Every parent who desires his children to be saved, is concerned with all three of these aspects of saving faith.
All Christian parents desire the spiritual wellbeing of their children. We want our children to be saved. We want them to find joy in God’s presence. We cannot imagine heaven being heaven unless our children are there.
We want our children to have faith in God, but what are the elements of saving faith? Theologians have traditionally used a three-fold definition of faith as notitia (knowledge), assensus (assent), and fiducia (trust). The Westminster Confession maintains that saving faith joins believing in God’s Word, accepting Christ’s claims, and “receiving and resting on Christ alone” for all that salvation provides (14.2).
Every parent who desires his children to be saved, is concerned with all three of these aspects of saving faith. Therefore, my shepherding must intentionally promote knowledge, assent, and trust.
Knowledge
Our children must understand the basic content of the gospel. That’s one of the reasons the practice of family worship is so essential. There is truth to be known. It is not possible to exercise faith without understanding foundational gospel truths. “…how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard…” (Romans 10:14 ESV).
We know that knowledge does not save, but faith must act on knowledge. Faith is not a “blind leap in the dark.” If our children are to put their faith in Jesus Christ, we must provide reasons for faith. They cannot trust in Jesus Christ without knowing truth about Him. There is a corpus of knowledge about themselves, God, and God’s created order that must be known and in some sense understood if our children are to be children of faith. They can only believe in that which they know.
This was the burden that drove the apostle Paul’s concern for communication of truth. “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you— unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…” (1 Corinthians 15:1-3 ESV).
Without knowledge, faith is not possible since we must know something of the One in whom we are to believe. It is not enough to merely be sincere. Correct knowledge matters, yet knowledge is not faith.
Assent
It is possible to know something and not personally believe it. Our children must both understand the content of the gospel and believe it. To know all the historical facts about Jesus Christ, to possess the facts about salvation will do our children no good if they do not believe those facts to be true.
Mere knowledge and even assent to the truth, while essential, are not sufficient for our children to have saving faith. Knowledge enables our children to say, “Christ lived the life I should have lived, died the death I deserved to die and rose from the grave.” Assent takes the next step, “I am persuaded and fully believe that Christ lived without sin, died as a sacrifice for sin and rose from the grave.”
These two, someone has said, qualify one to be a demon; demons possess both right knowledge and even belief in its truth. One thing more is needed for saving faith.
Trust
Our children must have knowledge, they must believe that it is true and they must trust in it. It is one thing to know Christ died for our sins. It is another to add to that knowledge belief that Christ died for our sins. It is essential to take the next step, to place my trust in Christ to save me from my sins.
The difference is captured brilliantly by the words of Wesley’s hymn: “He breaks the power of reigning sin, He sets the captive free; His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood availed for me.” The final phrase captures the idea of trust. Our children can know and even believe that salvation is found in Jesus Christ, but “His blood availed for ME,” expresses trust, trust that is essential to saving faith. Saving faith involves the internal change – the regenerating grace - that enables our children to trust in Christ for salvation.
There is an aspect of saving faith that is not merely an objective embrace of truths about God. It is not enough to say Jesus is the Savior of sinners. Our children must be able to say, “He is my Savior.” They must trust Him for salvation. They must embrace Him and rest in Him as He has freely given Himself through His holy life and sacrificial death.
Trust in Christ alone for salvation is described in scores of Bible passages. The prophets often describe it as “turning to” God (Ezekiel 33). John 1 explains it as “receiving” Him. In the Bread of Life discourse, Jesus describes it as “eating” Him. The writer to the Hebrews says in chapter six that we are “to hold fast” to the hope. However it is expressed, our children must trust in Jesus Christ if they are to be saved.
How does this impact shepherding our children? We must always set before them the gospel truth. Every family should have some intentional and structured times in which their children are taught the knowledge of the Scripture. We must faithfully urge them to believe the things we have taught. Some basic apologetics will inevitably be essential as we persuade them to believe the truth.
None of this will be enough unless they entrust themselves to Jesus Christ. If they are to be partakers of eternal life, they must trust in this Jesus Christ who saves. Our children must receive Him, turn to Him, hold fast to Him, and rest in Him alone for salvation. Ultimately, it is the work of the Holy Spirit that must transform my children into people who rest in Christ alone for salvation. Our role is to bring them the gospel and urge them to embrace Christ the Savior.
I used to tell my children about the man who watched a tightrope walker crossing Niagara Falls pushing a wheelbarrow. After seeing the feat performed repeatedly, the man was asked by the performer, “Can I walk across the falls pushing this wheelbarrow.” “Yes,” was the obvious the answer (knowledge). “Do you believe that I can do it again?” “Yes.” (assent). “Would you jump in the wheelbarrow and let me push you across?” This is the question of trust.
Our children must know that Jesus is the Savior who died for sinners. They must believe that He will save sinners who come to Him. But to cross from death to life they must believe that Jesus is their Savior. They must get into the wheelbarrow. What they will find is that He is willing and able to get them safely to the other shore.
Dr. Tedd Tripp is Senior Pastor Emeritus of Grace Fellowship Church in Hazelton, PA since his retirement after 29 years of service. Tedd is the author of the popular child-rearing book “Shepherding a Child’s Heart.” He will be one of our keynote speakers at this year’s Definitions Conference. Register now if you haven’t already at songtime.com.