Troublesome Topic: WHAT CAN PARENTS DO TO TEACH THEIR CHILDREN GOD’S PRINCIPLES ABOUT SEXUALITY?

In the Former Covenant, it was the harsh punishments that motivated people in ancient Israel to follow God’s plan. But if their society slipped away from following God’s plan, and it did, there was no motivation at all to treat sexuality the way God intended that it be treated.

The New Covenant does not have the same punishments as the Former Covenant, but the principles remain the same. What can we do to teach children God’s principles about sexuality without using harsh punishments?

Do everything you can to show them an example of what a God-centered marriage looks like. Let them see the blessings of following God’s way. Even though God’s way seems harder, it is the only way that brings true joy and peace.

Show young people how seriously God took sexual sins in the Old Testament so they can realize that sexual sin is far more serious than our culture makes it sound. Teach them that God had good reasons to be hard on sexual sins. Teach them that the real problems related to sexual sins have to do with lines of authority, type of relationship, and God’s design. In this way you will help them see the big picture and understand that God’s requirement that sex be limited to the marriage relationship is not random; it is purposeful and wise.

Talk to your children regularly about sexual issues from a Biblical perspective. Show them examples in our culture that demonstrate that the wrong to handle sexuality brings only pain and frustration.

Homeschool your kids. Don’t hand off to others the responsibility of training your children, a responsibility which God has given to you. Homeschooling is not easy; I know that because we (primarily my wife) homeschooled our children. But homeschooling is definitely worth it! If you send your children to someone else for their education, you will always be playing catch-up – trying to replace the things that others have taught them that you consider wrong. This is risky because your children may choose to follow what their teacher has said instead of what you say, even though the child is not ready to weigh all the facts, consider all the angles and make a wise decision. Even sending your child to a private Christian school is a risk, although not nearly as big a risk as sending them to public school. And the problems of mass education do not come only from the teachers or the curriculum. They often come from peers. Eric Ludy has said that he learned more from his friends than from his teachers, and the things his friends taught him were not good.

Don’t get discouraged by this daunting task. The same God who has given you the responsibility of training your children can give you everything you need to fulfill that high and noble calling.