In addition to having a heritage of church truth which we should value we ought not to underestimate what we owe to Christian homes. The majority of us have been brought up in such and if our numbers were not recruited from those where else would they be recruited from? Personally I always feel that we each ought to be all the more willing to help those younger believers who do not have this tremendous advantage in life.
“Tremendous advantage?” -- do some of us feel differently? Do we feel the same way about our church heritage? Do we regard ourselves as being “cribbed, cabined and confined” or both? Or do we appreciate that both may already be places where “God’s will is done on earth as in heaven?”
Various Christian homes are referred to in the New Testament. Although it may have been a little to early to be call Christian, that kind of home existed in Bethany and the outstanding feature of it was that the Lord was welcomed there. There were others in various parts of the ancient world where the Lord’s people, even a whole church of them at a time, were welcome -- in an upstairs room in old Jerusalem, in Corinth and Ephesus, etc. There was one in Lystra where a young fellow was brought up for God by his mother and grandmother. The assemblies have never properly estimated the value of such homes.
Youngsters brought up in such environments are usually greatly sheltered from the world. It may be that many a time in youth they have longings like the prodigal son to get away from it all. This may be specially strong as we hear schoolmates and workmates boast about the great times in the world. Are we missing anything by being brought up in Christian homes? Rather has he been spared from much vanity and folly, from learning the hard way what the disadvantages of the far country are. His whole experience o life among young people reinforces him in the viewpoint. He is absolutely convinced that Jesus Christ can do far more for you than this world can do.
What a tremendous insurance policy a Christian upbringing is against collapse in a world like ours. Doesn’t guarantee that we won’t fall but it greatly lessens the chances that we will. Fortified by holy scripture and by the example of godly parents we can face up to the world with its corruption and shame. Perhaps being sheltered is a better preparation for it than being indoctrinated by its principles.
Another great advantage has often been overlooked. Many youngster in a non-christian home grows up with little love, care and attention being given to him. There is little conversation in their homes and few or no books. This is specially true in city areas. Most of us have grown up in homes where conversation and books have been the order of the day. Our verbal ability has been correspondingly and relatively high.
Ian Ford of Glasgow and Zambia carried out a survey the other year on this kind of subject and proved what he had previously suspected, that children from working class assembly homes were able to take advantage of higher educational facilities to a considerably higher extent than children from other kinds of homes. In fact children from assembly working class homes were found to be taking advantage of higher education on a scale at least as high as children from middle class homes. Its seems clear that even our advantages in life are greater. It follows that our prospects may well be greater for at least seven or eight have obtained professorships in British Universities. “Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.”
Such advantages, nor the environment that produced them, are to be despised. Several with our background have quit and then written books about their experiences. One wonders if there was ever any real conversion. There was certainly never any commitment or participation. There was -- and is -- attendance at meetings (without any participation) as long as parents are alive to be respected and then the severing of the connection takes place. It does not show much appreciation of a heritage which played such a part in making them what they are.
When your turn comes, do not be ashamed to establish a Christian home where the Lord’s people will be welcomed for His sake and where children will be brought up with the noblest heritage of all.
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