47
The
Responsibilities of Children
Eph.
6:1-3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
This chapter carries a special significance for me. The original
message on which this exposition is based was preached on September 25, 1988,
three days after the birth of my son Paul. Such a thing could never have been
planned and is a testimony to the wonderful sovereignty of our Lord. That study
was then expanded for the present exposition.
Thus far
we have seen two pictures in our study of family members. We have discovered
that the wife is a picture of the Church, for as the Church is under the
spiritual leadership of Christ, the wife is under the spiritual leadership of
the husband. We have also studied the husband who is a picture of Christ; as
Christ is the Head of the Church and gave Himself for her, the husband is the
head of the wife and gives himself for her.
This
brings us to our third picture. The child is a picture of the Christian. As the
Christian lives an obedient life, so the child lives in strict obedience to his
parents. May we reemphasize that Paul is still illustrating, “Be filled with
the Spirit” and “Submit yourselves one to another.” May we not forget this!
Every family member must be filled with the Spirit and must be submitted according
to God’s prescribed order; otherwise a godly family will not exist.
We live in
a day of unequalled rebelliousness, and nowhere is this seen more clearly than
in young people. A report from the Great Lakes
Naval Training Station in Illinois, for example, tells us that a shocking
percentage of young men in America of navy enlistment age must be rejected
because of one or more disqualifications, such as: criminal record, personality
or psychological disorder, health problem, or failure to measure up to basic
recruit training. Many have problems because they do not even know simple
things that should have been learned at home. Further, increasing numbers of
young people are involved in drug and alcohol abuse, and most everyone has
heard of deaths on college campuses due to binge drinking. Basic respect for
authority is virtually non-existent, and morals and values have degraded so far
that virginity is considered abnormal.
In view of the problems, various
solutions have been offered. One is money; that is, we just throw more money at
the problem in the form of public schools and social programs. But the problem
grows worse. Teachers spend more time trying to restore discipline in the
classroom than they do on teaching. Some teachers have been knifed and even shot
for their trouble. In the process, in fact, the very things that would help
solve the problems have been thrown out, such as: morals, values, parental
authority, corporal punishment, the Bible, and patriotism. In their place are
Relativism, sexual liberation, “alternate lifestyles,” homosexual “marriage,”
abortion, and contraceptives.
Another answer that’s been offered is more literature, such as books, articles, and seminars on child training, even Christian ones. But most of those are based on the author’s opinions, methods, and experiences, and one book contradicts another. As a result of these so-called “answers,” children are more and more confused and corrupted. Even Christian young people are tainted by public education and are no better off than their unsaved classmates.
But
there is an answer, if we will simply obey it. In just four verses, God’s word provides us with what the
parent-child relationship is to be. It’s extremely significant to note that,
like husbands and wives, Paul speaks to children directly in this
letter. In other words, he doesn’t say, “Father, tell your children to obey.”
No, he addresses the children directly.
The obvious significance of this fact in the text, clearly demonstrates that the children were present in the congregation
when the letter was read. May I interject, therefore, that this
demonstrates that they were with their parents not in “Children’s Church” or a
segregated Sunday School, common practices in our day that have no biblical
precedent, authority, or justification whatsoever. While it’s not popular to
criticize these “sacred cows,” such practices are based on human reason alone
and are actually harmful to the family. They split up the family and cultivate
a division between adults and young people. We’ll return to this thought later
and prove it biblically and historically.
There is
much we could deal with here, but some things can wait until we study parents
and parenting in our next chapter. Let us examine, therefore, two major
thoughts Paul presents, first the action
and then the attitude that God
demands from children.
I. The Action God Demands from Children (v. 1)
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
This point
can be further divided into three principles.
The Graphic Greek Term
For “Obey”
We first
examined the Greek word hupokouō
back in our study of the wife. This word hupokouō is comprised of two Greek words: hupo,
meaning “under,” and akouō,
meaning “hear, listen.” So then, “obedience” doesn’t just mean “follow orders”
like most of us think. Rather, obedience means, “To get under the authority of
someone and listen.” The verb form used here is the Present Imperative, which
shows a command of God. So, God demands that children get under the authority
of their parents and listen to them. They are not just to “do what they are told”
but are to listen and assimilate what they hear. To the children who may be
reading this we say, Listen to your parents; they know more than you think they
do and they know more than you do! They were kids, too, once upon a time. They
have been through the same troubles, pressures, and temptations.
Lest children think this too harsh or unreasonable, we should point out here how revolutionary Paul’s teaching was. As Paul transformed attitudes towards women, he likewise transformed attitudes toward children. As we saw way back in our study of “adoption” (1:5), under Roman law a father had patria potestas (Latin, the father’s power) over his children, and that power was absolute. He could make a child a slave or sell him into it, scourge him, even kill him. A child possessed nothing. All he had or received became the father’s property. Any inheritance willed to him, or even any gift given to him, became the property of his father. It did not matter how old the son was, or to what honors and responsibility he had risen, he was absolutely in his father's power. Even a married daughter remained in the father’s power, unless he allowed her to marry cum manu (with the hand), that is, gave her into the hand (power) of her husband.
This certainly does not infer that all Roman fathers were evil monsters. In fact, the position of paterfamilias (master of the house) was often partially checked by public opinion, but the power was still there and showed the position of a child. Sometimes children were simply a misfortune to the parents, so they were just left in the Roman forum to become the property of whoever wanted them, and usually the only reason someone else would claim them was was to sell them into slavery or prostitution. A sickly baby had little chance of survival. The 1st Century A.D. statesman Seneca wrote, “We slaughter a fierce ox; we strangle a mad dog; we plunge the knife into sickly cattle lest they taint the herd; children who are born weakly and deformed we drown.” Sadly, that is not much different than modern thought in legalized abortion.
In stark
contrast, Paul, by divine inspiration, puts two principles at the core of the
parent-child relationship. The child’s two-fold responsibility is obedience
and honor, and the parent’s responsibility is training. We
constantly hear nowadays about each person’s “rights,” but what really matters
are our responsibilities, not rights. When we are conscious of our
rights, we are thinking only of what gratifies us instead of what’s best for
someone else. Relationships are not built upon the foundation of rights
but upon the foundation responsibilities.
Also
included in the child’s obedience are not just hearing and doing, but doing so
with the right attitude. Children are
all too often told story of the little boy who was told by his teacher to sit
in the corner. As he sat there he was thinking, “I’m sitting down on the
outside, but I’m standing up on the inside.” The Scriptures call for a
heart-obedience to parents.
How
thankful children should be if they are born into a Christian home! Some
children are born into atheism, where any idea of God is squelched and
scoffed. Others are born into paganism, where they are taught to worship
lifeless idols. Many are born into materialism, where they learn that
money and possessions are the ultimate goal of life. Still others are born into
hedonism, where all one can hope for in life are pleasure, lust, and
self-gratification. “Eat drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die” (Lk. 12:19)
is the slogan. Millions are even born into fanaticism, such as Islam,
where they are taught to martyr themselves and murder others for Allah. There
is a prime-time television show played throughout Palestine, for example,
called The Children’s Club, which while similar to Sesame Street,
has one sick twist—it’s dedicated to teaching Islamic children to become
fanatics. Songs are sung celebrating the day when they will spill their blood
as suicide bombers.
In glorious
contrast, children born into a Christian home are taught what true love is,
both divine and brotherly love; they are taught about sin and salvation; they
are taught about mercy, grace, and faith; and they are taught that Truth is
found only in Jesus Christ and His Word.
It’s also
quite significant that Paul speaks of parents here and not just
“fathers.” Parents translates the Greek goneus, which is derived
from ginomai (“to generate”). This words clearly condemns the movement
in our day toward homosexual marriage and parenting, for while such a union propagates
something—namely perversion—it certainly doesn’t generate anything. It
takes a man and a woman to generate life. Goneus, then, refers to either
one of such parents. By using this word, Paul also differentiates Christianity
from paganism. Ancient pagans did not connect father and mother; they usually
only spoke of the father. But God purposely connects the two because this
further illustrates the unity of the family.
May we
also note the words in the Lord. There is a controversy here, much like
the one we saw in our study of the wife. It is asked, “Should a child obey the
parents even if they are wrong?” Now then, this whole issue actually hinges on
the word “wrong.” Are parents always going to be right? No! Will parents ever
make wrong decisions? Of course. But that is not what Paul has in view here.
What’s in view is a parent telling a child to do something that is plainly
against God’s law, something that is immoral, illegal, or otherwise contrary to
the Word of God. A parent who does that forfeits his God given authority. As we
saw with the wife, the husband (or the father) is a representative of
God, not a replacement for God. With that in mind, we easily see that
this is rarely, if ever, going to be the case in the truly Christian home.
Why Does God Demand This
Obedience?
Simply stated,
God demands this obedience because it is right. How simple! The Greek here is dikaios,
meaning “righteousness.” When children obey, they are being righteous; when
they disobey, they are being unrighteous, unholy, and ungodly. Some people ask,
“Ah, but where are the psychological evidences? Where are the case studies?” To
this we answer, Who cares! None of that is needed. Why? Because God simply
says, “It is right.”
But why is
this right? Because there is
nothing more foundational to human society than obedience. Most cultures
past and present, in fact, recognize this principle to one extent or another.
When that is ignored, however, decadence is inevitable. So foundational is
this, in fact, that Moses wrote by Divine inspiration:
If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. (Deut. 21:18-20)
A
persistently rebellious child is worse than worthless; he or she is a detriment
to society. Further, Paul declares that being “disobedient to parents”
as a trait of depravity in
Romans 1:30. Tragically, America is running headlong into decadence as her
children grow more and more rebellious. All of us, no matter what age we may
be, are under one authority or another. The sooner we learn that principle, the
more useful we will be to family, church, society, and ourselves.
How Long Are Children
Under This Obedience?
The Greek
word used for children is tekna. Paul does not use paidion
or teknion, for both refer to a small child. Rather, he uses tekna
because it refers to offspring in the sense of progeny. In other words, tekna
refers to children of any age. No matter what age a child is, as long as he or she
is under the parent’s roof, he or she is required to obey. Furthermore, as
we’ve mentioned already, even after a child leaves home he or she should seek
and listen to a parent’s godly counsel.
Is it not
interesting, indeed, that God gives only this command to children? To husbands,
wives, and parents he gives many responsibilities, but to the child He gives
only one outward responsibility—OBEY. Children don’t have to go out and
make a living, they don’t have to feed themselves, they don’t have to worry
about food or clothing, or any such thing. They must be concerned about one
thing only—obedience. Why? Because it’s right. Because of its foundational
essence. Because it will build and mold that individual. Because it will train
them in to be what God demands. If children learn this one principle,
everything else will come much more easily throughout rest of their life.
II. The Attitude God Demands From Children (vs. 2-3)
Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;
That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
Let us
also consider three principles here.
The Attitude Behind The
Action
God never
gives his people commands without reason; He never gives us action
without attitude. The Greek for honour is tipao, which
means “to estimate worth, hold in respect, honour, revere.” To fail to honor
parents is the same as saying they are worthless. It’s extremely significant
that this command is found among the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:12). As one
studies those great commandments he finds that the first four speak of what
man’s relationship to God is supposed to be. The last six, on the other hand,
speak of what man’s relationship to his fellow man is supposed to be.
Well, the
very first of those six commandments is the command, as quoted in our text, Honour
thy father and mother. So then, as obedience is the foundational principal
of human SOCIETY, honouring one’s parents is the foundational principle for all
human RELATIONSHIPS. After one is right with God, the next most important thing
is for him to be right with his parents. Moreover, if one does not honor his
parents, neither will he honor or respect any other person.
May we
also submit, as John Gill writes,
the persons to whom obedience from them is due, are not only real and immediate parents, both father and mother, but such who are in the room of parents, as step-fathers, step-mothers, guardians, nurses, etc., and all who are in the ascending line, as grandfathers, grandmothers, etc.; To these, children should be subject . . .
Western
culture has lost something that still exists in many parts of the Orient,
namely, children’s respect and honor for family patriarchs, and may we add,
even adults in general. This is tragic. Instead of learning from those who have
been through all the things they now face, young people view these “old people”
as of a different generation and “out of touch.” More tragic still is the fact
that most churches do nothing to help the situation. Instead, they divide the
church into age groups and isolate them from each other.
As
mentioned earlier, this practice is not the Biblical precedent, nor may we add
was it the precedent in the Early Church. It is, according to historical fact,
an invention of man. Let us take a few moments to deal with an important issue
that is ignored by most of the Church today.
As Roman
Catholicism took control around the time of Constantine, no longer were fathers
in control but priests. One of the key contributions of the Reformation, in
fact, was the return to family worship. Virtually every one of the reformers
and Puritans emphasized families worshipping together.
The scene changed again, however, in the 19th Century. Actually, it began late in the 18th Century with Robert Raikes in Great Britain. Being a Methodist, he considered social conditions to be significant obstacles to salvation. His heart was touched when he went into the suburbs of the city and saw groups of ragged, wretched, cursing children who worked in the factories. He started what he dubbed “Sunday School” to reach the children of poor parents who had rejected the gospel. This institution, he thought, would provide basic education, such as reading, for poor children on the one day that they would not be working. From there, the first Sunday School Union was organized in Philadelphia in 1790, and The American Sunday School Union was organized in 1820, thus making the Sunday School movement one of the first parachurch organizations to work outside of God’s prescribed institution—the Local Church.
While all this was motivated out of sincere concern, it simply was not biblical, a point that doesn’t seems to matter anymore. Moreover, what eventually happened was while at first it was meant to reach the children of poor parents, it was then used to reach parents who were unbelievers, and then it was decided that parents would just put their Christian children in there too, resulting in the Sunday School raising the children. No longer was the father responsible to train his children; it was now given over to the Sunday School, in direct contradiction to Scripture.
As if this were not bad enough, the scene grew worse in the middle of 19th Century. Please read the following carefully and prayerfully. When Charles Darwin published his lies about evolution, other men began applying his theory to every aspect of life, such as law, history, social theory, and others. Also rethought was child development theory and education, led by Granville Stanley Hall (1844-1924), who was greatly influenced by Ernst Haeckle (1834-1919), who concocted the theory of Ontogeny Recapitulates Phylogeny. This says that the “thing” in the mother’s womb recapitulates (repeats) the evolutionary process. At first it’s like the preorganic ooze of millions of years ago, then takes on the look of an amphibian in the first month, then looks more reptilian later on, then starts looking more like a mammal by the fourth month, until finally in the third trimester it becomes human.
Incredibly, Hall took this theory and applied it to education! He argued, just as that thing in the womb repeats evolution, how much more is it true that the child goes through an evolution in his educational development. He starts out young like Ramapithecus (supposedly the earliest man-like primate discovered so far), then turns into Australapithecus (now walking upright), goes through some more stages till somewhere in his teens he goes to Neanderthal Man, then a little later Cro-Magnon Man, until somewhere in his eightieth or nineteen year he finally can be called Modern Man.
Now, as absolutely insane as that sounds (and I’m not making this up), it is, in fact, exactly what our age-segregated education system was based upon. After all, Hall argued, we shouldn’t have Ramapithecus in with Australapithecus or have Neanderthal in with Cro-Magnon. We must keep them separate because they are at different evolutionary stages. Before this, of course, children grew and developed within the family, as God intended, but men had a better way. The one-room schoolhouse was actually an extension of the home, but this too was obliterated by the new way. The famous John Dewey loved this new way and today we have an education system based not upon ability but upon arbitrary age levels.
While all
this is tragic to say the very least, what is far more appalling is that the
Church has swallowed the whole thing. A philosophy that is right out of Hell
has imbedded itself in Church worship and ministry. I have even seen pastors
intimidate parents who didn’t want to put their children in Children’s Church.
Shame on those men! I continue to be deeply burdened by those today who say
they believe in the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, but who then turn
around and carry on ministry the way they want instead of the way God says. Hudson
Taylor said, “God's work done God’s way will not lack God’s supply.” And may we
submit that if we don’t agree with that, then neither do we believe in biblical
sufficiency.
Therefore,
what we find in Scripture, in point of fact, is that children of every
age were ALWAYS, without a single exception, with the parents when God’s
people met for worship. Leviticus 23:3 and 14 show that family worship was the
pattern that was brought into corporate worship. Deuteronomy 29:10-13 speaks of
“little ones” (Hebrew taph, small child, toddler) being present as Moses
taught the people about God’s covenant. Joshua 8:35 declares that Joshua read
the Law of Moses to all the people, once again with the “little ones” present.
May we interject, the reading took all day, but all the people were there to
hear it. Yes, no doubt a diaper had to be changed from time to time, or a child
had to be disciplined, but such things were just taken care of as needed.
Likewise, II Chronicles 20:13 declares, “And all Judah stood before the LORD,
with their little ones, their wives, and their children.” The same was true in
Nehemiah’s day. At the dedication of the newly rebuilt wall, we read: “Also
that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them
rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the
joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off” (Neh. 12:43). Even during the
sacrifice, the holiest, most solemn and revered time of worship, children were
present. We read again in Joel 2:15-16:
Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
God wants
every member of the family present for worship. Again, yes, there are needs
that will arise, there are discipline issues that will demand attention, but
the precedent is unchanged—God’s people are to meet together.
Coming to
the New Testament, the precedent remains the same. In Luke 2:41-42, we do not
find the twelve-year-old Savior going to “Children’s Temple” or “Junior
Passover,” rather we see Him with His parents at that great worship event.
During His earthy ministry, children were present on numerous occasions when
Jesus taught (Matt. 18:1-5; Mk. 10:13-14). Acts repeatedly speaks of worship
taking place from “house to house” (e.g., 2:46; 20:20), indicating families.
Even drawings in the catacombs show families worshipping together.
Yes, there
are various excuses that are offered against this practice: children are
disruptive to the service, children can’t understand what’s going on, parents
need a break, and Children’s Church is a good way to get children interested in
the Bible. All these are easy to answer, but more basic is the fact that these
are simply human reasoning and blatantly deny the sufficiency of Scripture.[1]
Coming
back to the principle of [honoring] . . . father and mother, this is so
important that God placed upon it a twofold promise and warning. The words that
it may be well with thee show the quality of life that Gods wants for us.
He wants our lives to be full and rich, and they will be if we honor our
parents. The words that you may live long on the earth then are general
principle concerning the quantity of life God wants for us. He wants us to live
as long as He originally intended for us to live. Obviously, there will be
times when a person will die young even though he has honored his parents, but
this is a general principle that will apply in most cases.
This was
originally a promise to the Jews as they entered the Promised Land, according
to the basic Septuagint translation (Greek OT) of Exodus 20:12: “Honour
thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the
LORD thy God giveth thee.”[2] Paul adapted it, however, to New
Testament Believers by substituting earth for “land.” Absalom is an example of one who rebelled against his
father David and as a result died while still young. Sampson likewise rebelled
and shortened his life. The book of Proverbs repeatedly counsels young people
in this principle:
My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. (3:1-2)
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. (4:10)
The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. (10:27)
Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. (19:20)
The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it. (30:17)
May we not
cut our lives short by a failure to honor our parents. Commentator John
Phillips well sums up this passage:
A child who grows up to love, honor, and obey his mother and father lays the foundation for a happier, more stable, and more successful life than does a child who is rude, disrespectful, self-willed, and rebellious. A stormy path lies ahead for a disobedient child. He will drift into bad company, resent all rule and authority, and in many cases end up on the wrong side of the law. Contemporary society has produced a bumper crop of young people who are determined to “do their own thing.” Many of them are enmeshed in the drug and sex scene, and are filled with restlessness and rage.
What This Honoring Of
Parents Involves
This
honoring of parents involves at least three specific principles.
Respect
To strike one’s
father or mother merited death according to the Mosaic Law (Ex. 21:15), but
even to verbally abuse them met with the same fate (Ex. 21:17; Lev. 20:9; Matt.
15:4). I was amazed when I once read that there are over eight million assaults
per year by children on their parents. There are even children who murder their
parents or hire someone else to murder them.
Again, to
respect someone means we place a high value upon them. One of the most
practical ways respect is shown for one’s parents is how one refers to them.
There is the practice today of referring to one’s father as “my old man” or to
one’s mother as “my old lady.” There are also those who call their parents by
their first names. Both of these are terrible indeed. May we also interject,
parents should not even allow their children to call other adults by their
first names. Children should be taught respect for their elders and respect for
authority.
Obedience
We have
already mentioned this principle, but we come back to it once again by adding one
other thought. I have heard many parents say, after a child’s growing
disobedience, “You are just asking for a spanking!” Well, as we’ll see in our
study of parenting, spanking (or any other such discipline) is only for
disobedience, not for mistakes, and parents should give commands only once,
thereby demanding immediate obedience. But that statement is actually quite
literally true. Children do ask for discipline. Now, of course, children
do not consciously know they’re asking for it, but they are silently asking for
guidance. Many people mistakenly think children want to be left to themselves.
This could not be further from the truth! Children need to know and want to
know the boundaries. Oh, what a terrible thing is the child who has no
direction!
Financial Support
If one’s
parents come to the place where they can no longer take care of themselves, it
becomes the child’s responsibility to invest the time and money to do so.
The
Biblical precedent is found in Matthew 15:1-6. The Pharisees kept support from
their parents “in the name of the Lord.” They said certain monies and
possessions were set aside for the Lord when they actually were hording those
for themselves. One of the serious shortcomings of American society is the
gross neglect of parents by children. We are not referring here to when it
becomes truly necessary for full-time nursing care that cannot be provided by
the family. Rather, we are referring to the practice of putting one’s parents
in a “retirement home” or putting them in a nursing home when it is not
necessary. All this is motivated by selfishness and is done because the
children do not want to be bothered with the responsibility. Oh, how our
parents sacrificed to care for us! How disgraceful it is when they are
abandoned in old age!
The Results Of Honoring
Parents
What a
blessing it is to see that honoring one’s parents brings about certain
by-products.
Honoring Parents Instills a Deeper Reverence for God
In II
Timothy 3:1-5 we read Paul’s terrible description of the sins of mankind in the
last days:
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
We quote
this passage so we can see that right in the middle of his list Paul says,
“blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.” You see, blasphemy
of God and disrespect of parents go hand in hand. If one has no respect for
parents, he will have no respect for God, and if one has no respect for God, he
will have no respect for parents. This places added responsibility upon
parents. Children should see in them a love and reverence for God. By seeing
this the children will have a deeper love and reverence for God because of
their love and reverence for their parents.
Honoring Parents Promotes the Right Attitude Toward Law, Government, and Other Adults
Any
juvenile court judge will attest to the fact that where there is no respect for
parents there is also no respect for the law. We in Christianity need to change
our vocabulary. Christian parents should not have the attitude that they are
“raising children.” For example, if one raises corn, he will get corn.
Likewise, if parents raise children, they will get children. There are, indeed,
many forty-year-old children running around nowadays! Rather, may each of us
raise “future citizens,” “future adults,” “future godly Christians.”
Honoring Parents Passes On This Heritage to the Next Generation
God has
designed these principles to be passed on by precept and by example to each new
generation by the previous generation. God wants parents to teach their
children these principles so they in-turn can teach their children who will
then teach their children, and so on. This practice will give us a lasting
Christian heritage. Dear Christian parent, don’t break the chain!
We will
build upon these principles and look at much more as we study parenting. But
may every Christian young person be challenged to obey and honor his or her
parents. Why? For this is right, that’s why! Let the world do
wrong, but by God’s grace we will do right.