Righteousness Is Not Contagious
Bob Yandian
How Do I Protect My Children From a Radical World?
“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying, “If one (priest) carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?”’ ” Then the priests answered and said, “No.”
And Haggai said, “If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?” So the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.”
Then Haggai answered and said, “‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.” (Haggai 2:11-14)
When you come into heaven and meet Haggai you have a good answer if he asks you if you have ever read any of his book. You can think to this lesson. This is probably one book of which the pages are still white and stuck together. You might have had to look for this book to read this passage.
Some Scientific Laws Never Change
Nature has not changed, and its principles still stand today. Haggai is teaching that righteousness is not contagious, unrighteousness is contagious. A piece of good meat will not make bad meat good. But a piece of bad meat will make good meat bad. Again, righteousness is not contagious Uncleanness spreads by itself. Sin is contagious and will infect other lives. Anger will infect a room full of people. Unhappiness sells more newspaper and television shows than happy shows. And laziness seems to be bound in the heart of teenagers and has to be removed by diligent teaching and practice. Sin in the pulpit needs no instruction to pass itself on. It then infects the congregation.
This is the curse on our world. There is no scientific evolution where all things continue to improve. A life, like a car, begins to slow down when you take your foot off the gas pedal. Friction from headwinds, friction in the engine, transmission, differential, and wheels will eventually bring a speeding car to a halt. Leave a brand-new Ford in a field for fifty years and it will not become a Mercedes. It will not even be drivable. Sadly, this is the curse found in the world we live in.
Watch Who You Make Friends With
“Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits” (1 Corinthians 15:33).
It’s easy to fall into sin. But you don’t just fall into salvation and after that, fall into righteous living.
One summer month, I was driving home from ministering in a small Oklahoma town and stopped by a roadside vegetable stand for some fresh tomatoes. I thought I picked a good bunch of tomatoes and the lady running the stand quickly switched my box of tomatoes for another box. She told me one tomato which was dented touched a good tomato beside it and it was now infected too. She said a dent brings acid to the tomato surface which will pass through the skin into another tomato which touches it. She told me; a good tomato will not make bad tomatoes good. But a bad tomato will make good tomatoes bad. That is good instruction for our Christian life and especially for the success of our children and grandchildren.
So It Is In the Kingdom of God
More people go to Hell than Heaven. And more Christians stop following the Lord than those who go on to become disciples. You can disagree all you want to, but Jesus and Paul are the ones who told us this.
Jesus said of those in the world in need of salvation, “the broad way that leads to destruction is easy, and many find it. The narrow way is difficult which leads to life, and few (by comparison) find it (Matthew 7:13,14).
Jesus also told us that getting people to come to church is difficult. Both sinners and saints have to be compelled, told more than once, to come into God’s house (Luke 14:23).
Paul told us it takes effort to keep Christians faithful, to remain in fellowship with God, with other church members, and stay in church.
“Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together as the habit of many has become” (Hebrews 10:25). Missing a church service a few times becomes a habit quickly which is difficult to break.
Home is the Best Place to Protect and Prepare Children
We often believe our children will be saved in children’s church, at summer vacation Bible school, or youth camp. This can and does happen, but home evangelism and discipleship are the most important. The church has the children once or twice a week. The schools they attend have the children four to five hours a day. But the parents have them the rest of the time. The best examples for children to receive Jesus and become faithful followers of God is the parents. Repeating your testimony to your children, reminding them of scriptures, and the will of God is something that should be shared around the daily events of life. Watching television programs, hearing what is going on the news, discussing what is taught in school, and the ideas of other children are great times to bring up what God teaches in His Word. Good can overcome evil, but it has to be presented continually. Many in the Bible were bought to salvation by family. Andrew won Peter to the Lord when he told him about Jesus and introduced him to Jesus. Lydia and the Philippians jailer saw their families come to Jesus and be water baptized after they told them of their own experience meeting Jesus.
Your Godly Home is More Powerful Than the Evil World
School has some importance, but not as much as home. Church is more important, but never as much as home. Home is more powerful than the socialism taught in schools or possible false doctrine taught in church. We don’t want to isolate our children from the world, but we do need to insulate them. Home is the best place for our children to be saved then become disciples of Jesus.
“But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14).
No Child is Born Saved Because Salvation is Not Contagious
Both sinners and Christian’s birth children need salvation. Saved parents do not birth saved children. Salvation is not passed on by saved parents or by living in a moral country. The gospel must continually be shared from those who know Jesus to those who do not know Jesus, one generation to the next Immaturity is part of the curse of Adam passed on to a child. It needs to be dealt with by parents.
“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him” (Proverbs 22:15).
“The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother” (Proverbs 29:15).
Foolishness in a child, not dealt with, is contagious. An obedient child does not change rowdy children. But one wild child can cause pandemonium in a class.
Saved and spirit-filled families do not produce Charismatic and Word children. Like salvation, wisdom is not contagious. It must be taught and repeated. Although children are born in sin, they can be led to the Lord by the instruction and examples of parents. Through the new birth, getting a child out of unrighteousness is immediate. But getting unrighteousness actions out of a child takes training then a lifestyle of righteous living.
Timothy did not learn godliness from Paul first but from his mother, Eunice and his grandmother, Lois (2 Timothy 1:5).
The Word Will One Day Take Mom and Dad’s Place
When the children leave home, the word will go with them, not mom and dad. The word will wake them in the morning, travel down the highways with them, and speak to them throughout the day. The word becomes their protector, guide, and best friend (Proverbs 6:20-23).
