Lindsey GardnerINTRODUCTION
Postmillennialism is the doctrine that teaches that over the course of history, the Great Commission will be accomplished: the nations will be discipled, the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea, that God will save the world before Christ returns in glory. This will be accomplished not by force of arms or political maneuvering, but by the preaching of the gospel and the work of the Spirit.
In many ways this is simply an application of the doctrine of sanctification applied to history. Sanctification is the doctrine of growth in Christ: “Being confident of this very thing, that He which began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6, cf. Eph. 1:13-14, 2 Cor. 3:18, 2 Pet. 1:3-4). This growth in grace is driven by faith not by works (Gal. 3:1-5). And therefore, Christian parenting is no different.
Parenting in faith is very different from parenting in fear. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb. 11:1). But it is not merely optimism or high hopes; it is faith in the promises of your Father.
The Text: “…As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and forever” (Is. 59:16-21).
SUMMARY OF THE TEXT
The prophet is in the midst of describing the predicament of Israel. Their iniquities have separated them from God (Is. 59:2), their hands are defiled with blood (Is. 59:3), they run to do evil (Is. 59:7), they grope like blindmen (Is. 59:11), and no one knows truth or judgment (Is. 59:11-15). And in that condition God saw that there was no man, no intercessor for His people, and so He determined to save them Himself, with His own arm and His own righteousness (Is. 59:16). So He armed Himself for this great mission, and the mission was to bring justice to the world, until the whole world fears the name of the Lord, from the east to the west, the Spirit of the Lord leading the way, like the standard of a great army (Is. 59:17-19). And God the Redeemer will save all who turn to Him, and this New Covenant promise not only includes Him putting His Spirit and His Word in the mouths of those who first turn to Him, but He will also do the same for their children and grandchildren forever (Is. 59:20-21).
MORE NEW COVENANT PROMISES
“And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: and I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: and I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me” (Jer. 32:38-40).
“And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince forever. Moreover, I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore” (Ezek. 37:24-26).
THE TRAJECTORY
Jesus said that the Kingdom would come like leaven in a loaf, like a mustard seed in the ground growing up into a great tree, and therefore, the growth of Christians is also like that. It is organic, relatively slow, and hard to see in the moment, but it is obvious over time. The same thing is true of the growth of our children in faith and obedience and wisdom.
Not only that, but we need to be thinking about our grandchildren. The loving and teaching and discipline that we are administering is aimed generationally: for our “grandchildren forever” – to a thousand generations (cf. Dt. 7:9). We are the thin stems poking out of the ground or maybe slender stalks with three wispy branches that will one day be great trees providing shade.
APPLICATIONS
Believe the promises of God: Do you believe that Jesus Christ is your Redeemer, your Intercessor? Very good. Now you must also believe that He is the Redeemer and Intercessor of your children and grandchildren. “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies…” (Gen. 22:17). Do you believe?
This faith is first of all relieved, joyful, and full of peace. There is a massive difference between parenting in fear and parenting in faith. Your children can sense the difference: the aroma of faith is like bread baking in the oven.
You are raising your children to leave and form families: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). Your goal is not merely to not be embarrassed today, or to keep your kids out of prison. Your goal is that they would marry Christians and raise their children to be stronger, wiser Christians than you, and repeat to a thousand generations.
But this means that you must be thinking this way when they are born, when they are toddlers, when they are still in elementary school. Broadly speaking, think of teaching and discipline like teaching your child how to ride a bike. When they are young, you hover and do everything for them (lots of correction/frequent spankings); during elementary school, you begin letting them peddle and balance (while holding them up, spanking tapering off); and sometime in high school you begin letting go (transitioning to conversations/teaching).
And all of it by faith in the sure promises of your Well-Pleased Father.
Grace Sensing