The Goal of Christian Education

In a previous article I have sought to convey to you what God’s command is to every parent and educator relative to the instruction of our children. In Psalm 78:4, the Lord gives us very specific directives how we are to raise our children in the fear of His Name. We are commanded to instruct our children concerning the praises or attributes of Jehovah, concerning the strength of Jehovah manifested in Jesus Christ, and concerning the wonderful works of Jehovah resulting from the irresistible work of the Holy Spirit. The education of our children must therefore in all respects be a God-centered education, and this commandment must then of necessity be the only and absolute guideline in all aspects of child-rearing.

The great importance of this commandment becomes even more evident when we consider the specific goals we are to have in mind in rearing our children. Asaph, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has defined these goals very precisely for us in verse 7. If we take the training of our children seriously—at the baptism of our children we have sworn with an oath that we would—then we do well to carefully analyze these God-given goals for instructing our rising generation.

The very first goal we are to have in mind in rearing our children in the manner prescribed in verse 4 is that “they might set their hope in God!” Considering that we are commanded to instruct our children concerning the praises, strength, and wonderful works of Jehovah, it should come as no surprise that this is given as the primary goal of our education. It is the will of God that the entire focus of our instruction be on Him, in order that our children might set their hope in Him. How consistent this is with the very purpose for which man was created! We were created in the image of God for the express purpose that our entire existence would be focused upon God and His magnificent attributes. This is still the purpose of our existence, even though, as a result of our deep fall, we completely fail to answer to that purpose. This is the deep tragedy of our sinnership, namely, that in our fall we have become complete failures. Yet, in spite of our fall and its dreadful consequences, God has not changed and His requirements have not changed. God still requires from us, fallen sinners, that we love and serve Him with all our heart, mind, strength, and soul. It is in view of this unchangeable requirement that God requires that we raise our children for that express purpose. Our children are not our own; they are God’s creatures and He has entrusted them to us in order that we might raise them for His service, in order that they may understand that a Triune God is the reason for, as well as the purpose of, their existence.

You may reply, “How can I, a sinful parent, having brought sinful children into the world, obey this commandment and reach this goal in the lives of my children?” Perhaps you will quickly reply that you are still unconverted yourself and that you not able to convert your children. How I wish that this may be an unbearable concern in your life and that this may unceasingly drive you out to the throne of grace for help and grace in time of need! Why? Our inability to obey God’s commandment never relieves us of the obligation to obey the commandment itself. Our inability to raise our children in the manner prescribed for us in Psalm 78 in no wise excuses us before God. On the contrary, it only increases our guilt before Him. As sinners we are not victims of circumstances, but our inability is a direct result of the fact that the carnal mind is enmity towards God. If we are honest, we have no genuine desire by nature to raise our children for the service of God. How sad it is that also among us it must be observed that so many parents raise their children for anything but the service of God. The goals they have in mind for their children are a college education, financial security, a beautiful home, a secure and honorable position in the business world, etc. Are such goals then to be condemned? Not as such, but if these goals are the only goals we have in mind, they undoubtedly are. We are indeed to raise our sons in such a manner that they will become good providers for their future families, but the primary goal in raising our children, and, therefore our all-consuming desire must be that they might set their hope in God. How many young adults are there not today, born and raised in our congregations, who have a very enviable position in the business world, but who have turned their backs upon the God of their fathers. Why? Because in many (not all!) cases their parents failed to raise them with this as their ultimate goal.

Also in raising our children our actions speak louder than our words. We may teach our children to say their prayers, take them to church, have them catechized, send them to the Christian school, and yet convey by our lifestyle that to be successful in this world is the ultimate goal in life. If our children have never heard us pray for their conversion, if we never pray with them for their conversion, if we never speak to them about God’s Word, about the sermons they have heard, about the catechism instruction they have received, but if they observe that our entire life revolves around, “What shall we eat, what shall we drink, wherewithal shall we be clothed, how shall I invest my money, how can I increase my possessions, how shall I enjoy my leisure time?”, then we convey by our life that wordly success and enjoyment is most important after all. Then we must not be surprised if our children grow up to be adults who do not set their hope in God, but who will go through the motions of form-religion at best, while serving the world at heart.

Parents and educators, let us honestly examine ourselves in the presence of an all-knowing God. Are we educating our children “that they might set their hope in God?” Are we conveying to our children in word and deed that the matter of greatest importance in this life is to be reconciled to our Maker? Are we continuously urging our children to seek the Lord, to ask Him for a new heart in order that they might serve Him, to ask for the forgiveness of their sins by which they so grievously offend their Maker, to ask for the gift of saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? Are we really God-focused in all the decisions we make concerning the future of our children? If we prayerfully desire that our children would set their hope in God, we will be faced with some difficult decisions. Then I will not be able to put my child in a public school, regardless of what that may mean financially. Then I may have to question the viability of sending my child to college, knowing him or her to be easily influenced by others. Our public colleges today are centers of godlessness, centers of secular humanism, and as such are very detrimental to the spiritual welfare of our children. May the day soon come that as a denomination we may be able to offer our young people a godly college education. In our wicked society our own college is an absolute must! Without it, we are in some cases better off to encourage our children to learn an honorable trade. Am I denouncing higher education as a worthy endeavor here? Far from it! However, if a college education may draw my child away from God and His Word, then God’s Word demands that I forego a college education, as I am commanded to do everything in my power to guide my child that he might set his hope in God.

Our public colleges today are centers of godlessness, centers of secular humanism, and as such are very detrimental to the spiritual welfare of our children. May the day soon come that as a denomination we may be able to offer our young people a godly college education.

If this may be my goal then I will also be greatly concerned about the friends my children associate with, about the manner in which they spend their time, the books they read, the music they listen to. Then it will be very important to me who my teenage son or daughter dates, as practice has proven that the wrong life partner has drawn many away from God and His service. My desire, therefore, that my children may set their hope in God, will motivate me to make decisions which may be very unpopular with my children, but which are a must in raising them in the fear and admonition of the Lord. (It should be obvious that such decisions are to be made tactfully and in the spirit of love!)

To raise my children with this goal in mind means above all that I will convey to them the absolute necessity of conversion, as well as the Biblical truth that for their conversion they are to set their hope in God alone. However, then we must do it in such a manner that they understand that precisely because it is God who converts sinners, there is indeed hope for them. This is why the Lord requires from us that we teach our children about His attributes, His strength, and His wonderful works. The very purpose of this is that our children might be encouraged to seek this God of salvation, who has no desire in their death, but therein that they would turn to Him and live. Parents, encourage your children to seek this Triune God, this God who makes sinners willing in the day of His power, who delights in mercy and who has said in His Word, “Suffer the children to come unto Me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven!”

The question may arise, whether all children who are raised in the manner prescribed in Psalm 78 will indeed grow up to be adults who set their hope in God. In answer to this I wish to emphasize that our children are born as enemies of God and will therefore have a natural inclination to resist a truly godly upbringing, This resistance can be such, that in spite of all diligence by parents to raise their child in the fear of the Lord, such a child may still go astray. Yet, I do not believe this to be the rule. Throughout His Word the Lord promises a blessing upon the keeping of His commandments, and this most certainly applies to this commandment about raising children as well. If, therefore, in prayerful dependence upon the Lord, we seek to faithfully raise our children according to the commandment given in this Psalm, the Lord will grant His reward of grace upon such an education, be it at times when the child has become old(er) (Psalm 103:17,18; Prov. 22:6).

Parents and educators, God’s word plainly states for us what the substance of our religious instruction must be, as well as the ultimate goal we are to pursue in doing so. Due to God’s perfection and our sinfulness, we cannot raise our children as we ought to. This will be a great burden to those who take this divine commandment very seriously. It will continually drive them out to the throne of grace, begging the Lord to graciously enable them to educate their children in a manner pleasing to Him, that the fruit of their feeble efforts may be that their children may truly set their hope in a Triune God.

Bartel Elshout is laboring as evangelistelder in the Denver, Colorado area on behalf of the Netherlands Reformed Congregations.

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