Dear BPCWAians, Before you decide not to read this pastoral because you do not have a child, please read on. If you are not a parent, you still need to also read the following because you have your part to play as a member in BPCWA when you engage with children in our midst. If you are a parent (no matter how old your child is now), the following is for you too, not just to parents of the newly infant baptised child.

We covered the important roles of parents in diligently teaching God’s child His Word and persevering in bringing the child up in God’s ways. But even as parents do these, we must be astutely aware that the world is also constantly seeking to teach the child through the media, and desires to influence by every means the child to walk in the ways of the world and cause him to sin. Hence, what you expose the child to must be of very high concern to you daily. This week, we shall look at the child in the home and in the church. Hence, even as parents do their part, we have to realise that the child is also in the midst of our influence in church.

(1) Living by example. Live by God’s Word in your own life. While teaching and guiding the child to obey God’s ways, the parents must live out God’s Word consistently in their own lives. When you bring your child for infant baptism, you vowed before God and man to do so, asking God to help you to raise godly seed for Him. Living by example in your own life is the most effective teaching and guiding. As you teach the child what the Lord Jesus desires of us in Matt 22:37-40, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (40) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets”, your life speaks loudest to them. When they see that you truly obey God regardless of the cost and outcome in life, they will learn to do so in their choices in what they do. When they see your genuine care for the brethren in church and who you love to be around, the godliness of your speech, temperament and behaviour, they will choose who they spend time with and who their friends are in life. But when we fail, it is also the most effective means to make your child hate Christianity because they see it as a false and hypocritical religion since it does not even change you, who is teaching it to them. The point is – no matter how much you think you really want them to be godly, it is your life, not what you say, that really shows. You must come to face this fact honestly. Here are some areas to start checking regarding your life as an example lived in front of the child who should be brought up as godly seed for the living God – do you do your quiet time, pray at home, do you love and obey God’s Word, how you spend your time and money, what you listen to and watch, what you do when on holidays, do you serve God, and who your close friends are? Here we answer the question – why many infant baptised children, grow up disobedient and want to break free from Christianity. Do not blame God for not keeping His promise after infant baptism, or blame the BP faith. Let us not lightly say, “Oh maybe they are not elect” or “if they are an elect, they will be saved anyway”. Remember it is not only about salvation. Even if they were an elect, they will learn so many sinful habits from you, learn your worldly lifestyles, and follow your hypocritical and bad examples. On the contrary, when your walk is genuine and you have a joyful and serious walk with God, it will motivate them to want such a life and relationship with God too. They will want to follow your example because they see that God is real and how wonderful it is to love Him and serve Him because He first loved us. No matter how much you study God’s Word yourself even, it is your example that is the best way to bring up godly seed as you teach them God’s ways. And that also means that as members in BPCWA, your example is also very important as we will see next.

(2) Making them part of God’s Covenantal Church family. Infant baptism makes the child a non-communicant member (non participant of the Holy Communion) of BPCWA. We are living with God’s family in church. Make them part of God’s family in church – that is why they are non communicant members. Let them grow up in church, make it a priority so that they grow up with God’s people instead of become part of the worldly friends and their ungodly activities. So, coming to study and to know about God, to serve Him, pray with other children for the church and each other – all these become a life that they get used to, rather than worldliness. They learn that church is their extended family and a place they would rather spend time in than the world. One day if they get saved, such a life would already be normal for them rather than needing to unlearn and struggle with the many sins that they have picked up because they were not trained to walk in God’s way or part of church life.

(3) Everyone’s role in church. When we stand after infant baptism, surely it is not to tell the child anything because the baby cannot understand what is happening at that point. We stand as members committing to support the parents as they bring up godly seed in our midst too. We too must live up to our commitment in our examples. What you do with and say to the child when you play with it is part of this commitment. You play with the child or talk to the teen with the purpose of being godly examples, not because the child is cute, my best friend’s child, fun to play with or talk with or simply because you want to child to look up to you. We are all “uncles and aunties in Christ” to these non-communicant members and should endeavour to treat every child alike. You must not spoil the kid, allure the child with worldly things, or “bribe” the child in order to make the child like being with you. So, remember that what you organize, bring them to, or do with them when parents allow you to, you are bearing a great responsibility.

No matter what age your child is now, it is not too late to live your duty to bring up godly seed. No matter what mistakes you have made, it is not too late to live differently. In fact, the change in you is what will be needed for the child or teenager to desire to change too. Let us as members do our part as the covenantal family of God too, because your life has an impact on them in church too.

Matt 18:6 But who so shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Yours in our Lord’s service

Pastor