Questions from children

From my 11 year old this morning: "when we were in the UK I didn't know about God and didn't know lying was a sin. So when I lied was I sinning if I didn't know I was doing it?"

What would you.answer?

The answer would be "Yes you were", but then the whole matter of sin and sinning should be presented in simple terms with Bible illustrations. Never underestimate a child.

The word "sin", because of stressing damning connotations, can implant very negative perceptions of themselves in young minds that, unfortunately, they may, throughout life, always relate back to in future times when unthinking Legalists get on their "condemning" high horses and start spouting that word.

There are many ways of explaining the sin-concept to children that does not conjure up visions of a bony witch's finger being jabbed in their face while they hear a gleeful cackle over the impending doom that is in store for them for telling a falsehood.

Although children may not fully comprehend sin, they know lying is wrong. Everyone has been given the light of God and the difference between right and wrong through their conscience.

"Scared Straight" is an accepted and approved program for Druggies that many people applaud. But, the same treatment should never be applied to children.

Believing in God or not, every child should be taught that lying is wrong...

Well you know now so what shall we do? Innocence is lost and guilt has arrived. Time to explain why God sent His Son to die on the cross. Time to explain that Jesus can and will forgive the past sins and save the childs soul.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

Ignorance is definitely an excuse. Especially a child. Sounds to me your child might be playing "legalist" though. Parents teach their kids that lying is wrong. And she should respect her parents. Or will she plead ignorance again? 😁

JAMES 1:15.
Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.

Rom 1:20- little brother, just consider this,How would you react if you found out someone lied to you? You understand. Just go and sin no more bro!

Study the Bible with your daughter and the rest of your family. Romans 2 might be a good passge to read.

Romans 5;13 For sin was in the world before the Law was given; but sin is not taken into account when there is no law.

Maybe talk through what happened when she lied. Ask her what the results were and whether it made her feel closer to someone or further away from them.

At least not by us. I was scared straight as a child but it wasn't from my parents.

It wasn't exactly fear though, more of "I'm supposed to" and it was firmly ingrained in my mind from my earliest memories.

More "fear" in the sense of reverence, awe, respect.



Scaring can = scarring.

We should certainly be mindful of that.



@Op though. I am usually a bit pointed when questioning children. You didn't know scripture said it, did you think it was "ok" at the time? You have "written awareness" now, but what did you feel before that? Guilt? Confusion? Delight?

Measuring their response to such a question as well as factoring in the nature of their question...was it asked in jest? Sincerely? Casual curiosity (I put that about 50/50 between the two). Helps me in deciding on how to answer.

I asked many a question in my time with "illegitimate" motives, so as a parent or a teacher of children, I don't particularly take kindly to such pursuits. I knew it was wrong then, but didn't really have more than a handful of people that "stood their ground".

I might answer this way...

Yes but as God tells us he loves us while we were yet sinners, He loved us BEFORE we even knew Him and He knows we would eventually come to Him because He wants us to tell the truth. When you tell Him what you did wrong, He forgives you and gives you a new heart to do whats right!

Thanks for all the answers. She was between 4 and 6 when we were in the UK so I cut her some slack on lying especially such a silly lie. The fact she remembers it shows a level of awareness of wrongdoing.

We (plus her 13 year old sister) study the Bible every Sunday for an hour or more and then she also asks questions during the week. It is within that context that the question was asked, moving from "being a wrong thing to do in the eyes of the world" to "being a sin in the eyes of God".

Yes I covered being truly sorry and forgiveness.

We did the meaning and implications of " My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" that Sunday.

Yes, because it's already written on our hearts. Even a 3 year old looks guilty when lying.

I would say to your little girl
God is perfect and wants us to be perfect
lying is a sin even if we didn't know at the time
But God loves so much He paid the price for sin
so if we confess then we are forgiven
PLease tell your child, she can confess silently to God who hears all our prayers.

Children instinctively know what is right once it is pointed out
I told my little girl that God is good and He expects us to try to be good.
When at a later date I (jokingly) said I would not be a very good Father if I was her father
as I am not her biological father.
She was most annoyed and said: "Well, Ieuan God won't be happy about that!"
I was put in my place and quite rightly.

I hope my answer might help in some little way.