A Note to Christians Involved in Government Public Schools
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
(whether faculty or staff in the government schools, or parents sending your children to the government schools)
I know your desire to educate students or to have your children educated is a godly desire. And I know your heart must resonate with the apostle John when he wrote, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth" (3 Jn. 1:4). For surely that is precisely what you are trying to teach all of your students or to have all your children learn - the truth!
But you must know that the current government system in which the children are placed is at its core anti-Christian. Since Christ is Himself "the Truth" (Jn. 14:6), and the government school system has so blatantly rejected the Lord Jesus Christ at the very outset of its educating principles, then the system in which you work or in which your children are taught is truly anti-Christian.
To the teachers,
Yes, you may be a wonderful exception to the system. You may endeavor to teach your students the truth about reality (that man is by nature a sinner, rebellious toward God, and in desperate need to turn to the only Savior for salvation and sanctification - Eph. 2:1-10), about knowledge (that true knowledge at its very foundation can only be found in and based in the One living and true God - Prv. 1:7; Col. 2:3), and about ethics (that the only One who has the authority to determine what is right and wrong and who will at the end bring all into judgment is the One living and true God; and so allegiance in ethical matters must be to Him and Him alone - Gen. 18:25; Deut. 32:4; Job 8:3, 34:10; Isa. 5:20; Ps. 51:4; Eccles 12:13-14; Dan. 12:2; Rev. 20:11-15, 22:12).
But surely you know that at whatever point you teach these wonderful truths, you are teaching contrary to the very nature and desires of your employer. And you must ask yourselves, is that truly right according to God's Word?
Is it? Perhaps you see yourself as a missionary laboring in the mission field. And would that your missionary work be fruitful!
But I would then ask you to also consider how this missionary work is funded. Is it funded by the church through freewill offerings (3 Jn. 1:7-8)? Or is it funded by the state through the coercive power of taxation? You know how it is funded. And so I ask you to consider, is it right for you or anybody else to pay taxes (through coercion) for a system that denies the Lordship of Christ for the sake of you and a few other brave and noble exceptions to carry out your missionary work?
I would say there is no place in Scripture where we can find Biblical support for that way of doing missions. And so I ask you to take that wonderful desire and passion you have to teach students the truth - take it and use it in the private market, receiving your income from ones who are in line with your own Christian values about truth, reality, knowledge, and ethics.
Yes, I understand that that truly might not be an option at this point. I realize that you may be an integral part, if not the sole part, to your household income. And in your situation you need to stay where you're at for now so as to provide for your family (1 Tim. 5:8). Yet I would still encourage you to look, as much as you can, for opportunities in the private sector. There are already existing Christian schools in which you would be an amazing asset. Consider also, there aren't nearly enough Christian schools. Perhaps God is calling you to help start one!
To the parents,
I know it is not easy and probably not even doable for many to home school or to send your children to a private Christian school. I know it simply cannot be done by many in our country. But I would plead with you to at least consider what the government-public school system by its very nature does to your children.
From the very beginning your children are taught at worst to deny the Lordship of Christ at the outset, and at best that His Lordship is irrelevant. Is that what the Scriptures teach? Certainly not (Ps. 14:1; Prv. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:18-21; Col. 2:3, 8-10)!
And so you now have the double duty to undo everything that the government schools are teaching your children, and then to rebuild their education on the Rock foundation of Jesus Christ (Mt. 7:24-27; cf. Deut. 32:4; 1 Cor. 10:4).
If at all possible, break your children free from the anti-Christian education of the current state system. And if you can't do that financially or practically, then commit to teaching them yourself as best you can "when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise" (Deut. 6:7) that all knowledge is found and grounded in the person of Jesus Christ (Col. 2:3), that all wisdom is begun with the fear of the Lord (Prv. 1:7), and that all thoughts (including thoughts of science, math, history, languages, etc.) - all thoughts must be brought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). For I assure you that what they're being taught in the government public schools, by and large, is the very antithesis of the Christian worldview.
---
My brothers and sisters in Christ, I plead with you, consider these things, pray about them, and study the Scriptures to see if they aren't so.
(whether faculty or staff in the government schools, or parents sending your children to the government schools)
I know your desire to educate students or to have your children educated is a godly desire. And I know your heart must resonate with the apostle John when he wrote, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth" (3 Jn. 1:4). For surely that is precisely what you are trying to teach all of your students or to have all your children learn - the truth!
But you must know that the current government system in which the children are placed is at its core anti-Christian. Since Christ is Himself "the Truth" (Jn. 14:6), and the government school system has so blatantly rejected the Lord Jesus Christ at the very outset of its educating principles, then the system in which you work or in which your children are taught is truly anti-Christian.
To the teachers,
Yes, you may be a wonderful exception to the system. You may endeavor to teach your students the truth about reality (that man is by nature a sinner, rebellious toward God, and in desperate need to turn to the only Savior for salvation and sanctification - Eph. 2:1-10), about knowledge (that true knowledge at its very foundation can only be found in and based in the One living and true God - Prv. 1:7; Col. 2:3), and about ethics (that the only One who has the authority to determine what is right and wrong and who will at the end bring all into judgment is the One living and true God; and so allegiance in ethical matters must be to Him and Him alone - Gen. 18:25; Deut. 32:4; Job 8:3, 34:10; Isa. 5:20; Ps. 51:4; Eccles 12:13-14; Dan. 12:2; Rev. 20:11-15, 22:12).
But surely you know that at whatever point you teach these wonderful truths, you are teaching contrary to the very nature and desires of your employer. And you must ask yourselves, is that truly right according to God's Word?
Is it? Perhaps you see yourself as a missionary laboring in the mission field. And would that your missionary work be fruitful!
But I would then ask you to also consider how this missionary work is funded. Is it funded by the church through freewill offerings (3 Jn. 1:7-8)? Or is it funded by the state through the coercive power of taxation? You know how it is funded. And so I ask you to consider, is it right for you or anybody else to pay taxes (through coercion) for a system that denies the Lordship of Christ for the sake of you and a few other brave and noble exceptions to carry out your missionary work?
I would say there is no place in Scripture where we can find Biblical support for that way of doing missions. And so I ask you to take that wonderful desire and passion you have to teach students the truth - take it and use it in the private market, receiving your income from ones who are in line with your own Christian values about truth, reality, knowledge, and ethics.
Yes, I understand that that truly might not be an option at this point. I realize that you may be an integral part, if not the sole part, to your household income. And in your situation you need to stay where you're at for now so as to provide for your family (1 Tim. 5:8). Yet I would still encourage you to look, as much as you can, for opportunities in the private sector. There are already existing Christian schools in which you would be an amazing asset. Consider also, there aren't nearly enough Christian schools. Perhaps God is calling you to help start one!
To the parents,
I know it is not easy and probably not even doable for many to home school or to send your children to a private Christian school. I know it simply cannot be done by many in our country. But I would plead with you to at least consider what the government-public school system by its very nature does to your children.
From the very beginning your children are taught at worst to deny the Lordship of Christ at the outset, and at best that His Lordship is irrelevant. Is that what the Scriptures teach? Certainly not (Ps. 14:1; Prv. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:18-21; Col. 2:3, 8-10)!
And so you now have the double duty to undo everything that the government schools are teaching your children, and then to rebuild their education on the Rock foundation of Jesus Christ (Mt. 7:24-27; cf. Deut. 32:4; 1 Cor. 10:4).
If at all possible, break your children free from the anti-Christian education of the current state system. And if you can't do that financially or practically, then commit to teaching them yourself as best you can "when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise" (Deut. 6:7) that all knowledge is found and grounded in the person of Jesus Christ (Col. 2:3), that all wisdom is begun with the fear of the Lord (Prv. 1:7), and that all thoughts (including thoughts of science, math, history, languages, etc.) - all thoughts must be brought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). For I assure you that what they're being taught in the government public schools, by and large, is the very antithesis of the Christian worldview.
---
My brothers and sisters in Christ, I plead with you, consider these things, pray about them, and study the Scriptures to see if they aren't so.