GOD’S
ultimate purpose
for education is to
prepare students to live a life that glori-
fies God. Key goals of education based
on a biblical worldview must be pursued
in the home, church, and school. One of
these key goals is that education must
lead to transformed lives.
Consider Paul’s challenge in Romans: “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). Paul warns believers not to
be conformed to this world. Instead, Christians
are to live transformed lives.
Transformation is not a minor change in one’s
lifestyle. It can be compared to the changing of a
caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly. In his 1828
dictionary, Noah Webster defines transforma-
tion as “a change of heart in man, by which his
disposition and temper are conformed to the divine
image; a change from enmity to holiness and love.”
From Romans 12:2, one sees that this type of
change only happens when there is a complete
renewing of the mind. This verse also tells us why
God wants every Christian to be transformed
through the renewing of the mind: so that every
believer can know God’s will for their life. A
person can only know and discern God’s will if
his mind is not conformed to worldly or secular
thinking. However, all people are born with a sin
nature, which means that our minds are naturally
filled with carnal thoughts that are in line with
the world’s way of thinking and acting. Our natu-
ral minds must be thoroughly made new so that
we will think and act from a biblical worldview
perspective. This must be one of the main goals
of the education we give our children and youth
in the home, church, and school.
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