Teaching Kids Theology Part 11
TLDR: People aren’t wholly good just as we aren’t wholly bad. We are a mixture of the two—made in God’s image but living in open rebellion against our Maker. There is a tension in teaching about humanity, but both aspects must be taught to give a proper perspective on who we are.
What the Bible teaches about people, a field of study called anthropology, is a little complicated.1 On one hand, people are recognized as the pinnacle of creation (Psalm 8:4–6), bearers of God’s image (Genesis 1:26), and of exceeding worth (Psalm 139:13–16). But on the other hand, people are sinners in rebellion against a good and holy God (Romans 5:6–10), deserving of eternal condemnation. Some places in Scripture even liken us to a lowly maggot or worm (Job 25:6; Psalm 22:6). So, what are we to pass along to our children about who they are? Are they wonderful or terrible? Well, both. Humans are simply wonderfully terrible and terribly wonderful! The key is understanding that this might seems like a contradiction, but it’s not. These two critical concepts complement each other.
The best place to start in teaching our kids about humanity would be our value before God and the reason we exist—start with the positive. One of the more important things we can do for our children is to help secure a proper positive self-worth within them, a self-image that is based on their unchanging identity given by God and the never-changing fact that God’s love is fixed on them. This will be the strong, sure foundation they can build their lives upon, a foundation that can weather any storm in life, even the most intense one. Thinking poorly of ourselves isn’t humility; it’s failing to appreciate and agree with God’s perspective of who we are. May our kids never doubt their infinite worth as humans loved by God and made in his image for a special purpose!
But at the same time, as we see what the Bible teaches about sin (an area of theology called hamartiology), we can’t help but appreciate how far we fall short of our design and purpose. We can’t dismiss how sin has completely and totally corrupted us in every way, severing our relationship with God. This is essential to understanding the gospel. Just as the brightest fireworks require the darkest of nights behind them to display their brilliance, so too does the dark back drop of sin reveal the beauty of the gospel. But we need to be careful not to hold either of these truths out of balance. Focusing too much on our design while minimizing sin results in a watered-down gospel. It leads to thinking and living as if we are good with God when that isn’t true apart from Jesus. Focusing too much on our sin while minimizing our design results in a neglected gospel. It leads to legalistic, graceless, joyless thinking and living as if we are never good with God, even when we have Jesus. Indeed, the gospel needs both. The work of Jesus to overcome sin and restore marvelous people back to their right and fitting place in God’s creation.
If we take a step back and look at the Bible as a whole, we see these two truths over and over again.
- Adam and Eve were created perfectly. Then they fell into sin.
- Noah was spared the flood by God’s grace. Soon after leaving the ark, he got drunk and passed out.
- Abraham was the chosen father of a new nation. He deceived others about Sarah his wife not once, but twice.
- David was a man after God’s own heart and Israel’s best king. He sinned grievously against Bathsheba and had her husband murdered.
- Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. He married many women and became an idolater.
- Jonah wanted God to wipe out an entire nation.
- Thomas was a doubter.
- Peter denied Jesus.
- Paul was a persecutor of the church.
Every single person you come across in Scripture was flawed, some severely. Every one except Jesus. He alone was perfectly good. Everyone else, even the great heroes of the faith, was not. They show us the tension of humanity and remind us that we’re not alone. And like each of them, we too must rely on God’s mercy and grace to be the people God made us to be.
If you are looking for a resource to help you grow as a theologian and to help you teach your children theology, Faith Foundations is for you. These ninety-nine devotions use an ancient tool called a catechism to teach the core doctrines of the faith. Each devotion features a Bible reading, a devotion, several engaging questions, a Jesus connection, and a suggested family activity. Faith Foundations is now available for purchase.
- The first three paragraphs of this blog post are a slightly adapted excerpt from Faith Foundations. (Brian Dembowczyk, Faith Foundations: 99 Devotions to Help Your Family Know, Love, & Act Like Jesus. Downers Grove: IVP, 2025.) ↩︎
brian dembowczyk 