BIG IDEA: Correction and discipline must hit at the conscience of our children.
Appealing To The Conscience
God has created with a conscience or a capacity to know right from wrong. This true for believers and unbelievers (Romans 2:12-16). When the conscience is pricked, then correction and discipline can do their work.
The rod is not the only instrument used for training (Proverbs 23:13-14). Proverbs 23:17,19,22,23,26 make appeals to the heart or the conscience. The heart must be stirred up and trained with God's Word.
Jesus asked the Pharisees about right and wrong (Matthew 21:28-32). Then he posed another parable (Matthew 21:33-46) to hit at the conscience. Jesus asked the Pharisees to make a judgment call. We can do the same with our children by asking them about the right or wrong of actions or a situation. This helps with self-indictment. Jesus dealt with root issues, not just surface issues. He hit at their conscience. The gospel hits at the conscience of a sinner and heals the heart with grace and mercy causing us to live for God.
Correcting With A Central Focus On Redemption
Our focus in chidlrearing is to help our children see themselves as sinners in need of God's mercy and grace in Christ's saving work. The gospel must be the focus of our parenting with our kids.
We must hold God's righteousness high. We must show our children our inability to be holy before God. We must show them the saving work of Christ that fixes our problem so that they'll love God and live for His glory. In our discipline and correction we are showing them how they fall short of God's glory. A lesser standard of holiness means requirement for grace and that will not drive them to Christ.
Hypocrisy and self-righteousness are the results of lowering God's standard of holiness and giving our children something they can achieve. Holiness is reduced to external behavior while the inside is filthy. In pride and self-righteousness, they reject Christ.
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