Parents are required in Scripture to bring up their children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). This means the first great task confronting parents today is to bring their children up within the covenant, and in such a way as their children feel a life-long loyalty to that covenant. This task addresses the question of whether our children will be Christians after us, and whether they will bring up their children in the Christian faith.
Children according to the Fourth Commandment are required to honor their father and mother. One element of honoring your father and mother is this: obey and love their standards, as much as you possibly can. Jesus did the will of His heavenly Father.
Now if you are to grow, mature and be perfected as godly men and women, that process must occur in the proper context. Just as a plant needs proper soil, water and sunshine to reach maturity and be fruitful, so do you. The ideal place for that is a godly covenant household. Next to that is a godly covenant church. We can think of a covenant in a couple of ways:
First, a covenant is a government. There are laws that govern those in the covenant (these should be based on God’s laws). The household was designed by God to instruct us and discipline us. This provides protection and should lead to godly self-government.
Second, a covenant is a relationship. There are different positions held by those in the covenant (these positions are defined and governed by God). God has placed you in a particular position e.g., husband, father, wife, mother, son or daughter—pastor, elder, deacon, church member—president, governor, citizen, etc. Godliness requires that we know our position and act accordingly. When we abandon the law or the relationships of the covenant we are exposing ourselves to God’s judgment or discipline.
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