God is very clear in Malachi 2:15 that He makes a man and a woman one in a marriage covenant because He is seeking godly children as fruit of the union. That is part of His purpose for marriage.
“Marriage Is Meant To Be For The Purpose Of Raising Godly Children”
Malachi 2:10-16
Sermon Series: “Meant To Be”
Introduction: God is very clear in Malachi 2:15 that He makes a man and a woman one in a marriage covenant because He is seeking godly children as fruit of the union. That is part of His purpose for marriage. Let’s adopt this purpose as a conviction and pursue it as a goal for our marriages.
I am going to explain this concept by sharing some foundational convictions regarding this, giving us a picture of what a godly child looks like, and sharing the basic biblical principles regarding parenting.
1. Foundational Convictions:
A. Assuming the physical capability to reproduce, it is God’s will for married couples to have children. This text and Genesis 1:28 make that clear. However, the Bible does not mandate having a certain number of children, trying to have as many as possible, or it does not forbid birth control.
B. However, God’s plan goes beyond just producing children and involves the priority of raising them to be godly. When we were discussing this series, Robin, my wife, said, “You don’t get a do over. This is not a dress rehearsal.”
C. Parenting is a priority, but it is not the top priority of our lives. Our relationship with God comes first, then our relationship with our spouse, and our kids are our third priority behind the other two. Be God-centered and marriage-centered instead of being child-centered.
D. Craig Groeschel said, “Marriage is the rock that holds the family together.”
E. We are responsible to the Lord for how we parent our children, and our children are responsible for what they do with it when they grow up.
F. It is vital for us as men to obey God and fulfill our role as spiritual leaders within our families.
2. A Picture Of A Godly Child: Jesus is our example in all things. He is the God-Man. He was the perfect human being while living on the earth so He is the epitome of godliness. The Bible does not say much about His childhood, but Luke 2:52 says, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Following this example, our goal in parenting should be for our children to grow:
A. Intellectually (wisdom)
B. Physically
C.
“Marriage Is Meant To Be For The Purpose Of Raising Godly Children”
Malachi 2:10-16
Sermon Series: “Meant To Be”
Introduction: God is very clear in Malachi 2:15 that He makes a man and a woman one in a marriage covenant because He is seeking godly children as fruit of the union. That is part of His purpose for marriage. Let’s adopt this purpose as a conviction and pursue it as a goal for our marriages.
I am going to explain this concept by sharing some foundational convictions regarding this, giving us a picture of what a godly child looks like, and sharing the basic biblical principles regarding parenting.
1. Foundational Convictions:
A. Assuming the physical capability to reproduce, it is God’s will for married couples to have children. This text and Genesis 1:28 make that clear. However, the Bible does not mandate having a certain number of children, trying to have as many as possible, or it does not forbid birth control.
B. However, God’s plan goes beyond just producing children and involves the priority of raising them to be godly. When we were discussing this series, Robin, my wife, said, “You don’t get a do over. This is not a dress rehearsal.”
C. Parenting is a priority, but it is not the top priority of our lives. Our relationship with God comes first, then our relationship with our spouse, and our kids are our third priority behind the other two. Be God-centered and marriage-centered instead of being child-centered.
D. Craig Groeschel said, “Marriage is the rock that holds the family together.”
E. We are responsible to the Lord for how we parent our children, and our children are responsible for what they do with it when they grow up.
F. It is vital for us as men to obey God and fulfill our role as spiritual leaders within our families.
2. A Picture Of A Godly Child: Jesus is our example in all things. He is the God-Man. He was the perfect human being while living on the earth so He is the epitome of godliness. The Bible does not say much about His childhood, but Luke 2:52 says, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Following this example, our goal in parenting should be for our children to grow:
A. Intellectually (wisdom)
B. Physically
C. Spiritually (starting with salvation)
D. Socially
3. Basic Biblical Principles Of Parenting: If we adopt the goal of raising godly children and use Jesus as our model, what do we do to try to develop that in our children? The Bible gives us four keys:
A. Example (Deuteronomy 6:1-6)
B. Love (Titus 2:4)
C. Discipline (Proverbs 3:12, 13:4, 19:18, 29:15)
D. Training (Deuteronomy 6:7-9)
Conclusion: Most Americans are living for a good time. God wants us to live for a good legacy. Much of our legacy is bound up in the children we raise. It is vital that we make a concerted, Spirit-empowered effort to raise godly children.