Why Christian Education?

While there are no guarantees on this score – God has not promised that everyone who hears the Gospel will embrace it – it is true that faith in Christ “comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). Because Christian schools share God’s Word with their students daily, your children will have more opportunities to accept Christ than they would in any other educational setting.

The first part of this answer has to do with your role as parent. You are the God-appointed leader of your children, so it should come as no surprise that the overwhelming task of raising and educating them is in your hands. The Apostle Paul put it this way:

“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

A Christian education is one in which the infallible truths of Scripture reign paramount. They form the foundation upon which all academic pursuits are built, and for that reason, students are often better able to reach their full educational potential. As Solomon writes, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).

This is a very real problem, and one of the most common parental objections. Christian schools cost money. A lot of money. However, before we get too carried away with fiscal concerns, we need to ask ourselves an important question:

Do we have a moral obligation to give our children a Christian education? If so, then God will do for us what He does anytime He gives us a command. He’ll give us the means to obey it.

The short answer is yes. Just like you did, your kids can turn out okay. Maybe even better than okay. But our arrival at a place called “okay” does not necessarily mean that all our choices along the way were the right ones, or that our educational experience was the best one.

Many Christian parents share this sentiment. And it’s a noble one, too. Every one of us should strive to be salt and light wherever we find ourselves. But we have to be mindful that young children (before high school) are generally not equipped to defend their faith and influence others. Even with high schoolers, it is the unusually well-grounded student who can impact others for the Kingdom. However, even with the strongest testimony, we would not recommend that "salt and light" be the primary reason for sending your child to a public school.

There’s no denying it. You’ll be sheltering them from part of secular society. But even Christian adults have been instructed to keep the world at arm’s length – to be in it but not of it. How much more should we endeavor to protect our children, most of whom are nowhere near ready to withstand the more sophisticated worldly temptations.