Have you ever been in a room talking or teaching and suddenly your audience, family, or friends looks at you with a puzzled look on their faces because of something you said? The word “sanctification” can cause quite a bit of questioning and confusion not only to children, but to adults as well; it is after all, a pretty big word. Sanctification is a significant part of our vocabulary as believers and our children should be introduced to this word from a young age so that their understanding and experiences can work hand in hand. A child’s understanding grows and develops over time. As you teach kids about sanctification, it is okay to remember that they too are growing spiritually and that repetition, reinforcement, and grace are all necessary tools that you need as you instruct.
One of the most important concepts that children should be taught is that their relationship with God does not have an ending or a point of arrival. Many times, we fixate on having children reach a specific spiritual milestone such as salvation, baptism, or another event. Instead, children must know and be taught that their relationship with God ebbs and flows over time; it is a journey. Our desire should be to come alongside of them on their journeys and to help them see and hear about our own sanctification being worked out on our own personal journeys with God.
Use the Bible
So why teach kids about sanctification? There’s an easy answer to this question; it is in the Bible! Providing Biblical backing to kids on sanctification will help them to understand that it just isn’t a made-up word, or something used in order to get them to listen and be obedient. In fact, sanctification has many good uses and purposes for all people. Sanctification helps all of us (including children) become mature believers, overcome sin, and follow God’s plans for our lives. All of these truths are found in God’s Word and help us to mirror the actions and lifestyle of Jesus. Following Jesus is what the journey is all about.
- Through the power and help of the Holy Spirit, kids can start on the path of becoming a mature believer. We should teach kids that they should desire to be mature so that they can experience the fullness of God and understand His teachings. (Ephesians 4:11-13)
- Kids should know that they have the power to fight against sin. Everyone is tempted, but God desires for His children to overcome temptation and to be holy like Himself. (1 Peter 1:15-16) Jesus models this for us as He lived a life without sin even when tempted. We follow His example.
- Sanctification allows God to continually work in us so that we can follow His plans for our lives. This means that we will allow God to transform us and change us as we follow Him and not the world. (Romans 12:1-2)
Break It Down
Next, we need to make sure that we are backing our Biblical truths with what exactly the scripture is saying. The word sanctification is not found in the Bible as much as we find other words such as sin, maturity, holy, and grow. All of these words and more work together to help us have a better picture of what sanctification is and how it works in the lives of children. Spend time identifying key words with kids and helping them to discover their meaning.
Spend time helping kids research and study passages in the Bible where these key words were used. What was the historical context? Why was this message so important? What were the results that followed? How might it have been different?
Let kids ask questions. This is especially important when discussing important theological concepts or church doctrine. Though at times these questions can make us hold our breath and even cringe, it is important that kids are comfortable talking. Allowing time for questions and discussion always gives us a look into their heart and understanding; we can see what areas need clarity and which areas have been grasped well.
Make It Practical
Of course, when ministering to children, there always needs to be a practical element. One of the best ways we can be practical when teaching about sanctification is through storytelling.
Share stories of people from the Bible that were set apart and used for God’s purposes. Not only can you find great stories of men and women in the Bible, but you can even find children that were set apart and used by God to accomplish wonderful things. Think of Samuel, Josiah, and Naaman’s servant girl. Without their yielding and obedience to God all of the positive outcomes that came from them would’ve never happened. Share your own stories. Tell age-appropriate stories about times when you’ve had to overcome sin or “say no” to the world so that you could embrace God’s commands and plans for your life. Sanctification does require certain elements of sacrifice and it is okay for children to hear about the choices that you or other individuals had to make.
Outside of telling stories, another way to make it practical is through games and activities. This is a great way to start and even finish a lesson or talk with kids about sanctification. Here are some ideas:
- As you talk about growth, you could plant and water seeds. Talk about the importance of maintaining good health for the plant. Sometimes plants require weeding or re-potting. Connect this to sanctification and how the Holy Spirit helps us to “weed out” the things in our hearts and lives that aren’t Christlike.
- Play a set-apart scripture game. Have each word of your memory verse on a sheet of paper. Include several pieces of paper with words not found in the Bible verse. Have children dig and separate the verse from the trash. Connect this to holiness and what it means to be set-apart for God.
Don’t let the fear of teaching about the giant word “sanctification” talk you out of teaching your kids about this wonderful step in their journey with God. Take the time you need to break it down and make it practical.
Additional Resource
5-Week Lesson Series on Sanctification from International Children’s Ministries The Quest for Holiness
