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THE CHRISTIAN HOME
In this article we will begin a continuing series of studies on the subject of “The Christian Home.“ There are no instant miracles that will produce the desired Christian Home. It is achieved by making basic decisions, putting them to work in your home, and then leaving the results with God. The importance of our subject goes without saying. The continuance of your marriage is at stake, the salvation of your children rests upon it, and the ultimate glory of God is involved. Let us begin by asking the question, “What is a Christian Home?“
1. A Husband and Wife who have become ONE.
There can be no Christian Home until a man and woman have recited marriage vows and are legally married. A common-law cohabitation or a trial marriage which does not bind one to another cannot constitute a Christian Home. The Bible calls this fornication and clearly condemns it (I Cor. 7:1,2). Our Lord Jesus said, “they twain shall be one flesh” (Matt.19:5). The Apostle Paul repeats it and then tells us that it is a beautiful picture of the relationship that exists between Christ and his Church (Eph. 5:25-32). The Bible is clear that two people have now become ONE.
2. A Father and Mother who have borne or adopted children.
The Bible says that, “children are an heritage of the Lord“ and “Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them“ (Psalm 127:3-5). God has put within the heart of women the desire to have children. (Read about Rachel, Hannah, Sarah, and Elizabeth) Children are a tie that helps to bind the marriage. Couples who are childless might consider the possibility of adopting children. God’s plan is to keep the wife in the home (Titus 2:3-5) and children quite naturally make that necessary. Parents experience a growth in character that is not quite the same without rearing children (James 1:2-5). Children in the home present a glorious opportunity to add to the number of the redeemed and to train a Christian for the Lord’s work. (II Tim. 1:2-5, III John 4)
3. It is a place where ONE family lives.
Our Lord teaches us that when we marry we must leave father and mother. Living with relatives will greatly hinder the happiness and effectiveness of the Christian Home. (Matt. 19:5).
4. It is the place where all the members EAGERLY return.
Real Christians are citizens of heaven living in a hostile world (Phil. 3:20, John 15:18,19). It is a blessing to be able to return home to those who love Christ. The home is where we find spiritual agreement and purpose. Our children should not often be absent from the home because they are at Jimmy’s house or Mary’s house. They should be taught to spend their spare time at their house.
5. It is the place where the best food in town is served.
There is no excuse for a habitual diet of T.V. dinners or instant dinners. The wife, as the “stayer at home,“ has the responsibility to prepare wholesome and tasty food. There is nothing wrong with cheap meals for those on a tight budget as long as they are prepared with tender loving care by Mom. No restaurant or fast food shop should win in competition with Mom. A husband should not have to eat his breakfast in a restaurant because his wife is in bed (Proverbs 31:15).
6. It is the place where all can be comfortable.
The home is not a museum where we all walk delicately so as not to disturb any of the finely arranged pieces. It is a place to live in, to relax in, to be comfortable in. This is not to excuse children from putting away their toys, picking up their clothes, and keeping their room neat.
7. It is the place where we mold our children.
The Bible tells us to train up a child in the way he should go (Prov.22.6). A child should be taught to believe in Christ as his Saviour. Children should be patterned in the image of Mom and Dad, who also are following Christ and seeking to be conformed to His image (Rom. 8:29).
8. It is the place where we can choose the people our family has fellowship with.
We ought to have Christians at our home often for spiritual fellowship (Acts 2:46) and as examples to our children. The ungodly and Christ-rejecting cannot enter that private domain to corrupt. It is also true that if we will not invite people into our home because of foul language or immodest dress, we ought to see that the same does not come into our home by way of the T.V.
9. It is not the Church.
Though it is expected that we should attend the services of the church and be involved in witnessing, the church should not become our everyday home. The children should not be left alone while Mom and Dad are out witnessing. Too many church activities can take the children away from the home too often and deprive them of the molding that only Mom and Dad can accomplish. There needs to be a sensible balance maintained between the church and the home.
10. The complete Christian Home is where all are Christians.
Our Lord told us that there would be family divisions because of Him (Luke 12:51-53). How blessed it is when all know Christ and are growing together in Him. This is to be prayed for and sought after above many other worthy goals.
11. It is the place where we can exalt Jesus Christ and none can forbid.
We can have family devotions as often as we like. We can discuss spiritual things and talk about the Lord when we are sitting down and rising up (Deut. 6:6-9 and Psalm 34:3).
12. It is the place where what we believe is practiced 24 hours a day.
There is no closer or lengthier relationship in life than the home. This is where we eat, sleep, and spend our free time. It is safe to say that a child will spend 6,570 days in the home. What we believe and practice will be his belief and practice, what we disbelieve and fail to practice will be his or her disbelief s and practices (Matt. 7:24-29).
By Paul L. Freeman, Evangelist
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