8/12/2019 1991 Issue 4 - The Lordship Series: Westminster Christian Academy - Counsel of Chalcedon

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Westminster Christian Academy

Go

therefore andmake

disciples

ofallthe

nations, baptizing

them in

the

name

o

he Fl1therand ojthe

Son

and of he Holy

Spirit, teaching themto obserVe all things thatl

have

commanded

you;

and /0, am with you always,

even to the

end of

the

age

(Matthew 28:19,20).

There

are

few

passages

ofScriPture more

familiar to Christians

than

these

words of our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

recorded in the 28th

chlipter

of

Matthew. n our age,

in fact, they

are

perhaps

too

f3nillia't. They are

so

faniiliar that many who claim

to

follow

Cliristiiaveforgotten their

significance,

weakened

their impact,

andmuTOwedtheirscope.20theenlury

seeks,

by the grace

ofGod,

to obey thelaw ofChrist Jesus taught

that

the true test

of

love

for

Him was

obedience to

Ins

commandments (John 14:15,21). Defined this way, adisciple is

one who has

been

btoughtunder the discipline

of

God's law.

A

discipled

nation is thereforeone which

self-consciously seeks

to

follow

God

s

law

.

n the minds of most

Christians

in oiJrage, the thoughttliat

natious

will one day follow

Christ

is oIily

an

imposs:tble dream.

How

is

this

seemingly

impossible

task

ofbringingentirenatious

underthedisciplineofGod slaw

tobeaccomp1isl ed?

OurLOrd

Jesus has provided the answer

in

the text of the

Commission

itself. The

primary

tool in the

disciplingoffuenationsiseducation.

vangclicalism'

has lost sight of the

greatness of Christ s Great

Conuilission.

To most Christians of

the

1990 s,

the scope

of

the

Great

Commission

has reduced from

t ul

glorious task of

bringing

entire

natious into subjection to Jesus

Orrist

to

the

futile task

of

an

evangelical

mandlite doomed

to

failure.

Westminster Christian

cademy operates on

the

premise that

there can e

o

certainty n knowledge

The purpose of Westminster

ChristiauAcadetily's

existence

is

to

fulfill

Christ's Great

Cointnissiou.

The Academy's goal is

to

train up

the next generation of leaders to

think God s thoughis

after Ifim

and

equiptbem

t6applybiblicalsofurlOOs

to all the problems mali.

faces.

Westminster

Academy operates on

th

e

preruisethatthereisnoneutra ity

in

any discipline. Every

subject

is

tauglit

from a

biblically

informed

hemt task God gave

mankind

was

to exercise

a

godly doininion over

the

earth (Genesis 1:2(}:31). Although

mankind s Fall

into

sin made

this

mandate impossible for

man in his

outside

o

saving

relationship with Jesus

Christ. Universal

laws

o

logic, science, and morality

are

impossible outside

Christian

world

view.

fallen condition to complete, the transforming power of the

gospel

of

Jesus Christ

has made Christians new creatures in

christ(II

Cor. 5:17). As

new

creatures,men are enabled

through

tIie power of the gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit,

to

complete the original

Doruiuion

Mandate.

Christ's Great

ConuiIission to disciple (discipline) the

natious under

God

s aw

is therefore nothing

less tha i a post-fall

restatement of

God's

original

command to

subdue the earth

Although the20tJ:t

century(lrotch

has reduced Christ's

Great

CXJmn1ission

to

snatching afew

SouIsoutof

every nation, Christ

hail cOlIlllli.$sioned the ChurcII

to

aCcomplish much more.

He

hasCOlilma lded A disciple

ofChrist is afollow erofChrist. is one who

28 The CliiJnselofCbalcedon May

1991

paintofview,noisimply

as

war)ned

over

secular

education baptized with

Christian

teni1inology.

Instory, for

example,

is presented

as

the unfolding of God's

purposes in

time,

not as a serieS of random events. Biology,

likewise, cannot be understOod apart from the understanding

that the

complexity

of life is derived from a sovereign creator

who has a purpose foc every life-form. Even mathematics is

taught

from

a Christian

perspective

. Mathematics

can

be

reliable ouly

because our

God

is a logical God who has set the

universe on the foundation of

lls

IlIichanging law. Since Jesus

Christ

is buth incarnate (John 14:6), VleslininsterChristian

Academy (J{CA) operates on the

preruise

that there can be

no

certainty

in

knowledge outsideru a saving relationsl1ip with

Jesus

Christ.

Universal

laws

bflogic

,sCience, aild

morality

are

impossible outside a Christiaii

wotld

and

life

View.

8/12/2019 1991 Issue 4 - The Lordship Series: Westminster Christian Academy - Counsel of Chalcedon

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Since God's law affects every academic discipline, the staff

andfacwtyofCWCA)understandthatneutra1ityisimpossible.

Academic neutrality is a myth. Every discipline will

be

taught

from a theistic

or

humanistic point

of

view. Jesus said,

no

servant can serve two masters

(Luke 16: 13).

It

is likewise

impossible to serve two intellectual masters. Either God nd

His

Law/Word will form the

foundation

of

human

understandingormanwill construct his ownillogica1standards

of truth, justice, and morali ty. TIlls is hardly a

new

concept.

Centuries ago, St. Anselm posited: "I believe in order to

understand." Anselm understood the nature

of

truth. He

understood that

in

order to understand the universe, one must

first know the God of the universe. Anselm's axiom was

opposed by thehumanisticpremise

of

he philosopher Descartes

who

mad

the statement:

I

think, therefore 1 am." Anselm and

Descartes have summarized the basic antithesis between

public education and Christian education.

WCA

is founded

upon the premise that the Bible has the answers to all the

problems

of

life and

man

must first know God before he can

adequately understand the universe.

Only

by

developing a biblically based Christian world and life

view in the next generat ion

of

Christians, will the Church

of

Jesus Christ be able to fulfill the Great Commission

of her

Lord. WCA is commitred to fulfilling our

Lord's

Great

Commission through educating the next generation to think

God's

thoughts after Him. Only when

men

and women

understand God,

God's

word, and God's universe will they

be

eqnippedto fulfill Christ's Commission. Therefore, anessential

part of the cunicwum

ofWCA

is Bible

and

theology. High

School students are challenged to be thinking Christians

through courses

such

as Christian

Ethics and

Biblical

Apologetics. n these courses, students obtain a

much

needed

epistemological foundation (i.e., knowing what and why they

believe) to their Christ ian faith as well

as

learn

how

to defend

Christianity against humanistic systems of thought.

They Said it

Cowdn't

Be Done

With men it

is

impossible, butnot with

God forwith God

all

things are possible. (Mark 10:27).

"Impossible," the 'exper ts' said. "Establish a Christian school

with a Reformed emphasis by a tiny Church

in an

area which

is 80% Roman Catholic and suffering severe economic

difficulties?

t

cannot

be

done ", the pundits chortled.

Ned and Valerie Rutland were not concerned with statistics

and demographics. They were willing to try something that

was doomed to failure unless

God's

hand was

in

it.

Ned

Rutland, pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church from

1977 to 1989, had the vision to establish a ministry which

would serve

both

Christ and the community.

The

First

Presbyterian Church Preschool was founded in 1978 with 30

students. Since that time, the school not only has survived, it

has thrived From those humble beginnings 12

years

ago,

the

school has grown to 500 students from K -3 through 12th

grade.

The

success

which

God

has

blessed

the

Academy

has

translated into

blessing for

the

community

at

large

Christian

Education, with the strong

emphasis on

diligent work

habits and thrift has

already had great impact

on

the

community.

By establishing aquality program withhighacademicstandards

and tight discipline, (sorely lacking in most area public and

private schools),

WCA

also serves many

Roman

Catholic

students

WCA

strives for cooperation with others

in

the

BodyofChrist without compromising the distinctive Reformed

(biblical) world and life view

upon

which the Academy is

founded. The success which God has blessed the Academy

has translated into a blessing for the community at large.

Several local employers have observed superior

work

habits

and greater ability to assume responsibility from Westminster

students. Christian Education, with the strong emphasis

on

diligent work habits and thrift has already had a great impact

on

the community. TIlls is

just

one

of

many examplesof how

a Westminster education has improved students'lives as they

prepare to be productive citizens.

Westminster also seeks,

under

the blessing of

God's

grace, to

effect eternal changes

in her

students.

The

faculty and staff are

dedicated to shining forth Jesus Christ in he classroom. Since

her

inception, the spiritually rich education offered

at

Westminster has changed the lives of

her

students through the

teaching

of

the gospel and biblical morals to students who

would never have

been

exposed to the Scriptures had there not

been a WCA. Indeed, nothing is impossible with God.

May 1991 The Counsel of Cha\cedon

9

8/12/2019 1991 Issue 4 - The Lordship Series: Westminster Christian Academy - Counsel of Chalcedon

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The Value of Wisdom

Receivemy instruction and not silver,

ana

know/edge rather

than choice

gold;jor'wisdomisbeiter

than

rUbies,

and

all

the

things One m y desire cannot

be

compared with

her...

.

Every day

over 300 families

in South Louisiana

demonstrate

that they value wisdom

for

their children over even "choice

gold"

by Sending

'

SOO

children to

WCA.Westminstet

was

establishedwlththe purpose of teaching

God s

wisdom to

ybungpeople in

the Acadiana

area of

South Louisiana

through

a h r i s t ~ c e n i e r e d

and

academically

superior

education.

The

key to success at Westminster is multifaceted. The

dediC atlOJl of Rev. Ned

Rutland

and

his wife

Valerie

(the

sChool's

first administrator), provided the

foundation for a

successfuiorgauization. T h e ~ a d e m y e n j o y s

almostunanimous

SUPP

8/12/2019 1991 Issue 4 - The Lordship Series: Westminster Christian Academy - Counsel of Chalcedon

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Because the leaders of WCA believe Christian education is

vitaIforeverychild,plansareinthemakingtoestablishsatellite

campuses in surrounding towns

which will

function as

elementary feeder

schools inlD

the

main campus High School.

TheLafayettecampushas

already beenmentioned.

AOrristian

School

in

the nearby IDwn

of

Ville Platte has recently merged

Westtninster,

providedtheAcademy ssecondsatellitecampus.

Feasibility

studies are

currently being

considered

for

other

nearby localities.

WCA believes

in

attempting great things

for

the

Lord. The

staff,

faculty, administration,

Board

of

DirecIDrs,

and Church

session

nonetheless

understaod the

truth that unless the Lord

builds

the house, they labor in vain who build if (ps

.

127:1).

All who

areinvolvedwiththeministryofWestminster Orristian

Academy are careful 1

give

ll

the

praise 1 the Almighty .

They

also

understaod

that

nothing is impossible

with God

(Matt. 19:

26).

f

God,

in

His

graciOUS providence

continues 1 bless, the

accomplishments

of

an

Academy

committed first

andforemost

to be faithful to

God's

covenant will continue 1 grow. To

accomplish Orrist'sGreat Commissionto disciple

the

nations,

WCAhasmanylongrangeplans. SomeoftlwseplansincJude

Westminster

Publications, which

will develop and publish

ChristianSchool curricola withaBiblical

World

View emphasis.

Other

possible fu1Dre

plans include the establishment

of a

rninority

scholarship program 10help underprivileged children

in the areapay

for

aCbristianEducation,aboarding

school,

and

the

founding of

Westminster

Christian

College. Yes, these are

great

plans. t

must be remembered, however, that we serve

a

great

God , a

God who owns the

cattle on a thousand hills (ps .

50:10),

a

God

whose

resoun:es

never run

out God will

use

schools

like

Westminster 1 accomplish

thatgreat

prophecy

of

Isaiah. In a

small

way, GodisalreadyusingWCAaspartofHis

instrument to

fill

the earth with

His knowledge

as the waters

cover the sea . n

Join us in

the

Worship

of God

Chalcedon

Presbyterian

Church

7901 Roberts Rd.

Dunwoody,

a

Sunday

10:30AM 6PM

Fourie, The

Ninth Commandment,

contiued

We are

required by the ninth commandment to be r true

witness

concerning

God and

man

and

even our enemies

nd

Satan.

To ascribe 1

Satao

the

power

that belongs only to

od

is 1 witness

falsely.

To witness truly is to promote the well

being of our society

nd

a godly law-order in which nothing,

neither good nor evil, will be exaggerated or concealed.

Unless

truth

as defined by the

Bible

is

upheld and preserved,

our society

will perish in

a revolution of falsehood which

promises a uIDpia beyond

good

and evil.

Withholding Truth

We are under an

obligation

to tell the truth in

all

normal

circumstaoces. Thatis the duty implied inthis commandment

However, we learn from Scriptnre that in a fallen world there

are occasions when

truth-telling

will

actually bring injury or

death to the people of God. Such times would be in

the

face

ofswom

enemies

of

God

, who, given the truth, would use it

to

further their own evil purposes. In the real world, poetic

justice is a

fallacy and

it cannot beheld that

by

telling the truth

to an

enemy,

for example, by revealing the hiding place

of

he

Israelite spies in Jericho,

God will

bless the truth-telling and

intelVene to

prevent

any

hann. To expect this of God would

be to

test

Him and

it

is

forbidden

to

do that (Deuteronomy

6: 16). To give

the

truth to an enemy bent on the destruction

of

the

truth is to be a party 10 that evil action. In the case of

Rahab

it was a choice between being a party to the killing of

the Israelite spies ortellingalie to throw the menofJericho off

thescent Nowheredoesscriptnrecondemnheraction.

Infact

shebecameamotherinthegenealogica1lineofourLordJesns

Quist

(Matthew 1:5). Similarly, theEgyptianmidwives,who

lied

about the

reasons

for their failure

to

destroy the male

babies

of the

Hebrew

women because they feared God more

th n

Pharaoh,

are nowhere

condemned. Oearly, a raging

enemy

of God

is

not entitled to

the

truth. Furthermore, our

obligation

to

tell the truth in

DOrmal

circumstances does not

mean that private

matters,

which

are

of no concern to others,

must be divulged.

Falsehood and ''Freedom' '

We

are all

witnesses of a universe

of

God-created and God

ordered

facts.

InGod's crea ioneverything speaks

of

Him. A

true

witness

acknowledges

this but

afalse witness rebelliously

suppresses it

Insteadofsubmittingtotheinterpretationwhich

God

gives

to

everything, he

exaltshismind above God's word

to

a positionoffalse independence . Ifhis interpretation,

at

any

point, is

in hannony

with

the truth, he

does

not acknowledge

May 1991 The Counsel of Chalcedon 31