Pietistic Life w/stone Heart

    When a Parent is deceived by a pietistic view of Life it is dangerous for their children. The parents themselves become a self-righteous servant of empty religion. They are also unable to extend a hand to the very children they love. A self righteous servant of empty religion sets up pharisaical parameters by which they live and judge themselves good. "There is none good" These are not necessarily biblical but always religiously self aggrandizing. We know that this is an empty shell because God has said that "all have sinned" and we have a heart for sin "slaves to sin". So it was necessary for Christ to come and "is our righteousness", because we have none and are incapable of it.

    So how does this affect our children? For example let's talk about lying. We are all liars, we have wicked self justifying hearts who serve only themselves. When our children lie we should discipline but we cannot hold up an unattainable standard by which our children will be degredated and will not be able to attain it. We are all liars and Christ made us love the Truth. It is not we ourselves! If our children don't see us at the cross confessing this they may adopt our religious practice of pseudo truth and get a heart for truth. Their hearts won't learn to love the truth which is Jesus Christ.

    When your child sins confess your sins with them while you pray together, tell them how the Lord Jesus Christ gave you a new heart. He is the one who made you love what is true because you love Him! That on your own you were a lost retched liar who deceived yourself into believing you were good. All the while protecting and hiding your sin. When the Way the Truth and the Life came in, your heart became flesh and those same sins became repulsive to you. Tell them without the Cross of Christ all their good deeds will be an offense to God because he supplied the Way and He is the Truth and in Him is Life! If somehow they are able not to lie, they may have a better life but they will still miss the mark, heaven is for lovers of the Truth and judgment for the self righteous.

    Glory to God in the highest, this indeed is good news.