Mom and dad, here are six solid reasons you want your children to love God’s Word based on 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
1. We want our children to love God’s Word because it TEACHES THEM GOD’S TRUTH.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching…
God’s Word is the supreme and final source and standard of truth. It conveys God’s wisdom concerning the great questions of life. Furthermore there are principles and precepts in the Bible concerning all the practical matters they will grapple with daily, and the Bible speaks to those matters as well as many others. We want our children to love God’s Word because it teaches them God’s truth.
2. We want our children to love God’s Word because it CONFRONTS THEIR SIN.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching …for reproof…
“Reproof” means to convince or expose. In Greek, the verb means not merely to reply to, but to refute an opponent. It would be like a lawyer convincing the judge and jury as to the specific wrongs of his opponent’s case. This means that the Bible has the power to expose sin in our lives and to convince us that we are in the wrong. This is another powerful reason why we want our children to love God’s Word.
3. We want our children to love God’s Word because it is USEFUL FOR CORRECTION.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof …for correction…
The Word doesn’t just point out where we’re wrong and leave us there. It also tells us how to get right with God, with others, and with ourselves. It helps restore us to the proper path of God’s ways. When we become aware of sin in our lives, it tells us how to confess it and appropriate God’s forgiveness. It tells us how to be reconciled with those we have wronged. It tells us how to overcome harmful habits, how to break off harmful alliances, and how to mend broken family relationships. That is why we want our children to love God’s Word.
4. We want our children to love God’s Word because it TRAINS THEM IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and… for training in righteousness
“Training” means, literally, “childtraining.” This implies a process where God teaches them how to deal with all of life. Just as we work with our children over the years to train them in various courtesies, morals, skills, and habits, so God, through His Word, will train them in all areas of life so that they can know what pleases Him. I want my children to know what pleases God. That is why I want them to love God’s Word.
5. We want our children to love God’s Word because it STUDYING IT RESULTS IN MATURITY.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 …that the man of God may be competent…
The word “competent” means whole or complete, sound of body and mind, full grown. Since God made us for His purpose, only His Word is able to prepare us for that purpose. The Bible will enable you to form a Christian world-view, so that you think and respond to all of life as God intends. There is no such thing as a mature man or woman of God apart from being strong in the Word of God, which is another good reason why we would want our kids to love God’s Word.
But maturity is not an end in itself.
6. We want our children to love God’s Word because it STUDYING IT RESULTS IN SERVICE.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, …equipped for every good work.
“Equipped for every good work” means to be furnished or supplied. The more our children study God’s Word, the more they will have adequate resources to minister to others. We want our children to love God’s Word so they can become ministers in His kingdom.
There you have it, mom and dad. Six strong reasons as to why we would want our children to love God’s Word.