I read an irritating post by someone convinced that they are “called” to send their kids to public school. Whenever someone claims that they are “called” to something based on their subjective feelings, I get nervous. Perhaps that is a symptom of having come out of a cult where the heart is trusted to lead people in place of the Word of God. What really got my goat was the misuse of a theological truism to defend their actions. The point of the post is that God is sovereign so send your kids to public school and trust Him. I am sorry but I am going to let loose here and completely go off….
That attitude is a capitulation to the culture while hiding behind theology.
Here are some other logical actions that would stem from this sort of philosophy…
Throw your kids out of a moving car. Why? God is sovereign.
Drop your kids off at the local strip club after school. Why? God is sovereign.
Encourage your kids to run with sharp objects and swim immediately after eating. Why? God is sovereign.
Never gather with the church, never study the Word, never preach the Gospel, never love your neighbor, never pray. Why? God is sovereign.
The idea of sending kids off to public schools where God is denied under the guise of God’s sovereignty sounds very noble and pious. However I don’t see the piety of disobeying God while hiding behind sovereignty. That is the error of antinomianism. God is sovereign so I can do whatever I want with no repercussions. It is also the error of hyper-Calvinism. God is going to save every one of His elect so His command to preach the Gospel to all creatures is irrelevant. God’s sovereignty is one of the great truths of the Bible but it is one we need to handle with care. It has been misused over and over through the ages and that still happens today. God is sovereign indeed above all but a recognition of the sovereignty of God does not give us a free pass to act however we want even if our actions fly in the face of Scripture and common sense. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can live however you want and do whatever you want and that you can pull out the “Sovereignty Card” at will.
If you truly believe that God is sovereign then you should desire to see your kids taught about Him when they rise up and when they lie down, when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way (Deu 6:7). They are not going to get that in a public school. If you truly believe that God is sovereign, then spend your days teaching your kids that God in His sovereignty has placed in your care. In your care, not a daycare and not the secular government. If you think God is “calling” you to send your kids into a public school where He is denied, you had better check your heart at the door because the heart is deceitful above all things (Jer 17:9). All manner of mischief is given a free pass because someone feels “called”. I recognize that some people wave the flag of homeschooling around like a prideful banner, and that is wrong and where I have done so I am wrong. It is at least as grave an error to try to score theological points at the expense of your children. If you choose to send your kids to school because you feel unqualified to teach them or finances prevent you from doing so or you just don’t want to, that is your business. I think it is wrong, but they are your kids. To use a profound and serious Biblical doctrine to hide behind that decision? That is something that calls for repentance.
A belief in the sovereignty of God is no excuse to abdicate your solemn responsibility as a Christian parent.
That attitude is a capitulation to the culture while hiding behind theology.
Here are some other logical actions that would stem from this sort of philosophy…
Throw your kids out of a moving car. Why? God is sovereign.
Drop your kids off at the local strip club after school. Why? God is sovereign.
Encourage your kids to run with sharp objects and swim immediately after eating. Why? God is sovereign.
Never gather with the church, never study the Word, never preach the Gospel, never love your neighbor, never pray. Why? God is sovereign.
The idea of sending kids off to public schools where God is denied under the guise of God’s sovereignty sounds very noble and pious. However I don’t see the piety of disobeying God while hiding behind sovereignty. That is the error of antinomianism. God is sovereign so I can do whatever I want with no repercussions. It is also the error of hyper-Calvinism. God is going to save every one of His elect so His command to preach the Gospel to all creatures is irrelevant. God’s sovereignty is one of the great truths of the Bible but it is one we need to handle with care. It has been misused over and over through the ages and that still happens today. God is sovereign indeed above all but a recognition of the sovereignty of God does not give us a free pass to act however we want even if our actions fly in the face of Scripture and common sense. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can live however you want and do whatever you want and that you can pull out the “Sovereignty Card” at will.
If you truly believe that God is sovereign then you should desire to see your kids taught about Him when they rise up and when they lie down, when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way (Deu 6:7). They are not going to get that in a public school. If you truly believe that God is sovereign, then spend your days teaching your kids that God in His sovereignty has placed in your care. In your care, not a daycare and not the secular government. If you think God is “calling” you to send your kids into a public school where He is denied, you had better check your heart at the door because the heart is deceitful above all things (Jer 17:9). All manner of mischief is given a free pass because someone feels “called”. I recognize that some people wave the flag of homeschooling around like a prideful banner, and that is wrong and where I have done so I am wrong. It is at least as grave an error to try to score theological points at the expense of your children. If you choose to send your kids to school because you feel unqualified to teach them or finances prevent you from doing so or you just don’t want to, that is your business. I think it is wrong, but they are your kids. To use a profound and serious Biblical doctrine to hide behind that decision? That is something that calls for repentance.
A belief in the sovereignty of God is no excuse to abdicate your solemn responsibility as a Christian parent.
2 comments:
I could not agree with you more. I just wish there were more preachers/pastors out there that would teach that to their congregations. Why are truths like this not rampant in our churches? OK - so that question was slightly rhetorical.
Keep on! Someone needs to say it.
Try going to a Bible college where you have to be called not just to the ministry but also to that particular school. It was so bad at times that I half expected people to get up and announce before they went to the restroom, "God is calling me to urinate." Excellent post.
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