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Teaching Children to Love and Serve God

Teaching children to love and serve God is a central theme in biblical instruction for parents and the community, emphasizing both parental responsibility and the child's role in spiritual development. The Bible presents children as a gift from God, capable of glorifying Him, and outlines specific duties for parents in their spiritual upbringing [2, 3].

Parents are entrusted with the responsibility to love their children and to bring them to Christ [2]. This includes training them for God, instructing them in His word, and commanding them to obey Him [2]. Deuteronomy 4:9 and 11:19, for example, highlight the importance of parents diligently teaching God's statutes to their children and grandchildren [2]. Similarly, parents are to recount God's judgments and miraculous works to their offspring, ensuring that the next generation knows and remembers the Lord [2]. This comprehensive instruction aims to cultivate a fear of God in children, encouraging them to remember their Creator in their youth [3].

The concept of "training up a child in the way he should go" (Proverbs 22:6) is a foundational principle [3]. This training involves not only instruction but also discipline and guidance [10]. Matthew Henry interprets this as catechizing children, initiating them into faith, and maintaining discipline, likening it to training soldiers to handle arms and obey commands [10]. John Gill further elaborates that this "way" refers to the paths of justice and judgment, which are beneficial for children [12]. one tradition notes that Abraham trained his household in the way of the Lord, setting an example for parents to bring those under their care "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" [12]. This includes praying with and for them, and bringing them under the means of grace [12].

Children, in turn, are called to respond to this instruction with obedience and reverence. They are to obey God, fear Him, and remember Him [3]. Their obedience to parents is explicitly stated as "well pleasing to God" (Colossians 3:20) [1]. They are to attend to parental teaching, honor their parents, and fear them [1, 3]. This obedience and honor are not merely for the parents' sake but are also tied to God's commandments, such as the fifth commandment to honor one's father and mother [3, 7]. Matthew Henry notes that if children are obedient to pious parents, they are "in a fair way to be pious as they are" [7]. The apostle Paul, in Ephesians 6:1, directs children to obey their parents "in the Lord," emphasizing that this duty is rooted in divine command [7].

The ultimate goal of this upbringing is for children to love and serve God. Love for God is presented as the "first great commandment" (Matthew 22:38) and is to be given with "all the heart" [5]. This love is produced by the Holy Spirit and by God's love for humanity [5]. It should manifest in joy, love for other believers, hatred of sin, and obedience to God [5]. Indeed, "by this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments" (1 John 5:2 KJV) [4]. Adam Clarke explains that love for God's followers is a proof of love for God, and keeping God's commandments demonstrates that love [8]. Tyndale House further clarifies that those who believe in Jesus as the Christ are born as children of God, empowered by the Spirit to love God and others, and to obey God through faith [9].

Biblical figures like David also emphasized the importance of teaching children. In Psalm 34:11, David invites children to "Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord." Matthew Henry comments that David, despite his kingly duties, did not consider it beneath him to offer good counsel to young people from his own experience [6]. John Gill suggests that David might have been addressing his own children, his subjects, or young people in general, underscoring the broad applicability of this instruction [11].

The instruction of children extends beyond the immediate family. Children are encouraged to be brought early to the house of God and to be instructed in His ways [3]. They are also capable of glorifying God, as seen in Psalm 8:2 and Matthew 21:15-16, where children's praise is acknowledged [3]. The promises of God are also extended to children, as indicated in Acts 2:39 [1].

Sources

  1. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Children, Good — The Lord is with -- 1Sa 3:19. Know the Scriptures -- 2Ti 3:15. Observe the law of God -- Pr 28:7. Their obedience to parents is well pleasing to God -- Col 3:20. Partake of the promises of God -- Ac 2:39. Shall be blessed -- Pr 3:1-4; Eph 6:2,3. Show love to parents -- Ge 46:29. Obey parents -- Ge 28:7; 47:30. Attend to parental teaching -- Pr 13:1. Take care of parents -- Ge 45:9,11; 47:12. Make their parents' hearts glad -- Pr 10:1; 29:17. Honour the aged -- Job 32:6,7. Adduced as a motive for submission to God -- Heb 12:9. Spirit of, a requisite f”
  2. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Parents — Receive their children from God -- Ge 33:5; 1Sa 1:27; Ps 127:3. Their duty to their children is To love them. -- Tit 2:4. To bring them to Christ. -- Mt 19:13,14. To train them up for God. -- Pr 22:6; Eph 6:4. To instruct them in God's word. -- De 4:9; 11:19; Isa 38:19. To tell them of God's judgments. -- Joe 1:3. To tell them of the miraculous works of God. -- Ex 10:2; Ps 78:4. To command them to obey God. -- De 32:46; 1Ch 28:9. To bless them. -- Ge 48:15; Heb 11:20. To pity them. -- Ps 103:13. To provide for them. -- Job 42:15; 2Co 12:14; 1Ti 5:8. To rule”
  3. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Children — Christ was an example to -- Lu 2:51; Joh 19:26,27. Are a gift from God -- Ge 33:5; Ps 127:3. Are capable of glorifying God -- Ps 8:2; 148:12,13; Mt 21:15,16. Should be Brought to Christ. -- Mr 10:13-16. Brought early to the house of God. -- 1Sa 1:24. Instructed in the ways of God. -- De 31:12,13; Pr 22:6. Judiciously trained. -- Pr 22:15; 29:17; Eph 6:4. Should Obey God. -- De 30:2. Fear God. -- Pr 24:21. Remember God. -- Ec 12:1. Attend to parental teaching. -- Pr 1:8,9. Honour parents. -- Ex 20:12; Heb 12:9. Fear parents. -- Le 19:3. Obey parents. -- Pr ”
  4. King James Version “[KJV] 1 John 5:2 — By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Love to God — Commanded -- De 11:1; Jos 22:5. The first great commandment -- Mt 22:38. With all the heart -- De 6:5; Mt 22:37. Better than all sacrifices -- Mr 12:33. Produced by The Holy Spirit. -- Ga 5:22; 2Th 3:5. The love of God to us. -- 1Jo 4:19. Answers to prayer. -- Ps 116:1. Exhibited by Christ -- Joh 14:31. A characteristic of saints -- Ps 5:11. Should produce Joy. -- Ps 5:11. Love to saints. -- 1Jo 5:1. Hatred of sin. -- Ps 97:10. Obedience to God. -- De 30:20; 1Jo 5:3. Perfected in obedience -- 1Jo 2:5. Perfected, gives boldness -- 1Jo 4:17,18. God, faith”
  6. Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 34:11: David, in this latter part of the psalm, undertakes to teach children. Though a man of war, and anointed to be king, he did not think it below him; though now he had his head so full of cares and his hands of business, yet he could find heart and time to give good counsel to young people, from his own experience. It does not appear that he had now any children of his own, at least any that were grown up to a capacity of being taught; but, by divine inspiration, he instructs the children of his people. Those that were in years would not be taught by him, though he”
  7. Ephesians (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Ephesians 6:1: Here we have further directions concerning relative duties, in which the apostle is very particular. I. The duty of children to their parents. Come, you children, hearken to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord. The great duty of children is to obey their parents (Eph 6:1), parents being the instruments of their being, God and nature having given them an authority to command, in subserviency to God; and, if children will be obedient to their pious parents, they will be in a fair way to be pious as they are. That obedience which God demands from their childr”
  8. 1 John (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 John 5:2: By this we know that we love the children of God - Our love of God's followers is a proof that we love God. Our love to God is the cause why we love his children, and our keeping the commandments of God is the proof that we love him.”
  9. 1 John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 John 5:1: 5:1-5 Those who believe that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God have been born spiritually as children of God (see John 20:31). Such people are empowered by the Spirit of God to love him and others, and by their faith to obey God and overcome the evil temptations of the world. Through faith, they can love God and live in obedience to him.”
  10. Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 22:6: Here is, 1. A great duty enjoined, particularly to those that are the parents and instructors of children, in order to the propagating of wisdom, that it may not die with them: Train up children in that age of vanity, to keep them from the sins and snares of it, in that learning age, to prepare them for what they are designed for. Catechise them; initiate them; keep them under discipline. Train them as soldiers, who are taught to handle their arms, keep rank, and observe the word of command. Train them up, not in the way they would go (the bias of their corrupt ”
  11. Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 34:11: Come, ye children,.... Meaning either his own children, those of his own family, judging it his duty to instruct them, and bring them up in the fear of the Lord; or his subjects, to whom he stood in the relation of a father, as every king does; or all his hearers, as those who attended the prophets are called the children or sons of the prophets; or young people in common may be designed, who should be taught early their duty to God and men: unless the children of God in general are here meant; or particularly the least among them, called babes and little children, w”
  12. Proverbs (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Proverbs 22:6: Train up a child in the way he should go,.... As Abraham trained up his children, and those born in his house, in the way of the Lord, in the paths of justice and judgment; which are the ways in which they should go, and which will be to their profit and advantage; see Gen 14:14; and which is the duty of parents and masters in all ages, and under the present Gospel dispensation, even to bring such who are under their care in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, Eph 6:4; by praying with them and for them, by bringing them under the means of grace, the ministry of ”
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