TALKING SALVATION WITH KIDS

TALKING SALVATION WITH KIDS

How to Become a Christian

The six colors (black, red, white, blue, green, and gold) represent the key truths a person must believe in order to be saved and the actions that are expected of someone who is a believer.

Below you will find a simplified version to teach your child how to become a Christian followed by a much more in-depth version with Bible verses listed to support each point listed under each color. I hope you find this tool to be helpful in talking with your children about becoming a Christian and living for Jesus.

Jon

The Simplified Version

Black: We have sin in our hearts.

Red: Jesus died on the cross for our sins.

White: Jesus forgives our sins and washes all the sins out of our hearts.

Blue: When we have decided to ask for forgiveness of our sins, when we are ready to repent from our sins, and when we are ready to follow Jesus’ lead for our lives, then Jesus asks us to get baptized.

Green: Now that we have decided to follow Jesus, it’s time to start growing to become more like Him!

Gold: Jesus promises that those who believe in Him and follow Him will go to Heaven!

The In-depth Version

Please note:
This version can be quite overwhelming. It is meant to be a tool used by families as they study the Bible and pray together on a daily basis throughout their child’s growing up years. Each point under each color has the potential to be a brief family Bible study all on its own. By the way, the Bible verses listed with these points are great for Christians of any age to memorize!

Black: We have sin in our hearts.

Everyone sins. (Romans 3:23 “...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”)

There are two different types of sin, and the 10 commandments in Exodus 20:1-17 help us see these two different types. The first type of sin is doing the wrong thing. For example, God says: don’t have any other gods (v. 3), don’t worship idols (v. 4-6), don’t misuse God’s name (v. 7), don’t murder (v. 13), don’t commit adultery (v. 14), don’t steal (v. 15), don’t lie (v. 16) and don’t covet (v. 17). The second type of sin is not doing the right thing. For example, God says: do remember the Sabbath (v. 8), and do honor your parents (v. 12).

Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2 “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear.”)

Everyone who sins deserves the punishment of death. (Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”)

Often times we use an analogy about sin being like dirt. We can’t be with God if our hearts are dirty with sin. That means we can’t be in heaven, where God lives, while we have sin in our hearts.

Another good analogy for sin is Superman and Kryptonite. Kryptonite makes Superman sick; therefore, he can’t go near it. In the same way God is good, and His very nature of goodness prevents Him from being near sin, which is evil. (The one challenge with using this analogy is that most kids aren’t familiar with Superman and Kryptonite. Go figure!)

As you can see, sin is a big problem!

Red: Jesus died on the cross for our sins.

Jesus is God’s Son. (John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”)

God sent Jesus to die in our place. (John 3:17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” And Isaiah 53:6 “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”)

Jesus wanted to help us with our sins. God did not make Jesus do anything He didn’t want to do. (2 Timothy 2:5-6 “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men…,”)

Jesus did not sin. He was perfect. (2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”)

Jesus’ sacrifice is enough to cover every sin that every person has committed in the past and every sin every person will commit in the future. (Hebrews 7:26-27 “Such a High Priest [Jesus] meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered Himself.”)

White: Jesus forgives our sins and washes all the sins out of our hearts.

Jesus has the authority and power to forgive our sins. (Matthew 28:18 “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me.’”)

Jesus has the authority and power to forgive our sins, but we must ask for forgiveness in order to receive forgiveness. (Acts 3:19 “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out…”)

Jesus washes away our sins and makes our hearts so clean they become white as snow. (Isaiah 1:18 “...Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow…,” and Psalm 51:2 and 7 “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin… Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”) This is why we talk about sin being dirt in our hearts when we talk about the black color for the Wordless Book. This analogy came straight from God’s Word!

Jesus will never say “NO” when we ask for forgiveness. He promises to forgive us when we ask Him to forgive us. (Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” And Hebrews 10:11-17.)

When we ask for forgiveness, we also must repent from our sins (Acts 3:19 “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out…”) To repent from our sins means to stop doing that particular sin and do the right thing instead of the wrong thing. Repentance is like a U turn.

Baptism is a ceremony when we promise Jesus we will follow Him, just like a husband and wife will promise to love and be faithful to each other during a wedding ceremony.

Baptism is done in front of other people, just like a wedding ceremony is done in front of our family and friends. Making a promise to Jesus in front of other people increases our level of commitment and shows that we are not ashamed to let other people know about our promise to Jesus, and it lets our church family know so they can help us keep our promise

We only need to be baptized once in our lives. No matter how badly we mess up, we can always count on Jesus to forgive us and for our baptism promise to be restored. (Mark 16:16 “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” There is no record in the Bible of any individual being baptized more than once. However, there are multiple records of this promise of salvation for those who believe in Mark 16:16.)

Baptism is something we have to decide to do ourselves. No one else can decide to repent for us. If someone else decided you should be baptized, or if a parent had you baptized as a baby, you should consider getting baptized on your own. (Acts 2:38 “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”)

Green: Now that we have decided to follow Jesus, it’s time to start growing to become more like Him!

We read the Bible every day to learn about Jesus and what He wants us to be like and how He wants us to act. (2 Tim. 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” And Psalm 119:105 “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”)

We also memorize key Bible verses. (Psalm 119:11 “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” And Joshua 1:8 “Do not let the Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”) A well-memorized verse always seems to come to mind at just the right time. The verses listed in these points are a great place to start for Bible verse memorization!

We talk to Jesus every day by praying to Him. This helps us get to know Him better and be better listeners. Even Jesus prayed to God the Father. (Mark 1:35 “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.”

We become involved in a church family. A church family is a group of Christians who believe all the things we’ve talked about with the Wordless Book. They worship together, learn and grow together, celebrate together, and help one another. (Hebrews 10:25 “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”)

We worship God with our church family on a regular basis. We worship God by singing to Him, learning more about Him, serving Him, and giving to Him.

We serve Jesus by helping people in need, by telling other people about Him and how He can forgive sins, and by doing different projects with our church family. (James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…” And Matthew 28:19 and 20 “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” Also, see Acts 6:1-4.)

We give back to Jesus by spending our time serving Him, by using the talents He has given us to help other people, and by giving part of our money to Him. (Time and Talents: I Corinthians 12:27-28 “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.” Treasures: Leviticus 27:30, 32, and 34 “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord… The entire tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the Lord… These are the commands the Lord gave Moses on Mount Sinai for the Israelites.”)

Gold: Jesus promises that those who believe in Him and follow Him will go to Heaven!

· This whole world is spiritually “dirty” because it has sin in it. (See Genesis chapter 3. Note all the consequences for our world that came as a result of Adam and Eve’s sin.)

· Because of sin we will all die at some point. (Genesis 2:17 “...but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” And Genesis 3:6 “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”)

· However, for those who have asked Jesus for forgiveness, repented from their sins, and followed Jesus, death is not the end! When our bodies die here on earth, our spirits will go to Heaven to be with God the Father and His Son Jesus. (See I Corinthians 15:35-58.)

· In Heaven we will receive new bodies that can not get sick or be sad, and there won’t be any sin in Heaven! (Revelation 7:16-17 “Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat… And god will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” And Revelation 21:4 “he will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”)

· And we will live with God and His Son Jesus in Heaven for the rest of eternity! And we will be completely healthy, happy, and content!

Links

These links take you outside our church and are presented here because we believe that they are suitable for helping parents.
http://www.biblicalparenting.org/ParentTips.asp

Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN started the National Center for Biblical Parenting in 2002 to achieve their goal of providing practical biblical resources to parents. Click on this link to sign up for their weekly parenting tips emails and to learn more about the resources they have to offer!

http://www.christianitytoday.com/parenting/

Christianity Today is a popular Christian magazine with a special resource for parents! Check out this website for a wide variety of resources, including family activities, hot button parenting issues, and refreshment for parents. Mom will especially want to check out the MomSense email newsletter just for moms!

http://www.family.org/parenting/

Dr. Dobson’s organization Focus on the Family has a quality website with a vast amount of resources for parents and families. Visit this website for a variety of parenting resources for discipline, book and movie reviews, biblical morality, pornography, worldview, and so much more! Family.org also offers resources for parents regarding their relationship and marriage, including how to communicate and deal with conflict, sex and intimacy, money, and more.