“The Older Women Likewise . . . That They Admonish The Younger Women” (Titus 2:2-3)

One of the great responsibilities assigned to older women who are Christians, is to teach the younger women to love their children. (Titus 2:4) “That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,..” Even before a child is born, he should be loved.

A good example of this may be found in Judges 13. Monoah and his wife had no children because she was barren. An angel of the Lord appeared to her and announced that she would conceive and bear a son. She immediately told her husband and I imagine there was great rejoicing. Monoah entreated the Lord and said, “O my Lord let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born” (verse 8).

After the angel had appeared the second time to Monoah’s wife, she made haste to get her husband and brought him with her to the angel that had spoken. In verse 12, Monoah spoke to the angel that had brought the good news of the upcoming birth of a son (Samson) and asked this important question, “How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?” It is obvious they were concerned about the welfare of their son even before his birth. What a shame it isn’t this way with all husbands and wives today.

If we love our children, we will try to teach them what God would have us to. The use of examples is one of the best ways to teach a child. Didn’t the poet say, “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day?” Sometimes we can even use bad examples that we see in everyday life to teach a lesson. Remember, God did not hide the bad examples of men and women from us in either the Old or New Testament so that we may read those things in order to emulate the good and avoid the evil. Jesus, of course, is our perfect example of everything that is good. I feel we do not study the life of Christ enough so that we might emulate His examples.

Someone might ask, “How could we teach a child by the example of an evil person?” First by showing the ugly consequences of sin. The Bible is full of examples. Let us look at David. He was one of the most prominent figures in the history of Israel, but his life was an admixture of good and evil. It was filled with noble deeds, fine aspirations and splendid accomplishments, but it was stained with terrible sins. It is almost impossible to think of a man who could write the Psalms that he did by the inspiration of God, and commit the sin that he did against Uriah the Hittite. When David had the Word of God firmly fixed in his heart he did wonderful things, but when he slipped away from the Word he committed unspeakable sins. No doubt the spirit of the times in which he lived must be considered.

The spirit of our times has caused many young people to fall into the same trap. College students who are Christians tell me that fornication is rampant on campus and is even affecting some who are members of the Lord’s church. Many of these young people have been taught some moral values, but I fear they have not been impressed with the consequences of sin. Since fornication is portrayed by the T.V. and movies as normal and acceptable behavior for young people, I am afraid they are being deeply impressed to do evil before God. The media shows the horror of aids but never pictures it as the consequence of sinful behavior which it is in nearly every case. They rarely show, as a consequence, the anguish and grief of a pregnancy outside of marriage, instead it is often glorified. Boys and girls and men and women who commit fornication do not stop to consider that their sin is “breaking God’s heart.”

In marriage God has provided an honorable state for such activity, but they have dishonored God by defiling His righteous plan. A young woman commits fornication and becomes pregnant and never once stopped to think about the grief it would bring upon her parents. She never thought about the consequences of rearing a child for which she is not prepared. As a consequence of her conduct, and the man’s, she may be trapped in a marriage with which she is not happy and which will likely fall apart. Of course, they may obtain forgiveness from God and man, but the “stain” of their conduct will not vanish. The innocent child will be saddled with the conduct of his or her parents for a lifetime. This may not be fair, but that’s the way it is. Never forget that even though you may obtain forgiveness there are awful consequences to sin.

Please, young ladies, remember who you are!

Jean Jones / Gospel Truths / April 2013

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Zechariah 4:6

So he answered and said to me:  “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:  Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, Says the Lord of hosts.”