Isn't this the mantra of parents today? "I just want my child to find out for herself what she believes blah, blah, blah." But how many Christian parents have been drinking this Kool-Aid? I know of at least one, and that was me.
We adopted a close kissing cousin to this view in the name of being "spiritual" (gag). After all, who were we to interfere with the Holy Spirit? So we had our daughter read the Bible and gave her absolutely no instruction whatsoever on what she was reading because we thought the human mind could only interfere with what the Holy Spirit was "saying" to her. Somehow the Holy Spirit would be able to communicate to her, bypassing her mind and her understanding, and she would just "know". We asked her if she "felt" or "sensed" anything, but there was nothing. Looking back, my daughter is grateful that she didn't have any sort of counterfeit emotional experience.
By doing this, we were subtly declaring our contempt for truth, because we didn't think it was valuable enough to teach truth to our child let alone believe for ourselves. We were subtly declaring our contempt for the Word of God, because it was merely a vehicle to an emotional experience, not truth in and of itself and the sole means through which we can know God.
It's scary, but this form of mysticism plays right into Dewey's Darwinian philosophical naturalism. Christianity is no longer in the realm of truth but a completely subjective experience that is self-defined. There is no core set of beliefs that one must affirm to be a Christian but a sought-after nebulous feeling. Doctrine is plucked from the gospel and may not even be the biblical gospel any longer. "What it means to me" is the standard. Oxymoron, anyone?
There isn't a day that I don't thank God for the trials that rudely awakened me out of my mystical stupor and forced me to seek the truth of who He is in His word. I shudder to think what my life and my daughter's life would be like if I kept drinking and feeding her the Kool-Aid.
Who is HE is in His word that you aren't sure one could get just reading the text with the Spirit teaching?
ReplyDeleteWhat I mean is, is the scripture unable within itself to show us the truth?
ReplyDeleteWhat are these core set of beliefs that are nonnegotiable?
@Ma:
ReplyDeleteI'm not doing a very good job of making myself clear. :)
I'm not discounting the role of the Holy Spirit at all. I firmly believe that He is the only one who can regenerate the heart and renew the mind. but He doesn't work in a vacuum apart our minds, which is what we thought was "spiritual". The problem was we didn't read the Word for what it said but for extra-biblical revelation and impressions - looking for an experience rather than studying the text. Hence, doctrine was totally irrelevant, and we did not have a clear grasp of the gospel.
I think it was negligent on my part as a parent to hand my daughter a Bible without any effort on my part to explain the scriptures to her or disciple her, as though things magically happen some where inside of us. That's why Paul charges Timothy to "preach the Word." Parents are charged to instruct their children in the fear of the Lord. Yes, God alone is the one who saves, but that doesn't exempt me from my charge to teach the truth.
Just saw your 2nd comment. I hope I answered your 1st question. To reiterate, I firmly believe in the sufficiency of scripture but not in a mindless hyper-spiritual way that involves no preaching, no teaching, no discipleship, and no doctrine. If this hyper-spiritual mysticism makes no sense to you, be very thankful! :)
ReplyDeleteRe: core beliefs, justification by faith alone in Christ alone is one doctrine that I would consider essential to be a Christian. Granted, one doesn't need to have a Th.D. to be saved, but we need to know what we believe and why. It's a frightening prospect to think of many who assume they are Christians and going to heaven but are self-deceived because they do not know what it means to be saved other than raising a hand or reciting a prescribed formula. Nowadays, belief is so subjective that it can mean whatever you want it to mean. But the only definition that matters is God's. Hence the need to think of Christianity in terms of truth not just a value.
Thanks for the interaction, Ma. This helps me to think about what I've written. Sometimes it's clear in my mind but can not so clear for the reader.
" Sometimes it's clear in my mind but not so clear for the reader."
ReplyDeleteSee, even my comments need correction. :) (Pity that blogger doesn't have a way to edit comments. )
I do think discipleship is very important, and very difficult especially where our kids are concerned. It takes a lot of work! I know I fail a lot at turning opportunities to disciple into frustration or shouting matches or just plain indifference as many other things get in the way.
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't want to make the mistake of doing is not allowing God's spirit to do the job of regeneration, thinking if I indoctrinate them with enough head knowledge they will get it. I know that isn't the case.
We all have to be "tried by fire" as your title states:) and I have to be ready for being there through their firey trials with understanding, love, patience and the uncompromising truth.
'Tis a humdinger of a post, Persis. Very well said.
ReplyDeletePersis,
ReplyDeleteYou are very on target with this post. This idea that as Christians we don't teach our children the truth of the Word but let them just discover these things on their own is truly hogwash and very dangerous hogwash. I think Satan has used this tool very effectively. Of course, we can't be our children's Holy Spirit, but we are instructed to train them and teach them. There's nothing hands-off about that. That's a very active duty requiring much diligence on our part. To not do so reminds me of what Scripture says about not disciplining our children...it's a form of hatred.
Persis, I 100% agree with Trisha and think she said it well. Therefore I can't add anything. This was a good post.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Persis! I think Trisha summed it up well. Besides, in what other areas would we just leave it up to our kids to decide what things meant, how to learn, what the right answer is, etc?
ReplyDeleteGreat post Persis. Bless the Lord that He opened your eyes while Lydia was still young.
ReplyDeleteAlthough we raised our children with a solid Biblical foundation, if we had to do it over again, we would have been more diligent in making sure that each one of them could readily defend all the major doctrines in Scripture from memory by the time they left home. Whether they embraced it or not is Lord's job.
I liked the post because it resonates with me, and I echo the last paragraph! I think the discussions are also right on target and love your clarifications.
ReplyDeleteYes, God saves our children. We are not and can never be their Savior, as Ma made so clear. I know first hand of the danger of interfering with God! But we have a job to do, nonetheless, a sometimes overwhelmingly big job, because we need constant reminders that we are not perfect and in need of our Lord and Savior too! Our obedience, while it doesn't guarantee perfect children or even saved children, changes us. It sanctifies us in the process. Most importantly, it keeps us humble and on our knees (unless we have perfect children, of course, and who does?). Blessings!
Eye opening post! Thank you. This needs to be shouted from the roof tops. We have been deceived (with the shiny Kool-Aid). And it's time we wake up, as parents. These kids DO live in our homes and we SHOULD influence them (even though there are some in government who'd disagree).
ReplyDeleteWOW! I'm with Corey -- this was a "humdinger" of a post! Thanking God, with you, for the trials that led us to to the Truth ... all my love .
ReplyDelete