What Do I Do After My Child Makes a Profession of Faith?

It’s exciting when your child makes a profession of faith! Read more to learn how to teach your kids to build on God’s truth after salvation.

I don’t know about you, but social media can make me feel pretty untalented! Maybe someone on Pinterest renovating a fixer-upper or turning a school bus into a home has made you think, “Why can’t I do that!?” Personally, I’m not very handy at building things. But as a homeowner and husband, I’ve tried several projects to save money and impress my wife.

I’ve learned that the Christian life is similar to a construction project. I’ve also found that using this comparison can be helpful when talking with kids or teens about salvation.

As a Christian parent, your greatest desire is that your kids would choose to trust Jesus. A lot of prayer and talking about salvation goes into encouraging them to make that decision. But once they trust Christ and make a profession of faith, spiritual conversations aren’t over. In fact, God’s construction project has just begun! You have the amazing opportunity to help them see what God is trying to do in their lives and learn how they can cooperate with it.

What do you do after your child makes a profession of faith? What do they need to know, and what kinds of conversations do you need to have with them?

4 Truths to Teach Your Kids After They Make a Salvation Decision

1. Help them understand God’s plan for their life

When we bought our house, we knew we wanted to change a few things. I finally mustered up my “can do” attitude, bought some supplies, borrowed some tools, and put up a shiplap wall in our kitchen. Unlike the home we had been renting, we had the right to make this improvement because we owned the house. Not only did we have the right, but we also had a plan for what we wanted it to look like. That plan guided the project to make sure it was done correctly.

Before salvation, the Holy Spirit is actively drawing a person to repent of their sin and trust Christ. When they place their faith in Christ’s work on the cross, they get a new owner. They once were the slave of sin, but now they belong to God (Romans 6:18, 22). He paid the full price to purchase their soul, so He has full rights to do whatever He wants with what He owns (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). The life He purchased is a brand new creation—a “new build” (2 Corinthians 5:17). God has a plan to make that fixer-upper one day look like Jesus (Romans 8:28–29). Furthermore, He promises He will never stop working on His project. What He began at salvation, He will continue until eternity (Philippians 1:6).

As parents, we have the amazing opportunity to help our kids see the beautiful masterpiece that God is making with their lives. Just like a visionary can turn a school bus into a home, God wants to take our previously sin-cursed life and turn it into a beautiful masterpiece for His glory. It’s exciting to know that a big God has a big plan He’s never going to give up on!

2. Help them see their part in complying with His plan

The amazing thing about God’s construction plan for our lives is that He enlists us to have a part in the process! We aren’t just mindless pieces of shiplap that He hammers and cuts away at. He allows us to participate in accomplishing His ultimate design. You may have heard the expression, “A worker is only as good as his tools.” God has given believers every tool they need to live for Him (2 Peter 1:3–4). He calls them to use those tools as He fashions their life into the image of Jesus (2 Peter 1:5–9).

God is a master renovator who can accomplish His plan without any help. He doesn’t need us in order to be successful, and nothing we do can make Him fail. He won’t give up because of project setbacks, and our performance will never determine His effort or ruin His ultimate design. However, if we don’t learn how to use His tools, or if we choose to resist His directions, it will take Him longer to accomplish His goal.

As you talk with your kids about the Christian life, it’s important to help them understand that their performance doesn’t earn favor with God or make them better than others. However, the faster they learn to use His tools and comply with His plan, the more work He will be able to do! This is why it’s so important to teach them how to personally walk with God in openness and submission (Romans 12:1–2; Galatians 5:16; 1 John 1:9).

3. Help them embrace teamwork with other Christians

One of the things I’ve learned about handyman projects is that I can’t do them alone! I’ve had to watch YouTube videos, ask my father-in-law for advice, and let a friend walk me through something over Facetime. Even the most skilled craftsmen ask for input from others!

We technically COULD become more like Jesus with only God’s help. Joseph and Daniel didn’t have Bible studies or a youth group, yet God gave them what they needed to walk with Him. But even though that’s possible, it doesn’t mean it’s ideal. God gives us the help of other believers to aid us in our spiritual growth.

Kids need to understand that church is not just an obligation or a fun hangout. The church is the body of Christ. It’s made up of believers who are committed to providing encouragement, accountability, support, and guidance to one another. They serve together, learn together, and grow together. As they do so, God uses each person’s contribution to help grow the rest of the body (Romans 12:5; Ephesians 5:19; Hebrews 10:25). This is why it’s so important that kids learn how to enjoy consistently attending, serving, and fellowshipping in church.

4. Help them see the purpose of God’s design

When people see the shiplap wall I put up, I don’t want them to be impressed with the wall. I want them to be impressed that I made it! I’m always excited to show people that I did something.

God doesn’t want our lives to be grand structures that impress others—He wants our lives to show off who made them. He wants us to reflect glory back to Him through what He has done in us. He wants us to LOOK like Jesus so we will point others TO Jesus.

Kids need to understand that learning about the Bible, doing good things, and mastering spiritual disciplines aren’t about making us look good. As we become more like Jesus, the more humble we will be. The more humble we are, the more we’ll want to bring attention to God instead of ourselves (Isaiah 42:8; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 2:6–7)

How We Can Help

We’re here to help make it easy for you to support your kids as you talk about the Christian life. Once your child makes a profession of faith, we are here to help you discuss God’s construction project on their lives. Our I Have Decided Bible study is a great resource to help new believers learn and apply God’s truths for themselves.

I Have Decided Bible study will teach them:

• about their new identity in Christ
• what their life should look like within that design
• how to rely on help from God and others on that journey
• how to exercise their faith by walking daily with God