The whole reason to talk to kids about sin is to lead them to Christ. You want kids to come to the end of themselves. You want them to have that feeling of “I can’t measure up” so you can tell them Jesus paid the price for their sins.
Read the first three chapters of Romans. If you stop halfway through chapter 3, it’s very depressing how messed up the world is and how messed up I am. But beginning with verse 21 in chapter 3, we hear the good news of the Gospel.
Practical Tips for Teaching About Sin
We need to walk kids through this same experience, but it’s not as simple as “say this prayer with me.” Our kids need to truly experience God’s grace for themselves.
When my son Marky was 8, I was scolding him for being mean to his sister. He looked at me with tears and said, “It’s too hard, Dad.”
“What’s too hard?” I asked. “It’s too hard not to sin,” he responded.
I didn’t say it aloud, but I thought, You’re right. I regret to admit that I didn’t know how to respond. I should have used this opportunity to talk to him about God’s grace and to deepen his relationship with Christ. Yet I was too intent on disciplining him. I can’t do anything about the past, but I can talk to my kids about God’s grace today.
So be sure talk to your kids about sin. Just make sure your motives are right.
- Don’t lecture to get them to behave. That’s the law, and the law doesn’t save.
- Don’t do it to punish kids.
- Remember that teaching about sin is a way to lead children to Christ.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:23.
