Title: Growth of Faith / 2004.9.19
content chapter
Deuteronomy 11:18-25, Ephesians 4:13-16
Today is Christian Education Promotion Sunday. Christian Education Promotion Sunday is a Sunday unique to the Methodist Church, and the word itself may seem unfamiliar. The reason why we observe this Sunday in our Methodist Church is because we realized early on that faith does not end with one-time feelings or feelings, but grows through continuous training and education.
Most people try to understand faith only as a feeling or experience that comes from heaven. That's why I don't do much research on faith to improve my faith or make continuous efforts for a life of faith. Not only do they not do it, they even consider it unnecessary. However, although the beginning of faith comes from emotions, feelings, and experiences, the growth cannot be achieved without studying the faith. In that sense, it would be very meaningful to keep Christian Education Promotion Sunday to realize and emphasize the importance of Christian education.
But there is also one problem here. The fact that most of those who know that faith is not just feelings and who acknowledge the importance of Christian education think that Christian education is a term for little children. This misunderstanding arises because Christian education is compared to social education. Social education is mostly vocational training these days, so it is being done as a process of mastery in order to get a certain job. And when a certain degree of course is completed, education ends with the designation "graduation".
But Christian education is quite different from social education. Christian education is not an education to master Christianity. Christian education is about realizing, learning, and learning how to live and practice the Word of God in your daily life. Christian education is life education, life learning, and life education. That is why there is no graduation in Christian education. The graduation ceremony for Christian education is held in the Kingdom of God. The graduation hat of Christian education is a crown given by God.
Therefore, Christian education is not something for young children, but a process that should be continued by everyone from children to the elderly. Our members must have faith that is not only emotional, but also has a faith that is truly deep (Ephesians 3:19) and a faith that is truly full of the knowledge of God (Ephesians 4:13).
What is the goal of our faith? Most people answer, 'We are saved through faith in Jesus.' However, this is not the correct answer. The goal of faith is 'to reach perfection'. Believing in Jesus for salvation is the starting point, not the end point of faith. Of course, it is true that by accepting Jesus, his name was written in the book of life, and he became a child of God. Then, is that the end of the work of faith? no. From now on, we are moving forward in the process of sanctification. You have been 'justified' by the grace of Jesus, but you are not actually righteous. Therefore, the saved saints must constantly strive to attain perfection. That's called sanctification. All of our faith lives can be said to be the process of sanctification. A life of continuously throwing off old things, putting on new clothes every day, throwing away the lusts of the flesh and worldly hearts and becoming more like the Lord--that is sanctification. What does this process of sanctification consist of? It is done through learning and training. You cannot mature and grow without learning and training.
It is said in Ephesians
Let us all become one in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God
made a perfect man, to the full measure of the stature of the stature of Christ.
for we are no longer children,
lest he be tossed and tossed by every wind of doctrine, succumbing to the tricks of men and deceitful temptations.
But speaking the truth in love, you may grow up into him in all things.
He is the head, the Christ. 4:13-15
When believing and knowing become one, you become a perfect person. To believe is to confess. 'I believe in God. From now on, I will live according to the word of God.' But what do you know? It comes from learning. If you confess that you will live according to the Word of God, but do not learn the Word of God, how will you live by it? If you don't know what the church is, how can you live the church life right? If you don't learn how to live your life of faith, how can you achieve a perfect life of faith? That's why He said, 'Faith and knowledge become one and make up the perfect man.' When we do this, we are saying that we will be freed from childish faith, 'to the full measure of the fullness of Christ'.
In God's stern command to the people of Israel who started a new life after leaving Egypt, it is said that they should have such a constant study of faith.
Therefore, put these words of mine in your hearts and minds,
And put it on your wrists as a sign, and put it between your foreheads as a mark, Deuteronomy 11:18
He tells us to keep the word of God endlessly in our hearts, and even tie it on our wrist and put it between our foreheads. The forehead refers to the forehead, and the forehead symbolizes thinking. It is a message to remember the Word when you work, to reflect on the Word when you are resting, and to put the Word into everything you think about.
Then he told them to teach them to their children.
And teach it to your children, and when you sit at home,
When walking on the road, when lying down, and when getting up, preach these words, Deuteronomy 11:19
People today teach "study well", "become first", and "climb to a high position", but not "live right" or "be honest." For knowledge, we do not teach the wisdom to use that knowledge correctly while being passionate about it, from a dance academy to taekwondo, piano and computer, and an entrance exam academy. God, the source of knowledge and wisdom, is not interested.
There are words that satirize today's education. 'There is a teacher, but there is no teacher.' 'There is a school, but no education.' 'There are students, but there are no humans.' In a word, today's education is dehumanization education, education without human beings, and education without God. Humanoids that arise from such education are called 'secular people' or 'technical people'. In these humanoids, only skills and skills are the measure of their value, but meeting, conversation, and love are meaningless.
There has never been a time when it was an academy or private tutoring like these days. However, the answer to the reason is very difficult.
--- Why are you studying? to gain knowledge. What do you do with gaining knowledge? to go to a good school. What do you do when you go to a good school? to get a good job. What do you do when you get a good job? to live well. What is living well? There is no clear answer here.----
In response to this fisherman's answer, the Americans laugh at him. 'I'm from Harvard, and I can help you if you want. If you increase your fishing time, you can buy a bigger boat with the profit from the machine, and the profit from the big boat can buy several boats for the first time, and eventually you will make a fishing fleet and become very rich. That way, you might be able to get out of this little fishing village and go out into the city and run a big business.'
'How long will it take?' 'It will take 15 to 20 years.' 'And then?'
'By expanding my business and earning about a million dollars, I can retire and go to a small fishing village, oversleep, play with the kids, go for a walk with my wife, drink fine wine with friends and play the guitar.'
After listening to the Americans, the fisherman smiles and says:
'I'm already enjoying it all now.'
I'm not talking about everyone living in poverty or wanting to sit back and play around. This story may not be realistic. It's not even a real thing. It's just about having the right purpose in life. It is to understand the true meaning of education.
Athletes train for decades to shorten 0.1 seconds. A scholar sacrifices everything else to study to become a scholar. An artist polishes his life to leave a masterpiece. However, the believers are too indifferent to the study of the Word and the exercise of faith because they view faith too mystical or experiential.
Fertilization is not required for plants to germinate. All you need is a minimum amount of water and temperature. But in order to grow and bear fruit, you need to fertilize it. In order to enter the faith for the first time, the feeling of experience or emotion is important. Because without it, human stubbornness is not broken. However, in order for faith to grow after it sprouts, you must be zealous in reading, studying, and training the Word. That is the fertilizer for faith.
We need to reflect on the deep meaning of today's Christian Education Promotion Sunday. By educating children, not only nurture them to be good Christians, but also learn and master them yourself. So, I pray in the name of the Lord that the roots of that faith will deepen and expand and become a blessed faith for you.
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