Hold Nothing Back: Teaching God's Truth to Our Children

June 10th, 2025
by John Holmes

Hold Nothing Back:
Teaching God's Truth to Our Children

Photo Source: Artificially Generated;
"Let the little Children Come to Me"
(Mark 10:13-16; Matthew 19:13-15)

One of the greatest privileges—and responsibilities—Christian parents and churches have is to teach God’s truth to the next generation. Yet in a distracted, fast-paced world, it’s easy to drift toward holding back portions of Scripture that feel too difficult, too heavy, too harsh, or too old-fashioned. But God’s Word gives a clear charge: do not hide it—declare it.

Why This Matters
Our children do not need a watered-down version of Christianity. They need the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). They need to hear of God’s justice and His mercy, His holiness and His love, His commandments and His promises. A shallow faith will not sustain them in a deep and broken world. Similarly, they need to hear about God's teachings on matters of life and godliness—for example, marriage, singleness, and, yes, sexuality. If it's in Scripture, they need to hear about it. Why? Because the world will not hesitate to fill the void with its own ideas. Our silence on any of these matters opens the door for spiritual confusion amid a culture that lacks the Spirit of Christ.

Biblical Foundations: We Will Not Hide It
Consider these powerful Scriptures:

Nehemiah 8

"...The priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding... [...] ...Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people... [...] While he was facing the square in front of the Water Gate, he read out of it from daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those who could understand. All the people listened attentively to the book of the law.

Main Idea (in this blog's context):
God’s Word is for all of God’s people—men, women, and children old enough to understand—and it must be proclaimed openly, reverently, and completely, so that every generation may know, love, and obey the Lord.

Key Observations (in this blog's context):

The repeated phrase “all who could understand” (vv. 2, 3, 8) emphasizes that the reading of God’s Word was not just for religious leaders or adults, but for everyone capable of understanding, including children.

→ The biblical model assumes that children should be present to hear the Word as soon as they are capable of grasping it.

The people gathered for hours, listening attentively (v. 3). Nothing was held back—Ezra read the whole Law, and the Levites explained it clearly (vv. 7–8).

→ Faithful teaching involves a whole-Bible approach, not selective editing to suit modern preferences.

The scene shows families standing together under the authority of Scripture.

→ Parents and the covenant community together bear responsibility to teach the next generation fully and faithfully.

Psalm 78:4

"We will not hide them from their children, but will tell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, his might, and the wondrous works he has performed."

Main idea: Don't withhold truth—tell it all. God’s works are too glorious to be kept secret. The psalmist resolves to proclaim them openly, ensuring that every new generation will know the mighty acts of God.

Application: God's greatness and His acts must be declared openly to children so they can trust Him, too.

Deuteronomy 6:6–7

"These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road..."

Main Idea: God’s Word is not just for church services or religious holidays. It is to permeate everyday life, flowing naturally in the rhythms of family life. God's Word is not a private matter.

Application: Parents must consistently discuss God’s commands with their children in everyday life.

Deuteronomy 8:3 and Matthew 4:4 — Jesus Quotes It

"He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then he gave you manna to eat, which you and your fathers had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." (CSB)

Main Idea: This is the original context, spoken by Moses to Israel, reminding them how God taught them to depend not on physical provision alone, but on His Word. Jesus quoted this verse when being tempted in the wilderness (Matt. 4:4), reaffirming that spiritual nourishment from God’s Word is more essential than even physical food.

Application: Children (and adults) need more than emotional encouragement or moral teaching. They need to be fed with the whole Word of God—for that is life-giving nourishment. If we hold back portions of Scripture or soften hard truths, we risk leaving the next generation spiritually malnourished. But when we faithfully teach them every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, we equip them to live not merely by earthly provision, but by the sustaining power of divine truth.

Joel 1:3

"Tell your children about it, and let your children tell their children, and their children the next generation."

Main Idea: Multi-generational discipleship. The call to pass on truth is not temporary—it is meant to continue through generations. Faithfulness in proclaiming the Bible matters.

Application: God's works—both in judgment and mercy—must be honestly passed down, not softened or hidden.

2 Timothy 3:15

"And you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."

Main Idea: Biblical parenting involves instruction and discipline grounded in God’s Word.

Application: Paul reminds Timothy that even from infancy, he was taught the Scriptures. No child is too young to begin hearing the Word of God. 2 Peter 1:3 says, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."

Proverbs 22:6

"Start a youth out on his way; even when he grows old he will not depart from it."

Main idea: Early instruction matters. Proverbs are not promises. However, they do indicate how things should 'generally' go. And generally speaking, training a child instills the truths of God's Word in them for a lifetime.

Application: Shape the conscience and heart of children by providing them with a solid biblical foundation from an early age.

In Summary:
The summation of these verses is that we do no favors to our children by holding back. Teach your children about God's truths, including His justice and grace, His laws and love, His holiness and mercy. Teach about His commands as well as His promises. Teach them the cross. Teach about sin and repentance as well as grace and forgiveness. Let them hear both the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the gospel. Children are more capable of understanding deep spiritual truths than we often give them credit for. Simplify language where necessary, but do not shrink the truth. The Holy Spirit delights to work in young hearts. When they come to church, and hear the pastor preach, it should reinforce what they're already hearing at home.

A Few Practical Encouragements

Start Early: Teach Scripture from the earliest years (2 Tim 3:15). Use story Bibles for toddlers, read the Bible aloud as they grow.
Talk Naturally: Make spiritual conversations part of normal family life (Deut 6:7).
Model It: Let your own love for God’s Word be visible. Children learn from what they see and hear.
Be Honest: Don’t skip the hard parts of Scripture. Explain them simply and truthfully.
Pray: Ultimately, only God gives spiritual understanding. Pray for open ears and soft hearts.
Don't be tempted to think you've got time or you'll wait till they're older: By elementary school, children today are hearing about sex, drugs, violence, gender, divorce, and many other topics where they need to have a godly perspective.

Final Word
In Nehemiah 8:3, the entire community—men, women, and children old enough to understand—stood for 4-6 hours to hear God’s Word read aloud. They were hungry for truth. May we foster that same hunger in our homes and churches today. Just as food nourishes the body, God’s Word nourishes the soul (Deut. 8:3, Mt. 4:4, 1 Pet. 2:2). We must feed children the whole Word to strengthen their hearts and minds. A child fed on a watered-down gospel will not thrive spiritually, and so we ought not hide God’s truth.

Moreover, God’s Word provides everything we need—not just for salvation, but for daily living, holiness, and parenting, as well as for every area of life (2 Pet. 1:3). This is another reason why we must not withhold the whole counsel of God from our children. All Scripture—nothing left out—is profitable (2 Tim. 3:16-17). We cannot rightly disciple children or adults if we selectively omit portions of God’s truth.

Brothers and Sisters, let's make up our minds today to always proclaim God's truths boldly—for the sake of the next generation and for the glory of our great God. Hold back nothing. Children are a gift from God—not possessions, but a heritage and trust to be stewarded faithfully (Ps. 127:3).

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” -- John 3:3

Have you been born again? The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death. However, there is Good News! The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23). Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior? If not, why not?