“Why? What does it do? How does it work?” These are the kind of questions asked by children as they strive to build meaningful connections with their world. But this search for purpose and meaning is not limited to inquisi­tive youngsters. Fitting the larger picture of God’s purpose for man’s existence should be the purpose of every educational institution and community.

What should education set out to accomplish? What should an educator seek to achieved? By what criteria should educational institutions be evaluated? Biblical answers to these questions formulate a clear purpose for Christian education. Jesus proclaims, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment” (Matt. 22:37). This verse establishes a clear, all-encompassing pur­pose to Christian education: to help students gladly obey the Lord Jesus Christ. All truth is God’s truth. We study His truth as revealed to us in Scripture; and we study and enjoy His truth as expressed in the created order, through various course disciplines. We study to learn and to enjoy learning, but also to know how to gladly respond in obedience to Christ.

Christian education has a deep, abiding, eternal purpose; God is the essential core. Christian education must purpose to glorify Him and to teach students to love Him. It must purpose to integrate biblical truth into its academics and policies, and it must purpose to nurture students to love their neighbors, living a life of service to God and others.

1. Glorify God⤒🔗

To understand the ultimate purpose of education, we must first understand the purpose of man. The first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, “What is the chief end of man?” And the answer: “Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” It therefore follows that if man’s purpose is to glorify and enjoy God, education must serve that purpose. Its purpose is not primarily to meet man’s needs or develop his potential, but preeminently to work toward the greater glory of God. The student’s joy and ultimate fulfillment in life is to be found in loving communion with his Creator. John Calvin neatly summarized this by saying, “The glory of God is the final aim in man’s life, and this is also the final aim in man’s education.” Colossians 3:17 tells us, “Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 10:31b says, “Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Clearly, Christian education is included in the “whatsoever” referred to here.

2. Teach Love for Christ←⤒🔗

God has revealed Himself to us in His Son, Jesus Christ, the visible expression of our invisible God. Jesus profoundly claims that He is the way, the truth, and the life. All educational efforts fall short if they fail to acquaint students with Him, His teachings, and His loveliness.

Nurturing children in the way of the Lord is the shared responsibility of the church, home, school, and entire Christian community. As indispensable partners, each uniquely contributes to the nurturing process, always pointing to Christ.

The first American college, Harvard, established this standard: “Let every student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life (John 17:3) and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning. And seeing the Lord only giveth wisdom, let everyone seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seek it of him (Proverbs 2:3).”

John Calvin similarly wrote, “The true aim of educa­tion is to lead the child to the Christian life.” The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and necessary to glo­rify Him, for without faith it is impossible to please Him. Students need to come to a saving faith in Christ before they can truly think and act biblically. Our relationship with God demands that we travel the road which leads from the beginning of wisdom to its fullness in Christ. Christian education must teach students to fear God and love Christ to the end that they think and act biblically in all areas of life. It must be Christ-centered, teaching love for the Savior.

3. Integrate Biblical truth←⤒🔗

Christian education is learning rooted in revelation. Paul, addressing the church at Colossae, desired that they “would be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:9-10).

Each aspect of Christian education must find its starting point in Scripture. The Bible reveals the basic truths God wants us to know. The challenge in education is to probe every sphere of learning for which the student has capacity and time, while applying the truths of Scripture to those spheres. This requires a fundamental, unconditional acceptance of God’s unchanging revealed truth, the rock-solid foundation our generation desperately needs in a world of shifting ideals and worldviews. The challenge is to firmly learn God’s revealed absolutes and then to probe through the things to be learned. Without absolutes and a framework based in the reality of Scripture, intellectual disaster is inevitable. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2).

Christian education teaches children to grow in their knowledge of Scripture and so to understand God’s perspective — to think His thoughts after Him, learning the mind of Christ. As such, they will be equipped to reason in terms of biblical truth as they develop a mature, consistent, biblical worldview. Christian education fails to meet its purpose if it does not prioritize the necessity of an examined, thoughtful Christian faith and worldview. When students surrender themselves to the Lord, and use their knowledge in harmony with His will, the meaning of Psalm 111:10 becomes clear: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments.” Christian education challenges the hearts and minds of our students to be conformed to the truth of God’s Word.

4. Nurture Love and a Life of Service←⤒🔗

Do our students seek to love and obey God first of all, and then show love and concern for their neighbor? Do they have a heart of service for others? The purpose of Christian education must go deeper than outward conformity and graduating moral young people. It must target the attitudes of the heart. Establishing rules to facilitate learning and to control behavior in a structured, safe environment is important, but when reviewing the effec­tiveness of our education, we must examine its motivations, heart desires, and attitudes. Attaining knowledge for the sake of having knowledge leads to intellectual arrogance and self-glorification. True knowledge is used practically and advances the kingdom of God for His glory. Students who learn to walk in the truth and by faith, manifest the fruit of the Spirit in good works.

To love and serve God is an empty lie if there is no heart to serve others in both word and deed. Each student has received talents, opportunities, and blessings from his Maker. Christian education not only develops students’ potentials, it helps them find their place, meaning, pur­pose, and responsibilities Coram Deo. Christian education must prayerfully and faithfully strive to challenge students towards allowing God to mold their hearts in submission to Him, so that they would have hearts of service and love for their neighbor.

In conclusion, the purpose and value of Christian edu­cation comes to focus in the Lord Jesus Christ “...who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30). Our desire in education is “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:2-3). In their pursuit of true wisdom, Christian schools have reason to be confident as they labor in an environment held in God’s care. Psalm 100:5 assures us that “the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”