It is widely known that the first 5 years of a child’s life have enormous ramifications. A child’s brain develops the most during these early years, but even more importantly, young children are exceedingly open to embracing the Gospel.
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Multitudes of young children over the centuries have joyfully accepted God’s message of salvation, especially when presented tenderly and consistently by their parents. Often, my wife, Tammy, and I shared the simple Gospel message with our children. We witnessed this firsthand with our four children. We often asked them, “What did Jesus do for us?” By age 4, each one of them would confidently declare: “Jesus died on the cross for our sins so we can go to Heaven.” The assurance of salvation in their heart provided much comfort and power, even at such a young age.
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Don’t ever think a 3- or 4-year-old child is too young to receive Jesus as Savior. In fact, the two years between ages 3 and 5 are massively important to a child’s spiritual development. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). The Holy Spirit enables young children to trust Jesus and enjoy his constant companionship.
When parents immerse their children in the Gospel, young hearts and minds are shaped for a lifetime of Christian discipleship. Thankfully, young children are capable of understanding and believing the Gospel. Why else would the Lord place such an emphasis upon little children believing in him?
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The Gospel is a trillion times more valuable than anything else you could give your children. After all, what will it profit your children in the long run if you give them everything except the Gospel?
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When all is said and done, our children are the only thing we can take with us to Heaven.
— Dan Delzell, pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Papillion, Nebraska, The Christian Post, Parents: Immerse your young children in the Gospel, May 24, 2022
Bruce Gerencser, 69, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 48 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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