangelism, page 58). Sharing the Gospel with kids at an early age, gives them the chance to live the whole rest of their lives for God. “We wonder how old a child needs to be before he can be born again by God’s Holy Spirit. I would encourage you to turn the question around. Ask rather, how young can he come to Christ for salvation…After all, who is it who works salvation in a heart? Is it not Almighty God, the One who created the soul in the first place?” (Alan D. George: Don’t forget the Children, page 23.)
Children are at the right place in their lives to come to know the Lord as their Savior as observed through testimonies of great Christian leaders who have been saved before they reached the age of 12. The Body of Christ has a great responsibility to share the Gospel with kids while they are at this stage in their lives. According to the U.S. Census Bureau the population of the U.S. in 2000 was 281,421,906, of those 25.7% are under the age of 18. And only 7% of the population claims to be Evangelical (George Barna). Evangelical Christians need to share the Good News with these kids who don’t live in Christian homes and who already have the capacity for child-like faith in Jesus since they are children.
The great Christian leaders of tomorrow are the children of today. The Bible clearly states through Old Testament scriptures, through Jesus speaking specifically of little children and through Paul addressing believing children in His letters to the church in Ephesus and Colosse that children have the capacity and the need to receive Jesus as their Savior. For “all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Children need to be saved from their sins just as much as adults do. The Bible, statistics and personal testimonies from people who were saved as children back up this fact. The Christian church today has the chance to make a difference in the lives of these children: to either give them the chance to receive Him as their Savior, or to neglect one of the biggest missions fields in the world.
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Thanks
by angie love
Besides being known as great Christian leaders, Jonathan Edwards, Amy Carmichael, Corrie Ten Boom and Dr. Isaac Watts have something else in common. They were all saved before they were ten years old, one as early as three. And according to Charles H. Spurgeon “a child of five, if properly instructed, can savingly believe as well as an adult.” Despite this wealth of personal testimony of childhood conversions, there is debate as to whether or not a child under the age of twelve can or should be told the Gospel and be given the chance to receive Jesus as their Savior.
There are four major philosophies of child evangelism, and only one of these actually proposes evangelizing children. The first is the traditional view that the Christian life of the child is brought about through his family. The thought behind this philosophy is that the child who is born in a Christian home is not lost since he is safe under “God’s covenant” by belonging to a Christian home. Christians who hold to this view on child conversion will baptize their children when they are infants, and believe that this baptism will keep them ‘safe’ until they are old enough (an adolescent) to choose to receive Jesus as their Savior. The main emphasis of this philosophy is on the family and the Christian home. The problem with this viewpoint is the fact that most of the children born are not born into Christian families. They don’t have the advantage of being brought up with the knowledge of the Lord. In fact, 70-80% of children don’t have Christian parents according to Dr. Martha Wright, the Vice President of Education for Child Evangelism Fellowship® .. Also lost in this philosophy is the personal aspect of salvation. The children aren’t encouraged to have a personal relationship with Jesus because they aren’t thought of as needing Him yet. According to Romans 3:23 “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” even children born into Christian homes.
The second philosophy of child evangelism is the educational philosophy.
This viewpoint states that from a very early age the child should receive biblical education and through the process of knowing more about God and the Christian life he will receive Jesus as his Savior. The main emphasis is placed on education. It is thought that while learning about the Bible and gaining head knowledge of God, children will be saved when they are old enough to understand. In 1 Corinthians 2:14 the apostle Paul states that men will never understand the things of God, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Without the working of the Holy Spirit, no one, including children, can come to a saving knowledge of God. A dead plant can get all the love, sunlight, water and fertilizer available, but it will still be a dead plant, it is not going to come alive. Children, in the same way, will not become saved through Sunday school, memorizing Bible verses and going to a Christian church. In fact, according to George Barna, a leading researcher of the Evangelical church today, “there has been a 92% increase in the number of unchurched Americans in the last thirteen years. In 1991 there were 39 million unchurched Americans compared with 75 million currently” (www.barna.org). The children of these unchruched Americans won’t have the chance to learn about God at church since they won’t be there.
The Psychological philosophy of child evangelism is that children aren’t able to understand abstract concepts such as salvation, and don’t have the ability to reason. According to this viewpoint, children don’t have the mental capacity to receive Jesus as their Savior until they are around the age of 12. This philosophy is based largely on the work of psychologist Jean Piaget who studied the mental development of children. Piaget concluded that children before the age of about 12 can only grasp concrete ideas, and not abstract ideas. But this philosophy assumes that salvation is based on intellectual understanding. Salvation, in actuality, is based on faith not head knowledge as said in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” As with the first two philosophies, the working of the Holy Spirit is not mentioned or taken into consideration with the psychological viewpoint. While it is reasonable to say that children under the age of 12 can’t understand abstract thoughts, “abstract concepts can be understood through concrete ideas” (Martha Wright). Billy Graham, a well-known evangelist, said “I am certain that the Gospel is just as real to the small child as to the educated adult.”
The fourth and final philosophy on child evangelism is the viewpoint held by Child Evangelism Fellowship. The Gospel should be presented to children at the earliest age possible so that the Holy Spirit can work on the kids’ hearts, and they can receive Jesus as their Savior. Then, in light of the heart change that occurred when they were saved, the child will grow in the Lord and will develop Christian character. According to this philosophy, the biblical requirement for salvation is childlike faith, as opposed to faith based on reason and intelligence. This final viewpoint is the viewpoint that Christians should take on child evangelism, given the wealth of scripture verses supporting it. There are many verses in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy addressing children. Deuteronomy 4:1-10 is a key passage in the Old Testament concerning children. In verses nine and ten, the Israelites are charged to remember what the Lord has done for them. The warning given in verse nine is that if they didn’t constantly remind themselves of the Lord’s guidance and hand in their lives, they would forget what He has done for them, and His commandments would depart from their hearts. He urged them to teach the Lord’s commandments to their children and to tell them all the powerful works that He had performed. The Hebrew word for children in verse ten is bên, which means a son as a builder of the family name. The people of Israel were charged to pass down with the family name the commandments of God. Not only were the Israelites told to know what the commandments were, but according to verse nine, it was assumed that the Law was in their hearts. They weren’t supposed to only pass down head knowledge of the Law to their children, but to teach their children to hide it in their hearts.
Deuteronomy 6:1-9 also emphasized the importance God placed on the children knowing Him and His laws. Verse two in this passage refers to keeping God’s commandments and statutes. Not only are the men told to keep God’s Law, but his son, and his “son’s son” were expected to know it and keep it as well. It was expected that the Israelites teach their children the way of the Lord, and not only to obey God but, according to verse six, they were to have God’s words in their heart. They were told in verses seven through nine how to give their children a love for the ways of God. They were to “teach them diligently,” to talk of God’s words all throughout the day, to have them as a sign on their hand and forehead and to “write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.” Deuteronomy 11:18-21 states: “Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth” (King James Version). Not only are the Israelites called to have God’s words in their own hearts and souls, they are told to teach them to their children. They were encouraged to talk about God’s works all the time: when they were at home, traveling, going to bed and waking up. In Deuteronomy 31:9-13 Moses told the people to gather every seven years at the feast of the tabernacles and hear the word being read to them. In verse twelve, Moses tells them to not only gather the men, women and aliens to listen to the Law being read to them, but they were told to also gather the children. The rest of the passage goes on to explain why the children should be there to hear what God’s law says, “that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it” (King James Version). Letting the kids hear what the Lord has spoken, and learn about who God is, will encourage them to have a personal relationship with God. They will see that God is not just interested in adults.
Children are also spoken of in the book of Psalms. In chapter 78 the psalmist charges the people to make known the wonderful works of God to their children. “We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done” (King James Version). In verse five, fathers are commanded to make God’s works known to their children so, “that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born.” The works of the Lord were to be such a part of the children’s lives that they tell their own children. Why should the children know God’s mighty works? There are four reasons listed in verses seven and eight: (1) set their hope in God, (2) not forget His works, (3) keep His commandments and (4) not be like their rebellious fathers who did not put their trust in the Lord. It is interesting to note that the first reason listed is a matter of the heart. They were to set their hope in Him, to believe and trust that he would take care of them. They weren’t only to have head knowledge of God, but to have a trusting relationship with Him, to know Him personally.
There are two accounts in the Gospels where Jesus spoke specifically regarding children. The first is Matthew 18:1-14. The disciples asked Jesus who the greatest in the kingdom of heaven was. Jesus calls a little child to him. The Greek word for little child in this passage is paidión which means “a child under seven years of age” (Dictionary of New Testament Theology Vol. 1.p.283). Before Jesus told His disciples who the greatest in the kingdom of heaven was, He wanted them to know what was required to be in the kingdom of heaven in the first place. Jesus was using this paidión as an object lesson. In verse three Jesus says, “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” “Little children” once again is the Greek word paidión. The word “converted” is the Greek word strepho which means to turn, change, voluntarily turning from sin. What Jesus was saying is that children, even little children under the age of seven, can be saved. If they have the capability to be saved, they must need to be saved. They can voluntarily turn from their sin and trust in Him to be their Savior, just as readily as adults. He was telling the disciples that for someone to even enter into the kingdom of heaven they must become as little children by having simple faith and trust in Him. In verse four Jesus, with the “paidión” still in His arms, answers their question of who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven: “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Back in this time period children were viewed as less then important. People didn’t think that it was important to value children. Jesus shattered that concept by telling His disciples that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is anyone who humbles himself, who brings himself down to the level of children. And in verse five He makes His point clear: “And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.” Not only did Jesus say that one must humble himself as a little child to enter heaven, but He said that if someone welcomes a child in His name, they welcome Him. “To serve or minister to a child is to serve Christ Himself” (Martha Wright). Jesus was giving high priority to children. Following, in verse six Jesus says: “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” Not only did Jesus say that one must become as a little child to enter into His kingdom, but He said that if anyone even offended a little child it would be better for them if they were dead! At this point, the Greek word for children changes from the word paidión, to mikros, which means little or small, in reference to age or station. For that reason, some people think that Jesus is referring to a new believer here. While mikros does refer to new believers in other passages in the Bible, it does not make sense for it to be referring to new believers in this passage. For one thing, Jesus is holding a little child in His arms while he is talking about children. Then, in verse fourteen, Jesus, while still using the word mikros, says that “it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.” He can’t be referring to new believers in this passage because perish means to be lost eternally in a place of punishment. Believers, once they have received Jesus as their Savior, are saved. They are not in danger of perishing. It is highly unlikely that Jesus would mean ‘new believer’ because as He is talking He is holding a little child in his arms, and earlier, He specifically was speaking of children. He also wouldn’t talk about new believers perishing, since they are already saved. Going back to verse ten of Matthew 18, Jesus warns His disciples to not despise little children because “in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” These little ones, which are highly esteemed by Jesus, have angels who see God all the time. It is clear that Jesus placed a high priority on children. Verses eleven through fourteen contain the parable of the lost sheep. While some may say this parable is only for adult believers, one must conclude that, within the context, Jesus was also including children as His sheep, confirming that children can be saved.
The second account of Jesus speaking directly about children comes in the book of Mark. In Mark 10:13-16 Jesus’ disciples saw that parents were bringing their children to Jesus to have Him bless them. The disciples rebuked them, and tried to get them to go away. They thought that Jesus was too busy to take time out to bless the children. When Jesus saw what His disciples were doing, he was “much displeased” and said to them “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” According to Sam Doherty, the former CEF® regional director for Europe, “Children (and those who become like children) can enter the kingdom of God. Let the children come to Christ.” Instead of hindering them in their search for salvation, we should be showing them the Way. In verse fifteen of Mark chapter ten Jesus, once again, stresses the fact that if one wants to be saved and enter the kingdom of heaven, they must come to Jesus like a child. Finally, in verse sixteen, Jesus took the children up in His arms and blessed them. The Greek word for children in this passage of scripture is paidión, which, as stated before, means a child less than seven years of age. Through these two passages in the Bible, it is clear that children held a special place in Jesus’ heart. He warned His disciples to not despise them or offend them, and took them up in His arms and blessed them.
The books of the Gospels aren’t the only books of the New Testament where children are directly referenced. Ephesians 6:1-4 addresses children specifically. The book of Ephesians, as noted in Ephesians 1:1-3, was written to the “saints which are at Ephesus.” The word ‘saints’ means holy ones or believers. Paul gave a direct command to the believing children in Ephesus in chapter six, verse one: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” The Greek word for children is teknión which means small sons or daughters. Since this letter is directed specifically to the believers in Ephesus, it is safe to say that the children addressed in 6:1 were believers.
In the book of Colossians, which was written for the saints, or believers in Colosse (Colossians 1:1-2), Paul also directly addresses children: “Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord (3:20-21).” These children, teknións, had to be believers, since the letter was written to believers. These children couldn’t come to know the Lord as their Savior without someone telling them the Gospel.
Titus 1:6 is also another account of believing children in the early church. Elders were expected to have “faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.” For the children to be faithful, they have to have faith in the first place.
It would seem reasonable to assume that these three passages are the first examples of child evangelism. These children had to come to know the Lord as their Savior somehow and according to Romans 10:17: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Someone had to tell them the Good News.
Coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ at a young age is not a rarity. In fact, according to George Barna, “43% of all Americans who accept Jesus Christ as their savior do so before reaching the age of 13.” James Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family, was saved at the age of three, as well as Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of Billy and Ruth Graham. Matthew Henry, a well-known writer of Bible commentaries, who was saved at the age of 11 said, “It is of great happiness to know the Holy Scriptures from our childhood. The age of childhood is the learning age; and those who would get true learning must get it out of the scriptures” (The Biblical Basis for Child Evangelism, page 58). Sharing the Gospel with kids at an early age, gives them the chance to live the whole rest of their lives for God. “We wonder how old a child needs to be before he can be born again by God’s Holy Spirit. I would encourage you to turn the question around. Ask rather, how young can he come to Christ for salvation…After all, who is it who works salvation in a heart? Is it not Almighty God, the One who created the soul in the first place?” (Alan D. George: Don’t forget the Children, page 23.)
Children are at the right place in their lives to come to know the Lord as their Savior as observed through testimonies of great Christian leaders who have been saved before they reached the age of 12. The Body of Christ has a great responsibility to share the Gospel with kids while they are at this stage in their lives. According to the U.S. Census Bureau the population of the U.S. in 2000 was 281,421,906, of those 25.7% are under the age of 18. And only 7% of the population claims to be Evangelical (George Barna). Evangelical Christians need to share the Good News with these kids who don’t live in Christian homes and who already have the capacity for child-like faith in Jesus since they are children.
The great Christian leaders of tomorrow are the children of today. The Bible clearly states through Old Testament scriptures, through Jesus speaking specifically of little children and through Paul addressing believing children in His letters to the church in Ephesus and Colosse that children have the capacity and the need to receive Jesus as their Savior. For “all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Children need to be saved from their sins just as much as adults do. The Bible, statistics and personal testimonies from people who were saved as children back up this fact. The Christian church today has the chance to make a difference in the lives of these children: to either give them the chance to receive Him as their Savior, or to neglect one of the biggest missions fields in the world.
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