In lessons dealing with godly children, the focus is generally on parents and what they must do (Prov. 22:6; Eph. 6:4). The focus is seldom, if ever, on what children must do. Children often hear preachers preach to their parents, but not to them. The word “godly” means showing proper respect and reverence, so being a godly child means to show respect toward the Lord and His wishes for life. To be a godly child, what would God have them to be?

Children need to honor and obey their parents. Paul declared, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and thy mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth” (Eph. 6:1-3; cf. Col. 3:20). Please note the two major responsibilities found within these verses – obedience and honor. To be a godly child, these responsibilities must be met. Children are to obey and submit in such a way as to bring joy and not grief to their parents (Prov. 10:1; 15:20; 19:26; Heb. 13:17).

Children need to honor God. To fail to recognize God’s appointed authority within the home is to disregard, disobey, and disrespect God. The only exception to this rule would be if parents told a child to do something contrary to God’s word. In this case, the child should respectfully and lovingly plead with their parents to change their stance. However, these situations are the exception. It should be noted that children would still have the responsibility to obey their parents in all other things. One wrong requirement on the part of a parent would not nullify the whole parent/child dynamic.

Children need to grow spiritually. Timothy had the advantage of a pious mother and grandmother (2 Tim. 1:5), and he was learning about God from the time he was a baby (3:15). Love of God and His people is not a matter only for adults; by the time one has reached adulthood, the most deeply held convictions have already been established. Youth need to learn about and follow God while they are…youth!

Children have the opportunity to motivate their families. No doubt, we have all known little children who led their parents to church services. Without the constant clamoring of these children to go to Bible class, their parents wouldn’t have gone. Little children also often lead their parents in saying prayers and in reading Bible stories. Sometimes in the chaos of getting everyone fed and in bed, Bible stories are not read and prayers are not said. Children can encourage their parents by reminding them when these things are not done. When asked to go get a book to read before bed, children can pick a Bible story book. They need to have their own, appropriate expectations for spiritual activities.

Children have the opportunity to influence others. When His disciples were arguing about who was the greatest in the kingdom, Jesus took a child, set him in the midst of them, and declared, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:1-3). Jesus used a little child to lead His disciples. He used a little child to show them the spirit that they needed to have in order to be saved. Just one chapter later, He would again use a child to lead them (Matt. 19:13-15; cf. Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17). In like manner, the Apostle Paul spoke of the example that young people can be to those who are older. To Timothy, he wrote, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity: Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine…Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all” (1 Tim. 4:12-15).

Be a godly child. Make sure you learn about God and spiritual matters. Remember to obey God, parents, and figures of authority. Remember that you can make a difference in the lives of others.

Taken from 2009 Annual Southwest Lectures: Honoring Christ – Calling For Godly Homes.

-submitted by Jerry Sturgill

The church at Corinth had a significant segment who were beginning to deny the resurrection from the dead.  In 1 Corinthians 15, the apostle Paul addressed this issue with them in detail.  Being one of the foundational truths of Christianity, it was absolutely vital for them to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and their own bodily resurrection from the dead in the future when Christ returns.  Heaven awaits those who are saved, who will be resurrected with spiritual bodies to enjoy endless bliss with the Lord.  Paul concludes this chapter with this exhortation, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”  The enjoyment of their reward in their resurrected state was an incentive for them to abound in their work for the Lord.  One may work in vain in many endeavors on earth.  A farmer’s crop can be ruined, an investor’s savings can be lost or stolen, but the work we do for the Lord is guaranteed to be rewarded if we stay faithful (1 Peter 1:4). Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

Often when we are considering certain verses in the Scriptures, we fail to recognize the context that helps round out our understanding of a particular verse.  This failure is even more common when a verse is located next to a chapter division.  Chapter and verse divisions, handy as they may be in finding a particular portion of the Scriptures, were not part of the original documents but were added centuries after the Bible was completed (Langton gave us the chapters in 1200s and Stephanus gave the verse divisions in the 1500s).

The verses following 1 Corinthians 15:58 show a labor in the Lord that is not in vain – helping the poor (1 Corinthians 16:1-4).  The particular need at the time Paul wrote the letter was a famine that afflicted the people of Judea.  The churches of Christ were committed to sending relief to these people by the hands of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 11:27-30).  The principle we learn is that we should be giving when we are gathered together, motivated by love for the Lord and others.  Second Corinthians shows the continuation of this process and the good it did for all that were involved.  Jew-Gentile relations in the church were healed because so many Gentiles were willing to help the Jews of Judea.  While the church makes providing for the poor in the family of God the first priority, all men, even those outside the church, are benefited by God’s people doing good works (Galatians 6:10; 2 Corinthians 9:13).

Instead of being focused on accumulating as much wealth for ourselves as possible, we should help the poor who are in true need (Galatians 2:10; 2 Thessalonians 3:10).  If we do not help them, we are not of the truth, and have no good eternal reward to anticipate (1 John 3:17-18; cf. Luke 16:19-31).  Thus, in view of the resurrection, where we will experience riches that are incorruptible, we should abound in doing the work of the Lord, including giving to the poor.

-Mark Day