Sa Lahat ng mga Parents at Nangangarap Maging Parents: Reviewing Mohler's HOW NOT TO RAISE A PAGAN

This exposition of Deuteronomy 6 was delivered by the SBTS president to students of another seminary, SEBTS. Albert Mohler, being an expert on cultural and contemporary issues begins with a lament that by the time American students leave high school, they also leave the Christian home. And when they do, they manifest that they think not as Christians but as pagans.

He also observes that the media repaganizes not just the culture but the church as well. What is happening in the church is similar to Israel's experience of paganization-- that is when they imitated their pagan neighbors in religious practices such as idol worship .

Mohler reminds us that since the family is God's gift, it must be ordered with biblical priorities. And if we will not heed the word of the Lord, we would raise pagans by default.

From Deut. 6, he draws three points:
1. Doctrine
2. Diligence
3. Discipline

1. DOCTRINE- Deut 6:7 "and you must teach them to your children" (ESV)
The first priority for parents who do not want to raise pagans. The particular mode of teaching in view here is Didactive teaching-- one that has doctrinal content. The Shema of verse 4 is not just a declaration of monotheism but a declaration of monotheism as a matter of allegiance to draw them away from the gods of their pagan neighbors.

2. DILIGENCE- Deut 6:7-9 "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

Biblical teaching for our children is not a once a year thing (Vacation Bible School); it is not a once-a-week thing (Sunday School). Parents should make the most of every oppurtunity to tech their children. If parents will not be diligent, other voices (TV, Internet, friends) will teach them.

3. DISCIPLINE- Deut 6:24 "And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day."
We must teach our children that violation of biblical teaching requires punishment.

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Other interesting things Mohler brought up is are:
i. the trans generational responsibility of a Patriach- a father must not not stop with his wife, children and grandchildren. Rather, they must look forward for the generations to come. If we will get it wrong in this generation, there will be devastating consequences for the generations that follow.

ii. When we will live differently from our non-Christian neighbors, our children will eventually ask why. We should tell them that we are different because we are a people that belongs to someone. We have been redeemed. He will judge our neighbors but we will be spared-- not because we are better than them but because we are saved by grace.

You can find the video here.
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