This is such a good and timely post – especially with home school starting. I tend to get all wrapped up in my goals for the year as far as academics or activities go – but your post reminds me of what God’s word says.

Luke 16:15 Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

As for being saved…

John 3:3
Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

1 Peter 1:3
Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath BEGOTTEN US again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

and then…

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 1Peter 2:2

I believe that if you truly are born again you will want God’s word.

Excellent post! I agree with your comments, too.

I think one area that needs to be noted in homeschooling circles is that there is also a “homeschooling culture” that we need to constantly be sifting through the Word of God. Just because you homeschool, doesn’t make everything “safe” that is marketed to you and your family. I am afraid there are even those who equate homeschooling with a kind of salvation or holiness!

I always us a quote when I begin to waver on why I am doing such and such. The quote:
“In the absence of biblical conviction, you go the way of culture.” (There are a lot of subcultures within the big frame of things, huh!?)
In all we do as homeschooling parents, we must check out the latest homeschooling/educational fads, family activities and reading material. As you exhorted Kelly, “A true Christ-follower will take the words of Scripture and apply them to all areas of life. Following Christ changes everything we do. Our perspective, our goals, our methods, our decisions.”

I don’t know. I’ve thought a lot about it, and I’m not sure it can’t be both. I’ve seen/heard of people who were instantly transformed in a one-time “event” of salvation, when the scales just fell off their eyes and they surrendered in a moment.

I think these examples are why many evangelists work to evoke a “response”…but I don’t think a genuine response has to do with man’s working, and I certainly think there is a huge danger when that work involves an emotional charge to increase said response. I believe even in the singular event of salvation, only God can call a heart. All other responses are empty, and IMO, deceptive. (Perhaps the parable of the sower could best explain that???)

But I also believe salvation is progressive in many lives, especially in children who grow up in a Christian home and just always know, believe and love the Lord. (I am reformed, and our theology is often misunderstood–so I won’t go into it all here.) We are instructed to raise them as believers, not wait until a profession of faith, but trust God’s work of salvation in their hearts. Scripture shows evidence that children of believers belong to the *church*, and are a part of God’s covenant body, even before evidence of salvation. (“For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.” 1 Cor. 7:14) And in the OT…children were circumcised as a sign that they belonged to the covenant, (“and the promise of God shall be to you and your children) and parents raised them as such until/unless they broke covenant. (Belonging to the covenant doesn’t make them *saved* as children, salvation must come as a work of the heart through God’s wooing alone.)

Scripture doesn’t say anything about praying a prayer, unless you consider the verse “What must I do to be saved? Confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thy heart that God has raised him from the dead and thou shalt be saved”.

But the conditions for salvation (believing) doesn’t necessarily have to happen in one event. Furthermore, the *evidence* for salvation is not “a date” or event. It is obedience to Jesus’ commandments (If you love Me…), and the fruit of a life.

It does seem we’ve made up our own definitions about what makes a Christian. I was in a service once where the pastor said “if you can’t name the date your were saved, you better question your salvation”. Yikes!!!

I agree…education came to mind also as I wrote this–so many idols in this day.