Yes, it's funny I know. But it kind of reminds me of Adam & Eve in the garden. They ate of the forbidden fruit and then hid from God. I'm really proud of Chase for putting his cookie back and telling Susie about what he did. It makes my heart melt!
It's hard to always be 'on' in our parenting. We get tired, we get frustrated and sometimes we're just upstairs getting dressed. But the fact is, we can't trust our children to do the right thing until they get older.
It's hard to always be 'on' in our parenting. We get tired, we get frustrated and sometimes we're just upstairs getting dressed. But the fact is, we can't trust our children to do the right thing until they get older.
Galatians 4:1-7
As long as children are underage they are subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by their fathers. So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Daddy, Father." So you are no longer slaves, but God's children; and since you are his children, he has made you also heirs."
It's interesting to me that the Bible refers to the Ten Commandments (the Law) as a temporary guardian for us, until we come of age. When we are born as babies, we are born under the Law - we are under both God's Law and our parent's rules. Our parents set the rules and we are expected to follow them until "the time set by our fathers" which is normally around the age of 18.
It's interesting to me that the Bible refers to the Ten Commandments (the Law) as a temporary guardian for us, until we come of age. When we are born as babies, we are born under the Law - we are under both God's Law and our parent's rules. Our parents set the rules and we are expected to follow them until "the time set by our fathers" which is normally around the age of 18.
Around the age of 18, we are expected to leave our parents and apply what we have learned in the outside world. Do the rules cease to exist? No, they don't. However, we are no longer subject to them - we are no longer under them. Do our parents still expect us to follow them? Probably. But the rules are no longer enforceable. They have fulfilled their purpose.
Or have they?
Do we really stop breaking the rules when we turn 18? I know I didn't. The rules didn't transform me into a law-abiding citizen. I needed to be transformed from the inside out.
I believe God gave us this earthly example to illustrate a heavenly reality. On Earth, we "come of age" when we reach maturity and can start making intelligent decisions on our own. In the spiritual realm, we "come of age" when we use this new decision-making ability to be born again into a new family that doesn't need rules, because it has Spirit.
John 3:6
"How can anyone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit."
John 3:6
"How can anyone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit."
By trusting Jesus, "God sends the Spirit of his Son into our hearts." This Spirit doesn't weigh us down with rules but instead transforms us into the rules. He doesn't change the rules, he changes us! The ironic thing is that becoming the Law sets us free from the same Law. We move from slavery to freedom by becoming that which we thought was oppressing us. Crazy! God sure has a way of turning things upside down.
