I found the following quote on Paul Martin’s blog. Paul is my colleague at Grace Fellowship Church so I’m sure he won’t mind if I “borrow” this quote. After all, I read this commentary long before he did. This comes from Richard Phillips’ commentary on Hebrews. And more precisely, it comes from Phillips comments on chapter 11. And even more precisely, it comes from the comments on verses 23 and following where the author of Hebrews turns his attention to Moses.
These are encouraging words.
This is how we pass on the faith to our children: by our words, but more pointedly by our actions. Children are either hardened by the hypocrisy of their parents, or like Moses they are inspired by the consistency between word and deed. If we are unforgiving with our children and show an unwillingness to admit our sins, then we communicate a lack of grace to them. If we spend all our money on ourselves, begrudging the church or those in need, or if we speak harshly of people, seeming to rejoice in their failures and follies, then we communicate a religion other than that of Christianity. But when we are quick to repent and ready to forgive, when we trust the Lord for our own provision and give freely to others, and when we speak graciously of other sinners … we show our children our belief in a God who is merciful and kind and mighty to save.
