Good parents are always concerned about their choice of a school for their children. They want the best teaching for them in the things they consider most important in life. Some wish a private school where their children can learn social skills along with academic excellence. Others choose a school where moral values are upheld. Still others want a school where their religion is taught.
We are all children in God's school. Very often our parents have chosen our school for us, and we are content to sit in the same old school even though we have now grown up. As grown-ups, it is time to evaluate the situation and decide whether we agree with what we were taught as children.
The Apostle Paul was concerned about the young man, Timothy. Timothy had obviously been reared under Christian parents, but Paul warned him not to have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments because they produce quarrels (2 Tim.2:23). "The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear" (2 Tim.4:3 NIV). "Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith" (2 Tim.6:20-21 NIV).
The Christian faith is so simple and easy that most people miss it. Many feel that unless they have a university degree in theology, they really can't know enough to be a Christian. This is very wrong, as it is not knowledge in the strict sense of the word with which we are dealing. It is the "LIVING WORD", the person of Jesus who is alive in our world today, to whom we must be introduced.
It is only by a surrender of our lives to this Jesus and asking Him for forgiveness for our sins that we become a Christian. Then God's Holy Spirit plants a seed inside us which is nourished to maturity if it is fed spiritual food. Since so many are, as Paul predicted, "abandoning the faith and following deceiving spirits and things taught by demons" (I Tim.4:1 NIV) it is urgent for all Christians to watch our life and doctrine closely (I Tim.4:16).
These are difficult days for Christians. We must re-evaluate what we have been taught, but at the same time we need to attain sound doctrine and not be led off into apostasy. We must not be involved in arguments about man-made doctrines, yet we must find a solid basic Christian doctrine upon which to build our faith.
John the Baptist used water baptism to cleanse; Jesus uses His blood shed at Calvary. When Jesus was pierced by the Roman spear, water and blood spurted out--the symbols of our righteousness and redemption.
Do you attend the school of worldly knowledge or do you attend the school where God's Holy Spirit is the Teacher? It is important that you choose the right school.
© 1999, Doreen Palmer