Educating to God’s Glory

God’s educators don’t educate children who are disenfranchised, different, or disadvantaged because they need educating; rather, they educate children to glorify God because He wants us to do so. God’s people have been instructed to order their lives in such a way that everything is done for His glory. When David fought and killed Goliath, he did not do so because Israel needed deliverance. He clearly stated the reason and motivation for his actions.

All this assembly shall know that the LORD… (1 Samuel 17:47)

His ultimate purpose was to glorify God. God is glorified when the things that His people do are done unto Him. Even something as basic and simple as eating and drinking glorifies God when it is done unto Him.

 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV)

Similarly, teaching and educating that is done unto Him glorifies Him. Again, every good work that is done unto Him glorifies Him.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

Peter explains how good works done unto the Lord even amidst unbelievers glorify God.

Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:12)

Simply put, God’s people are to do good because He wants them to—He created us to.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

God even gave the scriptures to that end.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16)

This naturally poses the question, what are good works? There is a litany of scriptures indicating that good works can be summed up as meeting needs.

• When Jesus stated why He had come He listed needs that He would meet.
• When John the Baptist questioned who Christ was He went out and met needs as evidence for John.
• When Jesus sent His disciples out to announce His kingdom they were instructed to meet needs.
• Every miracle that Jesus performed met a need.

The presence of sin guarantees the presence of needs. For God’s people, the occasion of needs is an opportunity for good works; good works that ultimately glorify God.

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. (John 9:1)

When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God…” (John 11:4)

Children with academic needs because they are disenfranchised, different, and/or disadvantaged represent an occasion for an education of good works that ultimately glorifies God. This is the essence of a biblically based Christian education because it is an education of good works done by Christians unto the Lord for His glory. For a Christian to have the wherewithal to meet the educational needs of children in need and to fail to do so is to fall short of the glory of God. This can be likened to medical malpractice; it is educational malpractice.

But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? (1 John 3:17)

To borrow and adapt an expression from our Catholic colleagues: As Christians, we don’t educate disenfranchised, diverse, and disadvantaged children because they are Christians; we educate them because we are Christians. That makes what we do a Christian education. From the standpoint of God’s word, schools, instructions, institutions, programs, processes, and the like cannot be Christian. These are things that can be done by Christians, but they cannot be Christian in and of themselves. Only God’s people can be Christian from a purely biblical standpoint. God’s educators act Christianly when they meet the academic needs of children in such a way that could prompt Christ to exclaim:

I was undereducated and you educated Me; I was different and you embraced Me; I was disadvantaged and you advantaged Me.

To which the response will be, “Lord, when did we see you undereducated, different, and disadvantaged?”

Followed by His response:

In that you did it to one of the least of these, you did it unto Me

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