When a Christian goes to College

Before the industrialization era, families were living together as joint societies. Children would learn the tradecraft from their fathers and most often they didn't move away from them until they were married. But the situation has changed now. We live in a different society where we have to do higher education to get into a vocation. And most of the time, we will have to send our children to a place which is away from their home. This can be challenging both for parents and their children.

After finishing my schooling, when I joined the college for higher studies, I had lot of challenges for which I was not at all prepared. It took almost a year for me to get used to the new environment. Here I would like to give some insights from Scripture which I think would be useful for those joining colleges away from home.

1. God is still with you even when are on your own:

"There is none holy like the LORD; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.
(1Sa 2:2)

You are now separated from your parents and your loved ones physically. Atleast now we have telephones and Skype, so you can keep in touch with them. But still, the only person who is with you is God. He is Sovereign, omniscient and all knowing who is willing to help you when you are in need. His mercy endures forever. And His steadfast love never changes. God has put this test upon you to know whether you can still worship the Lord and walk in His ways like how you used to do when you were at home. Remember that we worship the God who also faced wilderness and loneliness (Mat 4) yet was without sinful. So you will never be on your own if you are a child of God because He will never let anyone take you away from Him.

2. Culture Shock:

But Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good."
(Jos 24:19-20)

God brought Israel after 400 years of slavery in Egypt and 40 years in wilderness, into the Promised Land.  Israelites are now faced with a culture which is way different than what they have seen so far. Thus God gives this warning so that they would be holy and righteous in this new culture. Likewise, you will be exposed to a culture which may be different from what you have been brought up. You may be different from the peers who are there. They may lure you to do the ‘cool’ things in college. I am not saying we should never adopt other cultures. But rather, Christians should be discerning what is right from wrong. Let this verse be a guide to decide good from bad:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
(Php 4:8)

3.Clash of the Worldviews:

Whoever is not with me (Christ) is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
(Mat 12:30)

You will be faced by people from different faith, different beliefs and different worldview. Your friends may believe in other gods. Your college professor may teach evolution and claim that to be the pinnacle of truth. You may be mocked by others for your faith. But there is only one truth in this world and that truth is revealed in the Scripture (John 17:17). All the other worldviews other than the Biblical worldview, are self contradictory and are all false. They may try to deceive you by giving ‘scientific’ evidence etc, but if you logically analyse their arguments, it will be fallacious. So remember what Paul had said to Timothy:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
(2Ti 3:14-15)

4. Friends:

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
(Pro 13:20)

You will have to be wise in choosing your friends. I had studied in a college in India where most of the students were from Christian background. Some of them were from devout Christian families. But as they come to college, they get in touch with foolish friends and wreck their lives. You may think that you can exert moral restraint while hanging out with your immoral friends but it will wreck your Spiritual life because we are also sinfully depraved and we should try to avoid temptations at all cost. Remember this verse: Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
(2Co 6:14)

5. Preach the gospel:

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
(2Ti 4:2)

College is where you will get to spend a lot of time with people of different faith for a long time. You can get to know about each and everyone and help them out of their problems through the guidance of Scripture. You can share your faith with them and discuss in detail about the gospel of Christ. Use this time for advancing the kingdom of God.

6. Personal unaided devotion of God’s Word and prayer:

One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. (Psa 27:4)

You may not have to go for all the fellowships, worships, group prayers and bible studies in the college if you are busy. But you should never skip your personal devotion to God. This would be difficult for you because most of the time your friends and roommates would be hanging with you in your hostels. Jesus Christ, while He was in the world, always spent time with the Father in prayers and fasting in the wilderness alone without His disciples. Likewise we should spend our time with God in loneliness with our personal meditation on Scriptures and prayers. Only then we would get the power of Holy Spirit to overcome the trials, temptations and persecutions which we would face.

These are some of the things which a Christian needs to remember while in college. You may not be the intelligent, famous guy of your college but remember this verse:

His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. (Psa 147:10-11)

Below is a 5 minute clip by a Creation Scientist who gives some practical guidance for Christians to survive in college with their faith intact:

If you have liked this, you can also read Students learn for the glory of God!

Television - An Addiction that makes us an Idiot

Let me define my terms first. What I mean by 'Television' is, the programs which we watch for entertainment like secular TV series, movies etc. I do not mean the instrument through which we see images and sounds transmitted from a distant place, nor do I mean the other constructive programs like documentaries, news etc. The term 'Addiction' according to Merriam-Webster means, 'An unusually great interest in something or a need to do or have something'. And the term 'Idiot' also synonymous with 'Simpleton' refers to someone 'who does not have a good sense or judgement'.

Television is addictive. We tend to have an unusual interest to see what's going to happen in the next episode of the series. While watching a movie, most of the time we forget to think of the things which are happening around us. Your ailing parents may need your help with their daily medicines or your wife may need your help in kitchen or your children may need your guidance for their project. But all these things vanishes when you are sitting in front of a television for a movie as if they don't exist. So it is an addiction.

Television makes us an idiot. Most of the time, the things which are considered abnormal or evil in real life, is portrayed as if it is 'heroic' or something which is great and admirable. We laugh at the 'hero' who mocks at the 'comedian' for his external appearance or his inefficiency, but in real life, if some does the same, we call such people as proud and arrogant. James Bond is considered to be cool for the stunts, but we may tend to give a soft corner for all the fornication which he does. So the things which are considered as sinful behavior are praised in secular movies. And we tend not to judge movies like how we judge in real life. Thus these secular programs makes us an idiot by definition.

Christians are called to walk by faith, not by sight (2Cor 5:7). Appearances are deceptive. Bible has many examples of people who had fallen into sin because trusted in their eyes not faith. Eve 'saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes' (Gen 3:6), and by trusting her own eyes more than the unchanging Word of God, she sinned. Lot 'lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord' (Gen 13:10) and went to Sodom and Gomorrah which became a snare for his life.

Let us be careful of what we watch. Our heart is deceptively wicked. And when we watch all these wicked things, our minds will be hijacked by the worldview which the TV portrays. And we may be deceived to believe them to be the truth by the visual 'treat' which we get for our eyes from them. And we can be tempted to make the lead character as an example to look for. That is the basis for all the fan clubs present behind the movie artists both in India and also in Hollywood.

Christians beware. Let us remember this verse: Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (Eph 5:15-16). We are not going to live in this earth forever, rather our days are counted (Psa 102:11). We have to be accountable to God for the precious time which the Lord has give to us. And God is going to reward us in heaven for all that we have done for Him in this earth. If we are exchanging this time in countless hours of movies and TV series with stupid, sinful secular worldview, then we are committing idolatry.

I am not saying we should not watch movies at all. We can watch them to get some idea of the worldview which the secular world propagates. Even that can be dangerous since Bible calls us 'to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil (Rom 16:19). If you are spending your entire time watching TV and thinking about the end of 'How I met your mother' , instead of prayer and bible study, then you should reconsider your walk with God.

Finally let me end with a question to my readers: Are you glad and happy by watching a movie rather than worshiping God? Is the duties of God a boring affair when compared to movies? Do you long to watch the new superhero movie than prayer and meditation of God's Word? Do you admire your favorite actor and his actions more than Christ and His sacrificial work on the cross? If your answer is yes, then you are an idolater. Repent and trust in Jesus and ask for His mercy to deliver from this addiction. God is gracious to hear our pleas and He is mighty to save.

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Internship for the glory of God

Every medical doctor in India, after finishing the undergraduate course, has to be posted under senior doctors of all fields over a period of one year in a medical college. This period of time is called Internship or Resident housemanship. This is one of the toughest path of the medical career. This can be demanding both physically and mentally. The physical work can be too much that at times it would be difficult to find time even to eat and sleep. But as a Christian, we have to honor God even in this season. Here are some of the things which I think would be helpful for all believers who are going through this period of trial.

1) God's glory comes first than food and sleep:

Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work. 

(Joh 4:34)

I know interns who are reading this, are going to say, 'How is that possible when finding time to eat and sleep is a luxury?' But as Christians, we should remember that our primary motive in everything we do is to glorify God. God is the one who has put you in this period. In the context of this passage, Jesus was hungry and thirsty physically yet He gave priority for the work of pleasing God's Will all the time by showing the way of salvation to the Samaritans there (John 4), more than His physical hunger for food (John 4:6). So even in this period of trial, we should glorify God. If you are weak and busy to find time for God, ask God for help in prayer, since He is the one who is providentially controlling everything in life even this season of time. And He will give you time to worship Him and read the Scriptures.

2) Still, food and rest are important:

If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy. 

(1Co 3:17)

Since Holy Spirit is dwelling with us in our body, it is our duty to take care of our body too. So even if you are having a lot of work to do in ward, still it is your duty to eat and sleep. One thing which I found it useful during internship was to prioritize the work and finish the work which is of top priority and if they are settled, eat quick frequent meals in between. And drink plenty of water. I used to drink tap water to quench my thirst in CMC if I was busy. Also remember that work will always be there no matter how much you try to complete it. So why destroy the temple of God for your never ending task?

3) Obey your masters: 

Slaves are to be under the control of their masters in all respects, giving them satisfaction, not talking back to them or stealing from them, but exhibiting complete good faith, so as to adorn the doctrine of God our savior in every way. 

(Tit 2:9-10)

Slaves, obey your human masters in everything, not only when being watched, as currying favor, but in simplicity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others, knowing that you will receive from the Lord the due payment of the inheritance; be slaves of the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will receive recompense for the wrong he committed, and there is no partiality. 

(Col 3:22-25)

Slaves, be obedient to your human masters with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ, not only when being watched, as currying favor, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, willingly serving the Lord and not human beings, knowing that each will be requited from the Lord for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free. 

(Eph 6:5-8)

Whether we are Interns or Professors, it is God who gives us our vocation. And the registrars and the consultants entrust the work on us with hope that we would complete it. So in order to please God, we have to obey the authorities above us. At times, these masters may be very unreasonable to us. They may be lazy, abusive, unreasonable or even clumsy but since God has put them above you, you have to obey them. They may make you to do the work of an attender like getting blood from blood bank, coffee for the department, getting the sample to the lab by yourself, etc. It may be insulting for you to do that after having passed one of the toughest exams in the world. Many of your co-interns may encourage you to rebel against doing such menial works. But remember that the blessing which you get should be from God. And if we obey God in all these things with humility, God will reward us. 

4) Humility:

So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. 

(1Pe 5:6)

Many a times people who are below you won't respect you. You may find difficult nurses, attenders who won't be cooperative. They may even insult you. They won't care that you are working without sleep. But be humble in all these remembering this verse above. Remember that God is always with you to help you even if no other coworker is with you. 

5) Honesty:

Christians should be honest in everything. You may be tempted to lie for the sake of ease at work. People will encourage you to bluff. But remember that it will not honor God. You might have forgotten to do the work which you ought to do. Accept your ignorance and the punishment for the same, rather than covering it up. From my personal experience, I have seen many registrars and consultants appreciating the interns who are honest, sincere and hard working. Your gold medal will not be of any value to them if you are dishonest and lazy.

6) Don't try to please men:

The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the LORD is safe. 

(Pro 29:25)

No matter how hard you work, no matter how efficient and honest you are, there will be some people who are not going to be happy with you. So instead of wasting your energy to please them, if you please God, you will have your reward at the right time. 

7) Avoid being jealous of others:

Let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not in rivalry and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh. 

(Rom 13:13-14)

You may be tempted to be jealous of your co-intern who is the most favored of your department. Or you can be jealous of your other colleagues. But remember that jealousy is a deed of flesh and we should be walking in the Spirit. 

8) Reward in Heaven:

And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple-- amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward." 

(Mat 10:42)

Always remember that we are strangers and nomads in this world. Our real dwelling place is in heaven. You may not be remembered by your registrars or consultants or your colleagues for your good works. People may not appreciate your honesty and obedience. Your colleagues may not be faithful for being kind and considerate to them. But remember that God is watching us and He would reward us abundantly infront of everyone for all the good works we have done for Him.

These are few things which God had taught me during internship. I learnt many of these through painful means. But I still consider that God allowed this period of life for the sake of my sanctification so that I will be glorifying God in a much better way.

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. 

(Psa 31:24)

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How can we know God's Will in our life?

All of us want to please God in our day to day life. We all want to choose the best career, get married to the right person, etc in order to please God. We all know that if we please God, it would be a blessing for us both in this age and also in the age to come. Many preachers and teachers stress on this fact. But seldom have they told us how to please God. On the contrary, most of the time, they would have told the way which would not be pleasing God in reality.

For example, many of us would have thought that God directly speaks to us through Holy Spirit in our heart, so we ‘just need to listen to the gentle voice speaking in our heart’ to follow God’s Will in our life. But we should remember that even Satan can speak to our heart and can speak in a similar voice and give us wrong advice. Others go and ask preachers about their future and believe in their ‘visions’ and ‘dreams’ without discerning. Even Satan can also deceive us by disguising as an angel of light (2Cor 11:14). Paul says in Gal 1:8, ‘even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.’  Some preachers say that whatever blessings we ask positively, we would receive it, if we have faith in God. But this indirectly means that God can be changed according to our own whims and pleasures. Rather the truth is, God is the one who controls everything including our hearts(Dan 4:32).  

So this brings us back to the question: How can we find God’s will? Please turn with me to Deuteronomy 29:29

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deu 29:29)

The ‘secret things’ refer to God’s will which are going to happen in our life in future. We can look back to our past and know that, whatever things which have happened in our lives, are according to God’s will or not. Since we cannot know the future, we cannot see what exactly God has planned for our lives. But still if we follow the law of God revealed in the Scripture, then we would be following God’s will inspite of the ignorance of our future . For example, at present I am thinking of pursuing post graduation in my medical career. But I don’t know about my future. I have no idea even of the fact that whether I would be alive tomorrow or not. But I am pretty sure that God has a plan for my future. At present I don’t know it. But one thing I can be sure of. If I am following the revealed will of God, which God has written through Scripture, then I would be in according to God’s will. So my duty for today is to work hard and be biblical in my work ethics by being honest and sincere in my workplace and prepare for higher studies according to my capacity.

Another question for us now is this: Is Scripture alone sufficient to know God’s revealed will or do we need extra biblical church traditions, visions, dreams, prophecies etc?

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (2Ti 3:16-17) (NASB)

From these verses, we can know that if we want to do good work, Scripture is sufficient. Therefore, let us read and meditate on God’s word through the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit, so that we will be following the Will of God by our obedience to His precepts.

Who is man?

Man is one of the creations of God. God created this entire universe in six literal days (Gen 1). Of all the creations, God created man specifically in His image.

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Gen 1:26-27)

The image of God in man is the reason for his ability to communicate with God and other human beings using language and to think rationally like God. The reason why God has created man is to glorify Him and to enjoy Him forever (Rev 4:11)

Thus Psalmist explains the humble estate of man and the glory with which God has bestowed upon him through the following verses:

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. (Psa 8:3-8)

Yet, because of Satan’s deception (Gen 3:1), Adam and Eve had sinned against God and transgressed His command, due to which they received the curse (Gen 3:16-19). Because of it, the entire human race has the curse of God (Rom 5:12,13).

Thus “as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." "Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips." "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness." "Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.", "There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Rom 3:10-18)

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Who is God?

Many of us use the term ‘God’ in different way. India is a living example for this. In India, we find millions of gods. And each god is entirely different from one another. All these gods can’t be true, because most often they are self-contradictory. If one god is for death and another god is for education, then who educates the god of death and why death comes to the god of education?

In reality, there is only one God. God, according to Bible, is a spiritual being (John 4:24), infinite, eternal and unchangeable in his being (Psa 139:7-10, Isa 40:28, Num 23:19), who is the source of all wisdom and understanding (Eph 1:4), omnipotent (Rev 19:6), who is loving and gracious (1John 4:8).

Of all the attributes of God, the most striking one is the Holiness of God. God alone is Holy. The word ‘Holiness’ means ‘set apart’. Holiness is the very being of God (Isa 8:13). Holiness is the most important of all the attributes of God. Since God is Holy, He should be Just. Only a righteous person can show justice. God is infinite, eternal and unchanging in His holiness and He is a righteous judge.

The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation." (Exo 34:6-7)

Therefore as a righteous Judge, God rewards those who keep His laws and punishes those who disobey Him.

Another important attribute of God is Trinity. God exists as one essence but three in persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All three are equally God, yet they exist as three different persons (Mar 1:9-11, Mat 28:19-20).

How do we know about God? Where can we learn about Him? Is it from our ancestors? Or from a saint or an angel?

God has revealed about His nature only through Scripture.

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets(Old Testament), but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son (New Testament), whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. (Heb 1:1-2, emphasis added)

If you have liked this, you can also read Why do you need Christ? and Who is man?

Why do we need Christ?

All of us have a conscience which shows us the right path of life that is pleasing to God (Rom 2:15). But yet we tend to choose the things which are contrary to our consciousness. We also realize that we are sinning against God. In order to please God, we try to do the things which we think it would please Him. Some say by doing good work, we can compensate for the bad things which we have done against God. But Bible says, ‘We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.(Isa64:6)’ . God has created us to glorify Him. To glorify Him, we need to love Him. In order to love Him, we have to obey all the commandments of God (1John 5:2). So our good deeds for God are not considered a favour, but as a duty which we are obliged to do.

Would a judge of this world leave a serial killer free just because he has helped a blind man crossing a road? He won’t because justice has to be served. Likewise, since God is infinitely just, He won’t consider our good deeds and forgive our sins, because He is good and righteous and He will punish the evil doers for their sins. And Bible says, ‘The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23)’. In order to be righteous, the judge has to give capital punishment for the serial killer or give that punishment to another righteous man so that the killer can be released in bail. Likewise God can also release us from the punishment through bail if a righteous person is willing to take the punishment.

Bible says, ‘None is righteous, no, not one (Rom 3:10)’. That is why God has to become a human being to take the punishment for our sins, since God is good. God is infinite so the wrath of God is also infinite for our sins. Only an infinitely holy person can take the punishment for our sins from God. That is why, Jesus, who is God himself, pure and Holy, came to this earth by becoming a human (John 1:14) born supernaturally from a virgin’s womb (Luk 1:35), by the power of Holy Spirit to take the wrath of God for our sins. Jesus died on the cross without any blemish as a substitute for the sake of those who believe in Him alone for being saved from God’s wrath.  God ‘made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2Cor 5:21)’.  God as a sign of approval of Jesus’ sacrifice, raised Him from the dead on the third day (1Cor 15:1-4) and now Jesus is seated in the right hand of God with all power and authority under Him (Mat 28:18). If you repent of your sins, and have faith only in Jesus, that means you are also part of those for whom Christ has died, since without the power of God, no one can believe Christ and faith is a free gift from God (Eph 2:8).

For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (Heb 10:4).  So it is not by sacrificing animals or by our good deeds we would be declared righteous in front of God but only by faith alone in Christ. Therefore repent of your sins and believe in Christ for the remission of your sins and you would be truly free.

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (Joh 14:6)

If you have liked this, you can also read Who is God? and Who is Man?