Explain to Child About Being Saved

[LaShae]

I could really use some direction on this. My 11 year old has recently been attending vbs. She has had a wonderful week, filled with fun. We just recently started attending church ( invited by a friend). My friend and his wife have been teaching her class at vbs. They phoned me this morning to tell me congratulations on her being saved and asked if she had talk to me about this.When I ask her about how her night went and told her that they said they were proud she had been saved, she responded with "what is being saved?" Then she wanted to get on the phone and tell her friends. How do I explain to my child that this is not something to be taken lightly. I dont want her to feel that this is something that you just do and then decide later it is not for her and go back and forth. Forgive me if I'm wording this wrong. I have not had her in church all these years so it is hard for me to explain it to her.Any suggestions on how this might be handeled delicately and the right way? I know that we can't keep our children from making mistakes. I just don't want her to misunderstand what being saved is all about. She is a very bold child. She would not hesitate to ask me how I know since I just started attending church regular myself. I love her dearly for her boldness, but at times it makes it hard to get through to her about important things. This is a tander and delicate subject. I don't want to mislead her in any way.

 

[LilLamb219]

I don't like the term getting saved personally. I mean, Jesus saved us over two thousand years ago on the cross! Your child received Jesus as her Savior and that is wonderful, but it's not something she did. God saves us 100%, we cannot take the credit.

So to answer, what is being saved....

Start with Adam and Eve in the garden and how they sinned and separated us from God, but God gave them the promise of a Savior. He delivered us that Savior in Jesus the Christ who is God who came to earth in the form of man. Jesus lived the perfectly obedient life that we could never live and died on the cross in our place so that our sins could be forgiven. On the third day he rose again from the dead, he ascended into heaven (edited to say not on that third day). As Christians, we are given faith to believe in this so that we may have everlasting life with God.

That is what being saved is. It's all God's work. Thanks be to God for all He does for us

 

[Zecryphon]

I've got a couple of questions. What went on for a week at VBS and why were her teachers convinced she was "saved", when she doesn't even know what that term means? I'm sensing an altar call and a lot of decisions, but no true conversion at her VBS.

 

[Tangible]

It sounds as though God may well have saved her through the proclamation of the word she heard at VBS.

If she was convicted of her abjectly sinful condition by the law and understood that absolutely nothing she could ever do for herself will earn her salvation, and if she heard and believed the sweet, sweet good news about how Jesus Christ has done absolutely everything necessary for her salvation completely apart from her own deeds, decisions or deserving ...

... then yes, I would say she has certainly been saved.

As her parent, it is now your duty to continue to instruct her at home and bring her to church and Sunday school to build up the faith that has been given her by God, to present her for Baptism if she has not been baptized already, and to lead her by example in living a life of repentance and good works for the benefit of all of her neighbors.

 

[heymikey80]

She may have learned something about God, and just passed along into the sales tactics of the week.

Start with the straightforward. People die. They die because of sinfulness -- God's not happy with their actions, because people want things they shouldn't want, and ultimately that imperfection condemns them.

On the other hand, God's a lot nicer than we would think He is. He's set up another way of escape from the sinful, undeserving people that we are. He's given us a way we don't deserve.

He's done it by raising Someone back from the dead to rely on, to get us through. That guy is a guy by the name of Jesus. To get anywhere with God, it requires a heartfelt relying on Him to fix you. And it's really an exclusive kind of thing -- y'can't go experimenting on God with other things. He's not a rock or a thing to test out, He's a Person. Y'don't play with God.

11-year-olds can pick up on this, so I don't put it past her understanding. Her question though, that's a tip-off that she hasn't been confronted with the actual human dilemma.

 

[paul1149]

On one occasion, Jesus proclaimed that one would enter His kingdom as a child, or not at all (Mt 18.3). Another time, He was caught up in the Spirit and prayed:

“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” -Matt 11:25-30
​

In essence, it's all so simple. But man with his clouded heart complicates it, and in doing so, nullifies its power. The Gospel can be understood by both a child and by a lifelong doctor of theology, each at his level. Why then, not keep things simple and age-appropriate? Scripture says that if we confess Jesus as Lord, and believe that God raised Him from the dead, we shall be saved (Rom 10). A child can understand that, and that the right response is to love Jesus with all our heart and obey Him as best we can.

But I wonder if the fear sometimes isn't that the child won't understand, but rather what the child might do with that knowledge. After all, just visit a theology forum and see what adults do with doctrine! A bold child can get into a lot of "interesting" predicaments with the truth of the Gospel, and take his parents along for the ride. This is a major problem in dangerous societies, such as those dominated by coercive totalitarian ideologies.

Here in the West, the problem usually isn't nearly as acute. But I can remember the family friction when I told my kids that there was no santa claus, and then they told their visiting cousins, who ran to their father for clarification. My brother in law, who was normally reserved, was none too happy, and made sure I knew it.

Still, I see no grounds for keeping the message of salvation from a child because it might be inconvenient. Those "interesting" interactions waiting in the wings should be considered teachable moments where the Lord's wisdom can be imparted, and may very well end up being an important part of the Lord's raising the child up to maturity - however difficult they may be for the parents for a while.

 

[Studeclunker]

Poor LaShae, you asked a rather straightforward question and are getting... confusion in return. This particular venue is going to get a hundred different and conflicting answers to the same, simple question.

To boil down the Lutheran position (though Lambie did a great job):

Adam and Eve disobeyed God (sinned). This caused a separation between God and Man. One that leads eventually to the death of our body.

God realized that Man could never fix this. Out of his love for mankind, he instead deigned to reduce himself to the human level and pay the price for us. Lutherans believe that Jesus Christ is God in human flesh. It simply isn't possible for the buying-back of us from death and the Devil any other way. We are not capable of perfection. God is.

So far, your daughter would be on the same page, I'm sure.

Here's where it gets really muddy between the various denominations and sects.

The punishment for even the slightest and most unconcious of sins is death. Great or small, imperfection separates us from God. Hence the price of blood, human blood, perfect sinless blood, must be paid in conpensation for the wrongdoing.

It seems unfair on the surface that God holds sins to the third generation. In otherwords, you are to make an account of your great grandparent's sins!

That really stinks, doesn't it? Stay with me here!

It also works the other way!

Because the sin of one man and one woman can condemn all mankind, thus the perfect life willingly given in exchange for this imperfection can also pay the price YOU owe.

Hence, knowing no man born from Adam and Eve to Mary and Joseph could save mankind, God himself took on human flesh. Not in a miraculous way. He went through all that you have gone through. The only exception is that he wasn't concieved the same way you were. Jesus was NOT Joseph's son! In fact, Joseph knew this and was going to have Mary put away because of it. However he was told, by angels, that the child was the answer to mankind's prayers for thousands of years. So, he not only took Mary to wife, he expressed unworthiness to raise God's son! Yet that incalculable honour was his and Mary's alone.

So far we have:

Adam and Eve disobey God

God condems them to death (rather reluctantly, but firmly). And yet he's kind to them.

God promises that a Saviour will come and will redeem all mankind to himself.

Eve rejoices at the birth of her first son, thinking her saviour has been born.

Jesus the Christ is born to a poor couple of Bethlehem, in Isreal.

Jesus (remember God in Human flesh) allows men to put him to death. He is declaired by the legal authorities as innocent. However, he never defends himself or resists. Hence he willingly takes on our punishment in our place.

Thus, where death came to man from one man and one woman, now life is given freely to all through one man: Jesus the Christ, son of God, God in human flesh.

Yet, here's where it gets really, really muddy again.

This is also where Lutheran's depart post haste from the Protestant's teachings.

I really like Zec's sig. line:

My pet peeve:

"Jesus+nothing=salvation, now here's what you've gotta do: raise your hand, come down front, say the sinner's prayer, & talk to an elder to get plugged into a small group." Whatever happened to Jesus+nothing=salvation?

This is what we the Lutherans were trying to get across. The Holy Spirit does it all for us. There's an old hymn that I love.

Jesus did it all,
all to him I owe,
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow!

Have you ever seen the movie, My Fair Lady? There's a character, Charlie DoLittle, Elyza's father, that pretty much sums up our natural tendencies up in a song, With A Little Bit Of Luck.

We, of our selves, want nothing whatever to do with God or his gift of Salvation. Thus, He sends the Holy Spirit to do it all for us.

Listen to your daughter's simple faith. As a parent we learn a lot about faith from our children, if we listen. We can also learn a great deal about the natural man.

Remember the hymn: Jesus Did It All!
And to that statement, I'm sure your daughter will say, "Amen!"

 

[Studeclunker]

Please forgive me for answering confusion before answering your questions. However one preceeds the other.

I could really use some direction on this. My 11 year old has recently been attending vbs. She has had a wonderful week, filled with fun. We just recently started attending church ( invited by a friend). My friend and his wife have been teaching her class at vbs. They phoned me this morning to tell me congratulations on her being saved and asked if she had talk to me about this.When I ask her about how her night went and told her that they said they were proud she had been saved, she responded with "what is being saved?" Then she wanted to get on the phone and tell her friends. How do I explain to my child that this is not something to be taken lightly. I dont want her to feel that this is something that you just do and then decide later it is not for her and go back and forth. Forgive me if I'm wording this wrong. I have not had her in church all these years so it is hard for me to explain it to her.Any suggestions on how this might be handeled delicately and the right way?

You are quite right to feel this way. However, sometimes it is no shame at all to say to our children, "I don't know that answer. I'm new at this too." You would be very wise to propose to her that you both speak with the Pastor at the Church you are currently attending. Obviously you need help answering your Daughter's questions.

I know that we can't keep our children from making mistakes. I just don't want her to misunderstand what being saved is all about. She is a very bold child. She would not hesitate to ask me how I know since I just started attending church regular myself. I love her dearly for her boldness, but at times it makes it hard to get through to her about important things. This is a tander and delicate subject. I don't want to mislead her in any way.

You are very wise to be careful here. Isn't it delightful how when children find something out that's wonderful, they want to shout it from the rooftops and tell everyone? It's so sad we grow out of that. Or should I say, it's so sad that fear takes that out of us.

Sweetheart, all of us go in and out, back and forth, round and round with our Christian walk. This is common throughout Christendom. This is the precise reason God sends the Holy Spirit. He holds us down when we would fly and crash. He supports our wings when we need to fly and are too afraid to. He is our strength, our connection, our faith.

I myself have four grown children, now in their mid-twenties through late-thirties, whom go back and forth about their faith. One spends a lot of time on one's knees about their children, and it doesn't end when they 'grow up'.

So many people have been hurt at an early age by the Church. Because of this they wander or just avoid Christianity. Then along come children, and they realize that there's still something there in Christ. He has never forgotten you. He has never, ever, given up on you. Through the Holy Spirit, Luv, he will help you with this precocious child. She sounds like a real pip. Blessings to you both!

Go see your Pastor. That's what he's there for.

 

[LaShae]

I really appreciate all of the thought that you guys put into your answers. The pastor who normally preaches at the church I am attending is on personal leave right now due to family emergency so I havent actually met him yet. I have every intention on meeting with him as soon as he is available. I truly thank you for the responses that I have received. Gives me alot to think about and work on. May you all have a blessed day.

 

[LaShae]

I've got a couple of questions. What went on for a week at VBS and why were her teachers convinced she was "saved", when she doesn't even know what that term means? I'm sensing an altar call and a lot of decisions, but no true conversion at her VBS.

in response to your questions I beleive what took place was they ask were there any children in the class that wanted to be saved and accept jesus christ as their savior, my daughter raised her hand. They prayed with her. Although she tells me this morning that she knows that she is saved because she feels safe inside. I hope that if she is excited about church and the lord she will continue to grow in this experience and God will work through the way that I know he can. The is the best answer I have to the situation for the time being. I hope to meet with the pastor very soon. May his family get better. Thank you for your insight.