What Is Man, and What Is a Child?

1. When God created man, He gifted him with a natural liberty; neither good nor evil was forced upon man. 

2. In this state of innocency, man had true freedom of will.  He could do good and please God, or do evil and invite death.

3. When man fell into sin, the forewarned consequences descended: e.g. man lost all ability of will to do any spiritual good that would result in salvation.  Man is disinclined to doing good, dead in sin, and therefore unable by his own strength, to convert himself, or even to get himself ready for salvation.

4. This is true of children even in their earliest years.  What is commonly supposed to be childish innocence would be better understood as sinful human nature that has not yet blossomed.

5. When God, on account of the merciful intervention of the blood of Jesus, saves a sinner He delivers him from this natural bondage to sin.  By grace alone, God enables those who are thus delivered to freely will and to do that which is spiritually good.

6. None of this contradicts the observation that goodness is demonstrated every day by mankind (many of whom are not Christians).  Just as our God sends His rain upon the unjust and the just, so he enables sinful individuals to do that which is good.  If in kindness, God did not in this way restrain the sinfulness of mankind, they would soon destroy themselves.

7. It is completely inappropriate to characterize children (saved or not) as little monsters, or even by less pejorative terms like ‘rugrats’.  They do indeed have a sinful nature, and their little hearts are indeed inclined toward evil.  They are, after all, born into the human race.  But this does not disqualify them as bearers of the image of the triune God.  As image bearers, they are to be treated with dignity and respect, with love and kindness.

8. Love and kindness does not preclude the application of discipline but rather, requires it.  Indeed failure to apply discipline signifies lack of care and even hatred for children. Holding a child accountable for his actions does not destroy his dignity but rather establishes his dignity.  Requiring attention to assigned tasks does not damage a child’s self esteem, but rather builds a child’s self esteem.

9. The consistent application of discipline is therefore one of the most Christian things that a Christian school can do.  Holding a child accountable for his actions, even at an early age, is a Christian thing to do.  Insisting on the completion of significant academic work and requiring dedication to assigned tasks is behaving like a Christian.

10. It is true that by God’s common grace, and to a varying degree, some of these things exist in some government schools.  However, at Logos Christian Academy, we can be self conscious about these things.  At the Christian school such as LCA, there can be frank recognition of the child’s inclination to sin.  Rather than a matter of classroom survival, consistent discipline must be considered expression of Christian love.  And accountability can be required out of respect for the image of God in the child.