Children of God

By John T. McNeal  

Have you ever noticed how long it takes a parent to train a child not to do something? In most cases, all it takes is simple communication on why you don’t want that child to do something, but sometimes it’s not so simple.

Here is an illustration. Over the past two and half years, I have told my son not to play with the electric cord to the vacuum cleaner while it is plugged into the wall. One of my tasks in keeping the house clean is to vacuum the carpet. It seems like clockwork; whenever I plug in the vacuum cleaner, my son wants to go behind me and unplug it. Of course disciplinary action soon follows.

As children of the living God, how many times does it take God to use such actions with us in order to get our attention when we disobey him? I believe that He allows us to stumble and fall down during the process of learning the truth of what is right and wrong, much like a baby learning to walk. Because He sets the boundaries of real truth, we have a choice to follow his truth or the world’s truth.  The Bible, which is the inspired word of God, is there to help us believers to become more like Christ instead of the world.

Newton’s third law explains a theory: for every action there is a reaction. Stumbling and falling can happen or be allowed under the law of God.  Having physical intimacy outside the bounds of marriage can cause a reaction both physically and spiritually. Physically, a person can contact a sexual transmitted disease (STD) or become pregnant. Spiritually, a person becomes attached to another then finds regret and emptiness due to the loss of oneness when the two become separated.  This is a reaction to our natural, innate ability to sin.

Is there grace and mercy at the cross? Oh, yes; but, there is also justice. It is our sinful nature that separates us and the goodness of the living God. But it was His sacrificial Lamb and the redemptive power in His blood that rekindled the relationship between the Creator and His creation.

As a Christian, I know that we are not perfect, nor do I believe that we will ever achieve perfection on this side of heaven. There are people in this world who believe that the only boundaries we have are those that are set up by the world around us. Some people say discipline is a tool to make or help a person conform to the rules or regulations set up by a given power. I believe that God not only sets the standard, but also makes the rules. These rules are in place in order to keep us safe from harm’s way, not to discourage people from having fun.  

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