Deep Thoughts: 3 Reasons Kids Need to Understand WHY We Believe

A – Admit to God you are a sinner. B- Believe that Jesus is God’s Son…It’s as easy as A-B-C, right? I mentioned in my last post that many kids know the ABCs and may even be able to sing them to you. But do they understand the WHY behind them? Here are 3 simple yet profound reasons kids need to understand WHY Jesus, God’s son, came to earth to save us.

1. Because of our sin problem, we need a savior. Why? Check out my last post about understanding what it means to be a sinner. B doesn’t come after A just because. We believe because we see and understand our need for a savior. Believing is a heart issue, involving the work of Holy Spirit. It’s not about knowing in our brains, but knowing with our whole self.
2. Not just any savior will do, but only God’s perfect, sinless Son. We have Christ’s own record of a perfect life counted as our own when we trust Him for our salvation. So often we focus on Christ’s death, and not so much on his perfect life that’s counted as our own! What a gift, and what a sacrifice. Believing this is part of believing in the whole of God’s great gift.
3. Christ defeated sin through his resurrection. It sounds great, but what does it really mean? When we believe that Jesus, and only Jesus, saves us from our sins, we don’t have to try to save ourselves anymore. We don’t go to church, pray, or read our Bibles because we want to gain more points toward getting to heaven. We do these things as a result of God’s work in our lives through true heart-change.

In summer 2012, we’ll be talking more in-depth about these things at CentriKid Camps as we help campers understand what it really means to live a transformed life. As you talk with kids about their own response to the gospel, ask lots of questions. Remember, the ABCs aren’t the gospel, but simply one’s response to the good news of Jesus Christ!