Dr. Ben Merkle discusses the importance of raising children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, highlighting the challenges of modern education and the need for Christian parents to instill a godly worldview. The podcast also explores the impact of forsaking God as a nation, God's command to eliminate pagan nations, the true purpose of education, the allure of an Oxford college, and the power of exclusivity in biblical teachings.
Raising children in the nurture of the Lord is an all-encompassing task, encompassing teaching them to rejoice in God's creation and redemption.
Educational enculturation profoundly influences faith and worldview, emphasizing the need for Christian education to instill faithful beliefs in future generations.
Deep dives
Intersection of Generations and Cultural Apostasy
Cultural apostasy, as seen in the book of Judges, occurs at the intersection of generations. The passing off of faith from one generation to the next plays a crucial role in the faithfulness of a nation. Generational consequences of salvation highlight the importance of covenantal blessings flowing through families. Failure to maintain faithfulness across generations results in a spiraling downfall for a nation.
Enculturation Through Education
Education is recognized as enculturation, shaping loves, desires, aspirations, and loyalties of individuals. The enculturation provided through education influences individuals profoundly, impacting their faith and worldview. Schools are leveraged to enculturate children into ideologies contradictory to biblical teachings, highlighting the need for Christian education to instill faithful beliefs in future generations.
Consequences of Disobedience in Passing on Faith
The consequence of disobedience in passing on faith mirrors the initial temptation. Failing to raise children with a Christian enculturation results in them not following the faith. The punishment lies in the temptation itself, emphasizing the significance of faithful upbringing in ensuring the continuation of religious beliefs.
Summoning Lady Wisdom over Balaam's Seduction
Urging parents to align with Lady Wisdom in educating their children in the Word of God. Rejecting the seductive strategies akin to Balaam's attempts to lead Israelites astray, focusing on uncompromised enculturation in God's teachings. The devotion to instilling faithfulness in children brings its intrinsic rewards, paving the way for generational blessings.
Please enjoy this talk from Grace Agenda 2023 by Dr. Ben Merkle.
Christian parents are tasked by God to raise their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This is not confined to simply making sure they have a roof over their head and get their nose wiped. Rather, this task is the all encompassing instruction of children. They are to be taught about this world in light of the fact that God Almighty has created and redeemed this world. Children are to grow up rejoicing in the way in which God has done all this.
But modern parents have been coaxed into lending the blessing that is their children to the carnal appetites of godless activists for 12 years. We live in a wasteland of education. Public spending on education skyrockets, while academic scores plummet. If that weren’t enough, there is a rising tide of marred and mangled bodies, pervertedminds, and clouded thinking. Mix all this together and you end up with children who grow up with a godless worldview.
Join us for Grace Agenda 2023 as we look to encourage Christian parents in the glorious task of raising their children to love and worship the Lord, to lead in their generation, and to be the sort of faithful saints that can do the same for their own children.
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