Christian Training

Scripture: Proverbs 22:6

Sermon preached at Gospel Light Christian Church Singapore
by Pastor Dr Paul Choo
on 15 August 1999

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it"

Introduction: GLCC launched its Bible Memorization Program last Sunday and will begin its Child Training Program today. By God's grace we will soon launch our Video Training Program. Is it biblical to offer so many training programs? God commands us to "train up a child." The "child" in this verse refers particularly to one who is young in age but can also refer to one who is young spiritually and experientially, e.g. young Christians, untrained parents and nursery teachers.

The need to train a person implies that he has a tendency to do what is wrong if left alone. This is the result of our fallen sinful nature which we inherited from our original ancestor Adam. In other words, every child is born with a heart that is already contaminated with all the potential for evil. At birth, these tendencies have not yet developed. However, if left alone, they will develop with time. Every problem in any person, family, organization or nation is caused by these sinful tendencies which have been allowed to develop. Parents, pastors and teachers are responsible for training up a child in the way he should go, so that he will not go in the way that he would go.

Train: No "child" should be left to develop by "chance." In this sin-cursed world, anything left to chance runs down. This is an infallible scientific law. Therefore, we must all be trainees or trainers all our life. Most people think that teaching is training. Teaching is only a minor part of training because we are by nature imitators rather than listeners. In Ephesians 6:4, fathers are told to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Admonition refers to the teaching part of training, and nurture refers to the discipling part of it, i.e. being an example, encourager, and restrainer. Eli the priest, admonished his children but failed to nurture them (1 Samuel 2:22-30) and so failed miserably as a father.

Since teaching takes far less time and effort, it constitutes the main part of training today. The main part of discipling is setting an example for others to follow but because most people's lives are ungodly, they cannot be disciplers. They can only be teachers saying "Do as I tell you but don't do as I do." When a "child" sees the right attitude, speech or behaviour often enough, he naturally imitates it and it soon becomes a part of his life. We call that a habit. Habits are hard to form but are even harder to change once they are formed.

In the way that he should go: The objective of training is to see that a person habitually goes "in the way that he should go." What is "the way?" It is not the way of one's feelings, men's opinions or even men's reason. It is God's way - as taught in the Bible. Usually God's way is exactly opposite to man's way. How can we train our children in the way unless we know the Bible? God's way leads to Christlikeness, e.g. love, patience, kindness, obedience to authority, love of truth and hatred of sin, humility, priority of spiritual over physical, internal over external, diligence, sacrifice, duty, thrift. Whenever we are not sure what is Christlike, we should ask ourselves "what will Christ like?" or "what would a godly Christian (whom we know) choose when faced with the same situation?"

A child: In Psalm 127:4, children are described as "arrows." Arrows can be used for great evil (murder) or great good (defending lives). A child has great potential for either evil or good, depending on the type of training that he receives. It is far easier to train a child because children are by nature more humble, pliant and trusting. Furthermore, bad habits have yet to be formed. It is definitely easier to form than to reform. An important rule in training is that the earlier we train, the easier it is and the better the results (Proverbs 13:24). If we do not train them early, they will be "trained" by what they hear and watch by other undesirable "trainers."

When he is old, he will not depart from it: Many trainers get discouraged because they do not see the fruit of their efforts or they see them soon undone. The reason is that teenage years are a time of rebellion. Teenagers often just rebel for the sake of doing so. Therefore, they often make an effort to discard what they know to be good. However, when they are old and the spirit of rebellion decreases, they will remember the things that they have been trained to do and resume doing them. Trainers must remember this so that they will not be discouraged.

Conclusion: Most people want to leave a good inheritance to their loved ones and they believe that a nice house or a good education is a good inheritance. However, let us have nobler ambitions for our loved ones and be able to say: "I have left a good name, a Christian example and godly training."