#9 What Scripture supports the decision to send children to Christian schools?
Derek Keenan, vice president of ACSI, uses the phrase, “teaching our kids to swim beyond the buoys.” Isn’t that what we want in the final analysis? We must plan for our graduates of Christian schools to leave the confines of our homes, churches, and schools prepared to meet the rough currents of workplaces and the open hostility found on most college campuses.
Warm their hearts and tutor their minds with God’s Word.
Proverbs 3:5-6 - “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Luke 6:52 - “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
Luke 6:40 - “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” Could God’s Word be any clearer? With whom you partner will certainly have a powerful influence on your children. In light of this I share this quote from...
Robert Fulgham said, “Don’t worry that they never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.”
Ephesians 2:10 - “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Christian Worldview – Romans 12:2 - “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Colossians 2:8-9 - “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” --- “hollow and deceptive philosophy,” “human tradition and the basic principles,” beyond context of loss of freedom due to works-based salvation.
2 Corinthians 10:5 - “We demolish arguments and every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
In the first century, Hellenistic or Greek philosophy could be divided into several schools or traditions including the continued influence of Plato and Aristotle (classical philosophy), also, the Skeptics who were descendants of Plato’s Academy and their contemporary critics, the Stoics. Still another prominent school were the Epicureans, who regarded pleasure as the ultimate good. Today our children are confronted daily with the claims of competing religious faiths, multiculturalism, witchcraft, as well as the seductive enticement of materialism.
Do you know the game, “capture the flag”? You cross into your opponents’ territory in an effort to “capture his flag” while avoiding capture yourself. Though this analogy has its weaknesses, I believe this is a fitting metaphor for the Christian life and the training of our next generation of warriors. Paul exhorts us... “Do not be taken captive.” “Take every thought captive.”
As we respond to the question “How should I educate my children?” We must exhort every parent to take seriously the biblical mandate to be a homeschool teacher. We must challenge the parents of young children to start their training with a godly foundation. We must warn parents as they select who will partner with them to not allow their children, their heritage, to be taken captive.
Will you fight for your children while you train them to be warriors for Christ?
