“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house…” Deuteronomy 6.6, 7

As we have seen, believers are to be instructors and mentors of one another, and the Law of God is assigned as the core curriculum of our common Kingdom enterprise (Matt. 5.17-19). The Law is holy and righteous and good, as Paul summarized it (Rom. 7.12); thus we can only expect that, in a home where parents teach their children the Law of God, and where husbands and wives and brothers and sisters share together in one another’s discoveries in that Word, true spiritual and personal nurture will be continuously in evidence.

God intends that His Spirit should use His Law to show us His glory and to transform us into the very image of Jesus Christ (Ezek. 36.26, 27; 2 Cor. 3.7-18). In Deuteronomy 6, again, as we have seen, Moses seems to envision a “home-teaching” environment that consists of both formal and informal components. Parents should set aside time to teach the Law of God to their children, but they should also “make the most” of every teaching opportunity that arises within the normal context of family life – doing chores, watching the news, enjoying a family outing, discussing current events, hearing about each other’s day, and so forth.

A nurturing environment such as this – such as the Law of God encourages – is conversational, affirming, experimental, reflective, and intellectually and spiritually rewarding. Contrast such an environment with what happens in too many homes today, where family members prefer passive reception of images and sound, rather than participative involvement with one another over objective truth: “amusing ourselves to death” in Neil Postman’s memorable term.

When we infuse teaching and reflecting on God’s Law into every opportunity, we make the “atmosphere” of our home one that is spiritually wholesome and personally beneficial for every family member and guest. This, in turn, will reinforce the presence of God, renew family members in His blessings, promote steadfast love and faithfulness, and contribute to each member of the family being transformed increasingly into the image of Jesus Christ.

A truly nurturing home environment begins with a commitment to teach and talk about the Law of God.

For a practical guide to the role of God’s Law in the life of faith, get The Ground for Christian Ethics by going to www.ailbe.org and click on our Book Store.