Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 10 (1895)

Ms 50, 1895

True Education

1895

Formerly Undated Ms 77. See Ms 76, 1897. Portions of this manuscript are published in OHC 209.

Education as conducted in the schools of today is of a one-sided character. We are the purchase of the Son of God, and every individual should have wise teachers. No one can be a true educator of God’s purchased possession unless he is daily learning in the schools of Christ. Many crowd lessons upon their students in an indiscriminate way; they oblige their pupils to learn a mass of distasteful things that they will never use. They cannot digest the food which their instructors force upon their mind. Useless knowledge involves a loss of time and means. The mind is to be carefully and wisely cultivated to dwell upon Bible truth. What shall I do to glorify God, whose I am by creation and redemption, is the main point of education. 10LtMs, Ms 50, 1895, par. 1

Every educator is responsible to God, and should deal with those entrusted to his care in a wise way, impressing him with the fact that he must use his attainments to glorify God. When acquired, if knowledge is not wholly sanctified, self will be worshipped, and the glory of Christ will be eclipsed. Self must retire into its own insignificance in order that the Sun of Righteousness may rise upon believing souls who make Christ their all in all. Isaiah says of Christ, “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.” [Isaiah 9:6, 7.] 10LtMs, Ms 50, 1895, par. 2

What a foundation is laid for our faith in all ages! When Christ ascended into the heavens, He ascended as our Advocate, and we have a friend at court. He has sent His representative, the Holy Spirit, and will give divine anointing to all who believe in Jesus Christ. The plan of salvation is the great theme that underlines all true, sanctified education. It is to be the theme of our conversation. All idle, cheap, common talk is to be cleansed from our lips. Levity, jesting and joking is an evidence that the soul temple is unsanctified and unholy. We are now to understand the science of true education. “This is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.” [John 17:3.] Shall we not educate in these lines? The everlasting Father has given His only begotten Son, and by so doing has opened a channel by which inexhaustible treasures may come to the world. All who come unto Christ may have everlasting life. This sacred food is to satisfy the soul hunger. Filled with the bread of life, we cannot hunger for earthly attractions, worldly excitements, and earthly grandeur. Our religious experience will be of the same order as the food upon which we feed. The Lord’s anointing was upon Jesus Christ. He says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. ... To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the fruit of heaviness; that they might be called ...” [See Luke 4:18; Isaiah 61:3.] [Remainder missing.] 10LtMs, Ms 50, 1895, par. 3