Finding Reformation Bible College

There is something about reading through your old journal entries that makes you cringe, laugh, and thank the Lord for growth. As I was looking through past entries that I have written, I came across one I wrote when I was 18 years old.

On September 15, 2015, I created a document titled, “Who Are You?” I tried to fill every blank space to identify somehow who I was. During this period, I was attending a private college in St. Louis, Missouri. I wrote this entry because my faith was being tested. As I sat in my classes, my teachers stated that we were not allowed to talk about Jesus Christ. They contended that pluralism is better for society and upheld the freedom of choosing your own preferred gender. No wonder I was struggling with my identity. Even so, my time at this college was deeply needed; it was instrumental in my relationship with Christ and my search for Reformation Bible College.

As I walked to my psychology class one morning, thoughts of doubt and confusion ran through my head. I knew that I trusted Christ to be my Savior, but I also knew that I was ashamed of bearing his name on campus. I let my faith hide in the shadows of my heart, but during this particular morning my faith could no longer seek refuge in darkness. My heart was confronted with how selfishly I wanted Christ to claim me before the throne of God, though I did not want to claim Him before the world. As a result, I didn’t want to live a lukewarm Christian life. I wanted to change.

I started to study theology and the Word of God alongside my other classes, but my hunger for knowledge of who God is grew more and more. I began to see how knowing God above all things in life was the most important treasure I could gain. It would give me the assurance of my identity in Christ. All of this began to spark my search for RBC.

In God’s providence, I found RBC’s website and started to fill out their application. I wanted to attend a college that was dedicated to teaching their students about the depths of God’s character and Word, while cultivating a growing appetite for loving God and His bride, the church.

With my first year completed at RBC, I have grown in my knowledge of God more than I could have imagined, but this knowledge has not been isolated in my head. It is also alive in my heart as my professors and classmates have challenged me to apply my head knowledge to my heart as I live out the gospel before those around me. My time at RBC has shown me that my identity is completely in Christ. As He acknowledges me before the Father who is in heaven, I acknowledge Him before the world (Matt. 10:32–33).

---

— Lydia Brandenburg is a student at Reformation Bible College.