“Hey kids, come on in, the old man’s home now and supper’s ready,” Mother yelled out of the back door. 

If a book or an article would begin with the above phrase, what type of writing could you expect to be reading? What type of characters would you picture in your mind as the subjects of that writing? Would it be the neatly kept home of a Christian, church-type family man who just came home from his work? Or might we think of a home where the parents go partying evenings, and sleep in Sunday mornings?

What type of character testimony do we want to leave with others? There is no question that our conversation has much bearing on the witness and testimony that we leave with others. As Christians we do well to keep from using the phrase “kids” in referring to children, or “the old man/lady” in reference to older people, or parents.

Kids or Children? 

“And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: Then shall he also say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:33, 34, 41).

As shown by these verses the goats represent those who will be sorted out for eternal damnation. The dictionary describes “kid” as a young goat, or in slang, a child. It also describes slang as a figure of speech. Certainly there is no parent (or Christian for that matter) who would want any of their children to be classed as one of the cursed and scheduled to be cast into everlasting fire.

Why would we, as children of the living God who hope that all our children will someday go to heaven and be with us there, call children “kids”? There is nowhere in the scriptures that children are referred to as “kids”. How would it sound if we as Christians would call ourselves “kids of God” rather than Children of God? 

It has been done in the past somewhat innocently, possibly not fully realizing what it represents, but in our spiritual growth we do well to develop habits that leave good testimonies in our conversation with others. 

Old Man or Dad?

“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24).

“Seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Col. 3:9b, 10).

The scriptures describe “the old man” as the evil nature which is from the evil spirit. Surely no child of God would want to associate his earthly father with the evil spirit. Yet when we say “old man” we are referring to a person’s evil nature and if the person is converted it would be referring to when he was living in sin and in a lost state.

If our father is the devil what does that make us? Children of the devil? Surely we want nothing, whatsoever, to do with him because there seem to be enough problems with the old nature within wanting to raise its head and causing stumbling blocks in our spiritual relationship with God.

In Ephesians 4:24, the phrase “which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” and Colossians 3:10, “after the image of him that created him” refers to the new man created in the image of God both physically and spiritually. By referring to one who has the new spiritual nature as the “old man”, might we be treading close to blasphemy? Certainly God expects us to respect His image of righteousness and true holiness which we should be striving to live up to. Also read Exodus 20:12, Matthew 15:4, and Ephesians 6:1-4.

May God bless us with strength and boldness that we will strive to be children of God created in His own image both physically and spiritually, that we may leave a testimony and witness that speaks to all we communicate with. It must be our desire to allow others to see Jesus in us and to allow His glory to shine forth. God bless you!

Lambs or 'Kids'?

Oh the precious little children,
Placed here for our tender care;
Do we realize how little
Will on earth with them compare?

Jewels costly, rare and precious,
Never can their place refill;
When in years they leave their childhood,
Or when death will lay them still.

Little lambs they are for Jesus,
In their years of innocence;
We must guard these little jewels,
Lest they stray outside the fence.

Little lambs they are for Jesus
Leave the name of ‘kids’ outside.
This was not what Jesus called them.
Nor should we this name ascribe.

If, when comes the separation
Goats are placed upon the left;
Don’t be saying ‘kids’ for children.
Of their right they’re not bereft.

Though to us it may seem common,
And no harm that we can see,
Yet we know by serious thinking,
That from Satan this must be.

Oh be careful! For the devil
Fast is claiming lambs his own;
Consecrate them all to Jesus
Let the lambs be His alone. 

Poem by Irene E. Witmer from  “The Shadows Tell”

Weaverland Publications, 298 Wheat Ridge Drive, Ephrata, Pennsylvania 17522  Phone: (717) 351-0218

Language

English

Publisher

Weaverland Mennonite Publications

Topics

Separation

Truth

The Christian Home