What is the biblical way to lead a child to Christ?
All of us—parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends, teachers, youth leaders—play an important role in leading children to Christ. It is our responsibility to provide children with a solid foundation upon which they can come to know Jesus as their Savior and continue to be sanctified through the maturing of their faith. Helping children come to know Christ is part of the work of the body of believers, the family of Christ. Paul wrote, "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord" (Ephesians 2:19–21).
One way we can help lead children to Christ is through prayer. It is ultimately God who draws children to Himself; it is also God who will help us know how to best love our children and share His truth with them. Even before a child is born, we can begin praying for him or her. As children grow we should pray first and foremost for their salvation, that they would come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior and choose to follow Him. We also can pray for their physical and mental health, their goals and desires, their friendships, their future friendships and spouses, and blessing upon their lives. In addition to praying for our children, we can pray for wisdom and strength for ourselves. God can give us wisdom for how to guide and mentor children (James 1:5). He also can give us strength to live a life that honors Him.
This brings us to the next step in leading children to Christ, which is through our example. Children are like sponges taking in everything around them. They learn how to interact with the world by watching adults. It is crucial that we give them a positive example of what it looks like to follow Christ. We must spend time each day in prayer and reading the Bible if we want our children to acquire these habits as well. We need to make decisions and act in a way that is obedient to God. Of course, we will still make mistakes, but we can demonstrate a godly response through confession and repentance. This is especially important when we sin against our children or they sin against us. We can own up to our mistakes and ask for their forgiveness and also forgive them.
Another key part of leading children to Christ is instruction. There are many age-appropriate resources so that children can begin worshiping God and engaging with Scripture and prayer from a young age. We can help children access complex concepts by relating them to their current life experiences. For example, when we do things out of love for them we can share with them what God has done for us out of love, such as giving up Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.
When a child begins to show signs of wanting to accept Christ as their Savior or get baptized, we need to make sure they understand the significance of their decision. It is important that we explain that we are all sinners and need forgiveness. We also need to tell the child that if we confess our sins, repent, and put our faith in Jesus, God will forgive us (1 John 1:9; Romans 10:10). Sometimes church culture puts a lot of focus on the moment of salvation, which certainly is a wonderful moment, but we must continually encourage our children because sanctification is a life-long process.
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