#44. If Your Theology Stops Obedience...

<p class="">When it comes to fulfilling the great commission in our families (to teach our children to obey Jesus), sometimes our Christian conundrums paralyse us:</p> <ul data-rte-list="default"> <li> <p class="">Should we expect children will learn to obey when we know they have a sinful nature? Is it even possible this side of <a href= "https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%203&version=NIV"> Genesis 3</a>?</p> </li> </ul> <ul data-rte-list="default"> <li> <p class="">Should we expect obedience (and give consequences for disobedience) when the Bible tells us that <a href= "https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%203%3A9-11&version=NIV"> <em>“no one is righteous, not even one”</em></a>?</p> </li> <li> <p class="">Will teaching obedience to Jesus leave kids thinking they merit God’s favour by their own goodness?</p> </li> <li> <p class="">Will training our children to obey Jesus make them think they don’t need God’s forgiveness?</p> </li> <li> <p class="">When I’ve told my child to put her bowl in the sink, and she doesn’t, am I correcting a very young Christian or a very young unbeliever? Does it make any difference?</p> </li> <li> <p class="">When I pray with my child, should I expect she will learn to pray with me, or just listen in? Is it wrong to teach my children to pray when I don’t know if they are actually Christians? Does God welcome their prayers? Is it teaching them to be presumptuous?</p> </li> <li> <p class="">Should we teach kids to say sorry to others and God before they understand the significance of what they’re doing? Isn’t this teaching them formulaic hypocrisy?</p> </li> <li> <p class="">Will teaching obedience make Christianity distasteful to them, leading to rebellion against Jesus down the track?</p> </li> <li> <p class="">Isn’t obedience the same as legalism—the thing which undermines the gospel of grace?</p> </li> <li> <p class="">Isn’t our job just to teach the Bible, then kids will work out obedience for themselves eventually?</p> </li> <li> <p class="">Doesn