not make his decision for him. We would simply help him examine
all the important data.
(^) Remaining accessible to instruction is only part of adherence to
parental instruction. There is also another important constituent.
Adherence to parental instruction also requires retaining the structure
of truth in which you have been taught. It means learning to live and
work within the framework of truth in which you have received
instruction.
(^) Aaron was a good example of this. His high school English class
was doing a values clarification exercise. An ethical dilemma was
posed to demonstrate the relativity of values and the brittle nature of
the values the students thought were solid. The teacher posed the
ethical dilemma and opened the class discussion. After the class had
become completely skewed on the horns of the ethical dilemma,
Aaron offered his suggestion. His suggestion resolved the conflict.
Guided by parental instruction, he offered a biblical solution that left
the teacher speechless. “Aaron, that’s an excellent solution,” she
murmured. “Your solution was better than the ones offered in the
book.”
(^) Aaron was helped by adherence to parental instruction.
Unhampered by the valueless intellectual climate of our era, he was
able to demystify the dilemma. A child furnished with biblical
instruction has a firm footing in an academic climate where even the
teacher is lost in a sea of no principles or absolutes (see Psalm
119:99–100).
Contexts for Parental Instruction
(^) The primary context for parental instruction is set forth in
Deuteronomy 6. It is the ordinary context of daily living. Your
children see the power of a life of faith as they see you living it. You
do not need to be perfect; you simply need to be people of integrity
who are living life in the rich, robust truth of the Word of God.