Chapter 11
Onward, Christian Soldiers!
The Task
Few Christians today dispute the fact that our country and our world need a lot of work. The efforts of the public school and other godless institutions have been extremely effective. We have turned away from God, and our once-great nation is in desperate straits. We are tempted to ask with Job, “Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them” (Job 21:7–9). It would seem that the wicked prosper at the expense of the godly. Government schools, even though widely criticized, still hold a grip on the vast majority of our nation’s children. Our churches continue a long and steady decline into irrelevance. It’s a mess.
Faithful Christians today—the remnant—now have the task of rebuilding. The task seems overwhelming. There are many analogies in Scripture that would be appropriate for what we are doing, but perhaps the most fitting is the story of Ezra and Nehemiah. As I recently went through this story with the children at our school during Bible Time, I was struck by the parallels to our situation.
The Rebuilding
As the Israelites rebuilt Jerusalem and the temple, we must rebuild our culture. Before the temple could be rebuilt, it needed a new foundation. In our own rebuilding efforts, we must have a strong foundation before we can do anything else. The foundation on which we will rebuild a Christian society is the family. In tandem with this is God’s law. No family can be truly strong unless it is blessed by God and follows God’s commandments. If our families are to be a strong foundation for society—with the power needed to do that—they must be faithful to His precepts. I am convinced that property (power) decentralized in the hands of Christian families is the key to our rebuilding efforts.
The Grace Community System allows you both to build this foundation for your family and to assist in society’s rebuilding as a whole. It puts power back in the hands of godly families. In Ezra and Nehemiah’s day, the Israelites involved in the rebuilding were not popular with those around them. The enemies of God’s people wrote libelous letters against the rebuilders, claiming that those involved in the rebuilding were rebelling against the king. Allegations were that they would not obey the laws of the king—that they were interested in power (Ezra 4:13). The same is said of Orthodox Christians today. We are told by others, even other Christians, that this is not what God wants us to do. “Then asked we those elders, and said unto them thus, Who commanded you to build this house, and to make up these walls?” (Ezra 5:9).
God knew His people would need help in their task. For the rebuilders’ task to be successful, they required instruction—instruction in the law of God. Ezra was the man sent. Ezra came to teach the law and convict the people of their sin. Obedience was needed then, as it is needed today. After a modicum of obedience was manifested, Israel began to fortify Jerusalem once again. As Nehemiah began to rebuild the walls, God’s enemies mocked. As we are more and more successful with our rebuilding efforts, the enemies of God will become angrier and angrier, and resort to more and more desperate efforts. They may even attempt to trick Christians into joining with them, as Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem did. The enemies of the rebuilders even came from the ranks of God’s people themselves. Think about it. How many Christians oppose the rebuilding today? How many are teaching God’s law? How many are starting Christian schools and preschools? How many think we should set aside our differences and compromise with the enemy? How many think we don’t need walls between God’s people and the world? Those sending their children off to the public school do not want walls of separation. The result of such compromise and sin is slavery.
As Nehemiah said, “Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly: Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them. For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works. Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it: And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress” (Neh. 9:33–37).
Nehemiah clearly understood that we come under bondage for not keeping the law of God. America today has only itself to blame for the servitude of its citizens. Keeping and teaching the law of God is the only way things will get better. I would like to invite you to be a part of the solution, to join with a truly effective ministry—Grace Community School.
One of the themes of this book has been that genuine persecution is focused on successful ministries. As I have said, if you aren’t taking flak, you’re not over the target. Grace Community School has taken an awful lot of flak over the years, but we have persevered. In this book, I have emphasized our community as members working together in our schools. Even though most of us are related, this is a family united not by blood primarily, but by grace. Grace Community School is aptly named!
A warning: Should you choose to join with us and engage the enemy, know that it is all or nothing. I find 2 Corinthians 9:6 to be a wonderful and frightening Bible verse: “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” You cannot sit on the sidelines and be blessed, as so many Christians try to do. It is a scary verse because it clearly states that God will someday tell us that our reward would have been much bigger, if we had only applied ourselves more. Here is another frightening verse: “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). I have personally known Christians who have put their hand to the plough, and begun to do God’s work, who have then stopped to go do something else. Woe unto them!
The work we do at Grace Community School is intensely practical, and is firmly focused on the real world. This does not sit well with some Christians, particularly those who are more inclined to intellectualism, as are many of us in the Reformed community. Could it possibly be that God does not care as much about the things the Reformed community argues about as we think He does? Let us do God’s work, and leave the esoterics to others!
Onward Christian Soldiers!
God asks us all a question: “What are you going to do with your life?” A Christian should then ask himself, “How will I earn the greatest reward? What is the best way to invest my time, effort, and money?” If you are called to Christian education, I have the answer for you. Not every Christian will earn a full reward. “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain” (1 Cor. 9:24). It is not selfish to want to earn a reward from God. So go, labor and earn a reward for you and your family. Dare to be different for you and your family! Whether you have children already, or will in the future, it still applies: go against the tide. We are Christian soldiers in a great battle. Most Christians are not even aware of this most basic fact. Our assignment in this battle is to turn our culture around and bring it under subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ. This book is about how to do just that.
If you want to turn America around, how would you do it? I know how I would do it. I’d start from the ground up, and get the youngest, most impressionable people. Who are they? The children! I’d start as young as possible. I would teach them the commandments, so when they are old they will not depart from them, or at least will be somewhat restrained by them. I would give them useful real-world skills, so they will be able to thrive in the real world. I would teach them to read, so that they can read the Bible for themselves and be better equipped to discern truth from error. I would give them each a trade, and the tools they need to succeed in their trade—things like self-discipline, diligence, and an appreciation for hard work. I would seek to equip them in such a way that they could one day raise strong families themselves willing to do God’s work. I would teach them the importance of money and capital, because Christian families need money and capital if they are to take dominion for Christ.
I have talked about strong families, like the one I introduced at the beginning of this book. Families must be strong in two respects in order to take dominion. They must be strong morally. What does that mean? You hear people talk about wanting a “return to family values.” Whose family values? It seems everyone has family values these days, but the only ones that matter are God’s family values—the Ten Commandments. Books on the Christian family usually focus attention on family Bible study and prayer. Well and good, but this is not enough. As Christian families we should have Bible study, yes; prayer, yes; but most of all: God’s law. Applying God’s law to the family is the most important task of the Christian father. Families in which God’s law is taught and followed will be a blessing to their descendants and their community.
Christian families must also be strong financially. True freedom is the ability to own and control private property. This is what books for Christian families often neglect. You cannot be truly independent morally without being independent financially. Strong, independent families are what is needed in this battle. The family with property and a trade (the means to get more property) is ready to change the world. This also means having control of debt. The easiest way to control debt is simply to not have any, or at least keep it to a minimum amount that can easily be repaid at any time. Biblical proverbs and parables are full of financial scenarios. All too often Christians see these as merely allegorical, but in reality they are often actually about material money, in addition to having spiritual applications! If you want your children to be financially independent, you must provide them with a trade and capital. Lord willing your family will have many productive children who have forsaken government schooling and its humanist baggage.
Our goal is to create these kinds of families. What I am describing to you is exactly what we do at Grace Community School. There is no other ministry more on the front lines of the battle. Do not think I am saying the battle will be easy. Things may get worse before they get better. We Christian soldiers must be of good courage. The fortresses of the public school are powerful. However, we have God’s promises that the Gates of Hell will not prevail against us if we are doing His will. This work is a millennial project—it will take a long time! I foresee a future in which God’s people are the rulers. This will come about when Christians have control of every area of life—civil government, the courts, education, church, and family. But it will not come from the top. It will be a truly grassroots effort, led by children who have been educated in places like Grace Community School. This task is not for the faint of heart or those looking for instant gratification.
The Extent of Our Reach
The ministry of Grace Community School is a long-term program with far-reaching effect. Every little thing done for Christ has ramifications that echo throughout time and eternity. “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward” (Matt. 10:42). Those nearsighted folks on the outside see us as offering merely daycare. Most intellectuals and churchmen do not highly esteem the care of young children.
We have a promise that God’s blessings will last “to a thousand generations.” “Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations” (Deut. 7:9). I don’t know about you, but I would definitely like to pass on an inheritance of blessings to my descendants that lasts a thousand generations!
In the Old Testament, the Levites were those responsible for the theological instruction of the nation. The success of the people was entwined with the success of the Levites, since material blessings were tied to the obedience of God’s laws, which the Levites taught. In addition, it was the people who supported the Levites. Thus a reinforcing circle was created, a symbiotic relationship if you will. While we do not have a formal order of Levites today, our Christian educators still have the educational and scholarly tasks of the Levite. More faithful Levites (Biblical educators) will mean a more blessed nation. This is why Grace Community School is the best thing that could possibly happen to the thousands of children and families that we minister to. We are serving the poor in the best way possible: helping them get out of poverty through keeping the commandments. Isn’t it funny how so many Christians define freedom as freedom from the law, while the Bible tells us freedom is keeping the law?
Alas, most people do not see it that way. We should not be surprised. As Jesus said, “If the world hate you, know ye that it hated me before it hated you.” The battle of culture we are in is to a great extent a battle for the souls of children, the poor in particular. When we make an effort to reach poor children with the Gospel and literacy, what we are really doing is stealing power and resources from the state.
What Reward Awaits the Typical Church School?
Christian ministries are a dime a dozen. Every church has outreach programs, Sunday school, maybe even a Christian school attached to it. What reward awaits those who invest their God-given time, money, and efforts in church schools? That depends on how well the ministry does God’s work rather than man’s. The Bible has a phrase for describing ostensibly good works that are of no real value: wood, hay, and stubble. The command I see Christian schools and ministries violate the most frequently is this one: “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not.” There is incalculable reward thrown away when the little children are neglected. As I have made it clear in this book, the youngest children are where our efforts need to be focused. It is snobbery of the worst kind to refuse to educate prekindergarten children because it is not dignified enough, or “it encourages mothers to leave the home,” as is often the case with church schools. Even those who take pre-K students make stipulations such as “they must be potty-trained.” Even if younger students are taken, outrageous, above-market prices are charged to limit the number of students in the school. Reality is that the despised younger years are the most impressionable and the most valuable for the Christian educator. The same effort with a child, exerted at the elementary school level rather than during preschool, may not be sufficient to be life changing. The time to teach God’s law is when children are youngest, their most impressionable. If it seems like I am being overly harsh on Christian educators, it is for this reason: judgement must begin at the house of God (1 Pet. 4:17).
A Different Sort of Christian Education
Christian education seems to be doing well, but I am wary of a certain overemphasis on intellectual development in the home school and Christian school movements. Homeschoolers are often proud of their achievements in things like spelling bees, SAT’s, grade point averages, and such. Well and good. But do these things really matter that much? Are Christians to aim for such things? Do these things have any real relevance for predicting who will be best equipped to exercise their God-given callings? My answer, based on my experiences in real life and the capitalistic workplace is, “Not really.”
The primary goal of Christian education is not intellectual development. Intellectual development is a secondary goal, which must be subservient to the prime aim. The primary goal of Christian education is the production of godly men and women equipped to serve the Lord in their God-ordained callings. While a certain development of the intellect is part of this, much education merely serves to “puff up” the pride of the student and ultimately results in a person with more faith in his own mind, reason, and education then in God.
I have seen this manifested in “suggested reading” sections at the ends of homeschool books. In addition to books on education, it is often suggested that parents wishing to become educators develop the equivalent of a liberal arts education through reading and studying the classics and a wide variety of other historically-significant books. While authors of these recommended reading lists would of course (rightly) deny that they were equating intellectualism with Christianity, they would claim that the Christian with a supremely-elevated intelligence is better equipped to battle the world, the flesh, and the devil.
I would say, “Not necessarily.” Indeed, as I have said, this intellectual development often leads to idolaters who worship intelligence and become increasingly irrelevant to the real world. “Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits” (Rom. 12:16). The man who is well-read, steeped in the classics, and seminary-educated is not necessarily (in fact, usually is not) the man best able to take dominion. What matters most is doing, not knowing. Understand that I am not against reading, education, and study of a variety of subjects—even of subjects that are not not strictly practical. in fact I read widely as a child, and I still do. However, I would not claim that you cannot be a successful Christian working for the glory of God unless you have a grasp of the liberal arts. In my experience, the best educated Christians are doing less for God’s kingdom than those less-educated who are gifted at a particular calling and have buckled down to work. The Bible tells us that God has chosen many whom the world does not consider “smart,” and God has done this for a good reason: “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty” (1 Cor. 1:26–27).
I do not think there is any demographic in Christendom better educated than the Reformed community. I have a great respect for its collective intellect. I have somewhat less respect for what is being done with that intellect. Rushdoony says in By What Standard, “It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that Reformed theology has for many generations been indulging in a monologue which has no outside listeners, has been playing a game of solitaire, and has been increasingly isolated from all contacts with the world. Why this irrelevance of theology, why this isolation of Reformed thought? Why the increasing indifference of the world to theology, and, to an extent, an indifference of theology to the world?” Theology we have. The problem is that much of this theology is not relevant to the real world. Why do I have this emphasis on the “real world”? It is because this is where God has put us and where we must do our work and earn our reward. Education has a place in this real world, but it is a means, not an end. Those most blessed by God are not the most educated. Those out there making the most money are not the most educated. Those taking the most dominion and winning the most souls are not the most educated. I am not saying that you should not strive to be educated and develop your mind, but you must keep in mind that intellectual knowledge does not equate to wisdom and the ability to take dominion—things the Christian should strive to increase above all. Intellect is too-often used to divide Christians and start fights over minor points of doctrine. The result is impotence and irrelevance. God is not blessing the Reformed community like He could; many, many Reformed Christians live in relative poverty and do not own and control private property. This must be remedied.
Conclusion
The rebuilding of our society must begin with a foundation, one that will last. We need to worry about the basics: God’s commandments. While marching into battle, do not allow yourself to be deflected from God’s goals into wood, hay, and stubble ministries. A popular song says, “What the world needs now, is love, sweet love.” Do I agree? Most surely, if the definition of love is the one given in 1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.” We want to change society by building strong families in Godly love. This will start with young children taught by ministries like Grace Community School offering Biblical, practical education. Our goals will not be achieved overnight, nor by means of politics, ivory tower theology, or collaboration with humanists. God’s concerns are not abstract, nor should ours be. What will you do, Christian soldier? Are you ready to fight government schooling? Keep reading.
