Trevor Sheatz@TrevorSheatz
As someone who has had three children in five years of marriage, writing "I think it’s bordering on sin for a couple to limit themselves to having two children" is extraordinarily foolish and unbiblical.
Yes, children are amazing. Yes, be fruitful and multiply. But no, don't place yokes on people that aren't found in the Bible. That's what the Pharisees did, and Jesus despised them for it.
Old Testament Law required that Jews work six days, and rest on the Sabbath. Pharisees thought, "Well, plucking grain is working, therefore you can't pluck grain on the Sabbath" (read Matt. 12:1-14).
It sounds reasonable. There's a general command, don't work on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees were simply laying out specific ways that you must avoid work on the Sabbath. Not working on the Sabbath is good. Why did Jesus despise the Pharisees so much for striving to have more people follow God's good commands?
Because they're adding their own words and requirements to God's words, and making it equal in authority. Breaking the Pharisees' traditions and laws was equivalent to breaking the Scriptures, even though the Bible never said you couldn't pluck grain on the Sabbath. All it said is that you couldn't work.
In the same way, having children is good. They're blessings. Scripture is clear on that (Psalm 127:3).
But in encouraging married couples to follow the general command of being fruitful and multiplying, we must be careful of committing the error of placing specific requirements on them that aren't found in the Bible (I don't believe Mike is doing this, but he's close), even if those requirements involve blessings, such as placing a burden upon parents to have more than two children.
If the Scriptures don't require you to have a set number of children (and they don't), then it's not "borderline sinful" for you and your spouse to agree upon how many children you would like to have, or to have fewer children than you're able to have. Matters such as this fall under Christian liberty (Romans 14), and are a matter of wisdom and conscience for each couple to think through, seek counsel on, and bring before the Lord in prayer.
You can encourage a married couple to have more than two children if you know them and their situation and believe it'd result in the best blessings for their lives specifically, but your input is not law, it's merely wise counsel and isn't required to be followed. Only God's Word has such authority.
"Therefore, let us no longer judge one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother or sister." (Romans 14:13)
