The School of Life

The School of Life

No. 3

Shelby G. Floyd

This is the time of the year when young people begin to think about going back to school. Let us capitalize on this thought and apply it to the Christian life.

From the beginning to the end the Christian life is like a school. In the great commission Jesus commanded his people to go out and “make disciples” out of all the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). “Make disciples” is from [matheteuo--maqhteuw], and means “to make a disciple; to teach, instruct” (J. H. Thayer, p.386). Therefore, we are to be teachers and pupils under the master-teacher Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the Master Teacher in the School of Life. He is eminently qualified for this work. He knows and understands all of his students. He knows their problems. And he is sympathetic in his attitude in helping his students to solve their problems. He knows all of the subject matter that is to be taught and that is simply “the will of God His Father.” He also sets the right example, and therefore in him his students find inspiration and motivation to live properly.

The secret of learning in this school as in all schools is to teach much, ask much, remember much and do much!

The School of Life perhaps is best summarized by the statement of David,

Psalms 143:10

Teach me to do Your will,

For you are my God;

Your Spirit is good.

Lead me in the land of uprightness

NKJV

David was a great student in this school, because for the most part he excelled and earned the mark as “a man after God’s own heart.”

In the School of Life the Bible is our textbook. This textbook is all sufficient and perfect and complete for every good work throughout our life (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3). In this sacred volume of the Holy Scriptures we will find every course of study needed in the journey of life.

Dear reader, thank you for enrolling in the School of Life. Thus far we have been disciplined in the schools of Grammar, Psychology, Arithmetic, Language, and Biology. We are nearing the completion of our instruction from the Master Teacher—Jesus Christ and his staff of apostles and prophets. So, with that thought in mind let us examine the last three branches of learning that are usually found in schools, colleges and universities of learning.

Geography

Now, we will enroll in the geography class. Knowledge of this discipline will help us as we travel over the unknown road of life. Geography is the science that describes the earth’s surface, continents, kingdoms, oceans, rivers etc.

Kingdom

The Bible speaks of Christians receiving a kingdom (Hebrews 12:28). We are to seek this spiritual kingdom and its righteous rule with the top priority in our life (Matthew 6:33). It is a kingdom of joy and peace and righteousness in the Spirit of God (Romans 14:17).

Mountain

Faith is the conviction of things hoped for, built upon the evidence of things unseen (Hebrews 11:1). Without faith we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6). Jesus challenged his disciples to develop mountain moving faith:

Luke 17:5-6

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"

He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.

NIV

And in theory someone might have such a strong faith that they could remove mountains both literal and figurative, but without love it would be nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2). Let us all have that “mountain moving faith!”

River

The earth is covered with mighty rivers and rivers small. In America most of our cities and towns were built near major rivers—such as Indianapolis, Louisville, and St. Louis. This was because rivers are sources of life. They must be kept pure for food and drink.

The Bible speaks of a pure river of life:

Revelation 22:1-2

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

NIV

This heavenly river will be the source of the tree of life, issuing forth from the very throne of God.

Astronomy

Our next college in the school of life is the study of astronomy—the science that treats the magnitudes, motions, and constitutions of celestial bodies.

We do not want to keep the special day set aside for atheists and infidels—April Fool’s Day! The Royal Bard of Israel said,

Psalms 14:1

The fool says in his heart,
"There is no God."

NIV

Psalms 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands

NIV

Theists are wise because we have learned in true astronomy that the invisible things of God—His eternal power and Godhead that we cannot see, can be understood by the things that are made—the physical universe that we can see (Romans 1:20).

Sociology

Studies in the University of Life would not be complete without spending some time in that branch of science styled sociology. This study treats human relations.

Forgive

The Bible reveals how we should treat and live with one another. We must learn to have a forgiving spirit like our heavenly Father who forgives us, since we are imperfect and often mess up (Matthew 6:14-15).

Judge Not

In order to have good relations with our fellow human beings, we must not cultivate a captious, carping, caviling and judgmental attitude. Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:1-2).

This does not mean that we should never make any judgments concerning the sinful actions of some in the church. Paul commanded the church to judge the man guilty of immorality at Corinth (1 Corinthians 5:3-5, 12). When this is done with “due process,” and not just based on “prima-facie” evidence—evidence of the first glance, it is not our judgment, but God’s. But overall, we should leave the judging matter up to God—he is the heart-knower and we are not.

Golden Rule

In a nutshell, we are to be like the Good Samaritan in our relations with all races—going about doing good and not ill (Luke 10:30-37). That is how we are a good neighbor. Jesus summed up our proper human relations when he said,

Matthew 7:12

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

NIV

The Final Exam

After the period of schooling and discipline is completed, the student is called before The Great Teacher for the final test. This final test is at the Judgment Day:

Romans 14:10-12

You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written:
“‘as surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.' “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

NIV

We cannot take this test for anyone else, neither can they for us. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Not one of us can judge who should pass and who should fail. Those who pass the test based on the blood of Christ and the grace of God will graduate and be promoted to a richer, fuller and better life:

Revelation 7:13-17

Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”
And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”
So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

NKJV

What joy, what exhilaration, what peace, what gratitude, what thanksgiving, what praise, what glory, what love, when we hear the Master say, “‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’”