“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth. And fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:1-4
Because children are born into this world in sin and turned in upon themselves, submitting to parents and obeying them is not a natural response. Rather, children, from their very beginnings, are self-centered and inclined to evil – they seek to carry out their own desires and test the limits of their parents’ authority over them (cf. Ps. 51:5; Gen. 8:21).
Parents, too, because of their corrupted and self-centered sinful nature become impatient with children, sometimes being overly harsh toward them and all too often neglecting to take the time to teach them of the Lord God and His Word.
As believers in Christ, being graciously raised up from spiritual darkness and death and brought to know and trust in Christ Jesus for pardon and forgiveness, we seek to live in accord with those works God created us to do.
“For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:8-10).
God’s will for children is that they obey their parents in the Lord and honor their fathers and mothers so that it may go well with them and they may live long on the earth. God has given children their parents not only to care for their physical needs, but to care for their spiritual needs as well – to teach them the commandments of the Lord and of God’s grace and mercy in Christ Jesus. Children who seek to follow after the Lord God will honor and obey their parents as well, for God has placed their parents over them. Those who rebel against their parents will bring upon themselves the wrath of God, as well as the consequences of their own sinful ways.
Fathers and parents are entrusted with their children and are responsible to bring them up to know the Lord and His ways. They are to teach their children right and wrong according to God’s Word, to discipline and correct their children where they go wrong and to make known to them the grace and mercy of God in sending His only-begotten Son to bear upon the cross the guilt and punishment for their sins and the sins of all.
Thus parents are to deal with their children as God deals with us, reproving wickedness and sin, chastening us when and where we need it and then comforting us with His mercy and forgiveness for the sake of the shed blood of Jesus, our crucified and risen Savior.
Forgive us, O Lord, for our sins and failures in regard to our parents and children. Have mercy upon us for Jesus’ sake. Give us the wisdom and strength to honor and obey our parents and to bring up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Amen.