How to make our children citizens of Heaven?

The series of messages, "Anchored in Christ: a Family that Stands," was presented to members of the West Asia Field, headquartered in Istambul, Turkey, on March 4, 2025. Related themes: Children, Parents, Children’s Education, Religious Education.

Most of the books mentioned in this presentation ("Child Guidance," "The Adventist Home," "Education," "Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students," and "Fundamentals on Christian Education"), and others may be found here: https://whiteestate.org/books/egw-books/books/.

My notes:

Two worldviews about raising children:

1. How can we make them relevant and successful people in this life? 
2. How to help them inherit eternal life

God’s vision for parenting:

• Abraham
• Gen 17:6-9 -

• Gen 18:17-19 -

NOT:

• Exo 12:26-27 -

• Deut 4:9-10 -

• Deut 6:4-9 -

• Deut 11:18-28 -

• Psalm 78:5-7 -
• Prov 22:6 -

• Eph. 6:4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

• Some ways to provoke children to wrath:
• Always commanding as the first option instead of asking
• Using physical strength to promote obedience
• Expecting bad things and making evil prophecies about children (self-fulfilling prophecies)
• Disciplining them for breaking rules that were not known
• Preferring a child among the others (remember Jacob, Joseph, and the other children).

• Heb 12:5-11 - 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:
• “My son, do not despise the [a]chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 If[b] you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no [c]chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Guidance about discipline in Proverbs:

1. Proverbs 13:24

He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.

2. Proverbs 19:18

Chasten your son while there is hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction. 

(About how parents can avoid destroying their children, see Eph 4:22-32)

3. Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

4. Proverbs 22:15

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him.

5. Proverbs 23:13-14

Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod, and deliver his soul from hell.

6. Proverbs 29:15

The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

7. Proverbs 29:17

Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he will give delight to your soul.

Important points for religious education:

• To promote obedience - this behavior toward earthly parents will be transferred to the Heavenly Father. 
• Family worship
• Personal communion 
• Sabbath keeping
• Presence in the church
• Check outside influences
• Guide them in choosing friendships
• Entertainment: music, watching, 
• Guide them while choosing their life partner - prevent them from unequal yoke
• Guide them to honor God in their financial life
• To have savings
• To put God first

Suggested literature may be found here:

• "Child Guidance,"⁠ ⁠
• "The Adventist Home," ⁠⁠
• "Education,"⁠ ⁠
• "Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students,"⁠ and ⁠
• "Fundamentals on Christian Education"⁠