Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
Children are to obey their parents in everything. Such obedience delights the Lord, while rough and defiant disobedience grieves Him. The obedience required is cheerful, willing, prompt and loving, shown in respectful speech, faithful daily duties, and helping to lift the burdens of the home. Learning this obedience at home teaches children to reverence and submit to God and His authority. Those who learn it are prepared to belong to the family of heaven and appear with Christ in glory, but rebellious and disobedient children will have no place in the new earth where righteousness dwells.
Words and Context
Children are commanded to obey their parents in all things, in everything without exception. That obedience is to continue while they live under their parents' roof and depend on them, being subject to parental control in what is right. Such obedience is well pleasing unto the Lord and fitting in the Lord. By contrast rough, impudent disobedience is grievous to Him, and to please Him is to stand nobly by a father.
The command stands in the plain instruction of the third chapter of Colossians. There it stands together with wives submitting to their husbands, husbands loving their wives, fathers not provoking their children, and servants obeying masters in singleness of heart as to the Lord. There it stands together with putting off fornication, uncleanness, evil desire, covetousness, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication, and lying, and with putting on mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, forgiveness, charity, the peace of God, thankfulness, and doing all in word or deed in the name of the Lord Jesus. It was given to leave on the minds of unbelievers an impression favorable to the truth, and practiced with patience, meekness, and forbearance it gives everyday testimony that the truth sanctifies character.
The command is joined to the fifth commandment, which calls children to honor father and mother and promises long life in the land God gives. It shows that God's commandments bind the young, and that people will be judged and rewarded for their deeds. The obedience it means is cheerful, willing, prompt, and dependable, coming from love rather than being forced. Such willing obedience shows care for parents and guardians.
In practice it means speaking only respectful words to parents. It means being kind and dutiful, faithfully respecting their wishes, and faithfully doing daily duties in the home with courtesy, cheerfulness, and affection. It means helping a father all in one's power and lifting a share of the burdens. It means responding to being fed and clothed and loved and cared for by bringing all possible happiness into the family.
Holy Living and Hope
Children's obedience belongs among the commandment-keeping duties and within the holy, obedient life of those risen with Christ who set affections on things above and put on the new man renewed in knowledge after the image of the Creator. It stands together with putting off fornication, uncleanness, evil desire, covetousness, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication, and lying, and with putting on mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, forgiveness, charity, the peace of God, thankfulness, and doing all in word or deed in the name of the Lord Jesus. With wives submitting to husbands, husbands loving wives, fathers not provoking children, and servants obeying masters in singleness of heart as to the Lord, it is part of purifying the soul in obeying the truth here below in preparation for the higher life.
That holy character is learned by Bible study and is practiced with patience, meekness, and forbearance, giving everyday testimony that the truth sanctifies character. It makes a clear distinction between those who serve God and those who do not, requiring separateness in this life from those who disobey God. Obedience done with respect to the future reward and inheritance from the Lord belongs to this course of preparation.
Obedience and submission must be learned in this life, for rebellious, disobedient, ungrateful, falsifying, lying, and cruel-minded children will have no place in the purified new earth and new heaven wherein dwelleth righteousness. There the peace of the redeemed will not be disturbed by unruly people. Learning submission now belongs to God's requirements for the young and to belonging to the redeemed community, while persistent disobedience leaves children unprepared for life in the new earth.
Learning this obedience prepares children to make their calling and election sure and to become members of the family of heaven and children of God and missionaries in the home. It is learned in the home church together with praying and trusting in God, through kindly dutifulness, faithful respect for parental wishes, respectful speech, and faithful daily duties done with courtesy, cheerfulness, and affection in response to being fed, clothed, loved, and cared for. Those who so obey will, when Christ comes, appear with Him in glory, be gifted with a higher nature, have corruptible bodies changed to immortal and glorified, receive the future reward and inheritance from the Lord, and be fitted for eternal life in the new heaven and new earth.
Training in the Home
Learning obedience at home educates children to submit to God's authority, so that respect for parents trains them to reverence God and to obey God and His requirements. Right habits of obedience formed in character-building in the home make it much easier for children to be taught by God and to obey His requirements. This early obedience brings advantage against Satan not only for this life but for eternity.
The authority of the parent must be established beginning with the infant in its mother's arms, with little children taught to respect their parents and obey the law of the household. While children live under their parents' roof and depend on them they are to be subject to parental control, and parents should firmly require them to follow what is right. Parents are to govern their children rather than letting the children govern them.
Parents are responsible for teaching this obedience and for firmly requiring perfect obedience in the fear of God and in what is right. They are to be firm and decided in manner while manifesting a kindly and affectionate spirit, with patience, meekness, and forbearance. Parents who do this have the favor of God because they are educating in the way God ordained, with obedience taught at home leading children to obey their heavenly Father. This obedience is learned in the home church together with praying and trusting in God, and practiced with patience, meekness, and forbearance it gives everyday testimony that the truth sanctifies character.
Choosing to follow Christ does not end the need for parental counsel and direction amid sin and the evils of the natural heart. While a minor a child is under obligation to obey. Refusing parental guidance shows unreadiness to obey God willingly and to live as a Christian, for children who will not obey their parents willingly cannot obey God willingly or be Christians.
It is a great wrong for a father to keep supporting a son old enough to support himself while the son refuses obedience. When by words and actions a child despises the voice of counsel and authority and has no interest in sharing burdens, the father's obligations toward him cease.
Children are to obey their parents in everything. Such obedience delights the Lord, while rough and defiant disobedience grieves Him. The obedience required is cheerful, willing, prompt and loving, shown in respectful speech, faithful daily duties, and helping to lift the burdens of the home. Learning this obedience at home teaches children to reverence and submit to God and His authority. Those who learn it are prepared to belong to the family of heaven and appear with Christ in glory, but rebellious and disobedient children will have no place in the new earth where righteousness dwells.
Words and Context
Children are commanded to obey their parents in all things, in everything without exception. That obedience is to continue while they live under their parents' roof and depend on them, being subject to parental control in what is right. Such obedience is well pleasing unto the Lord and fitting in the Lord. By contrast rough, impudent disobedience is grievous to Him, and to please Him is to stand nobly by a father.
The command stands in the plain instruction of the third chapter of Colossians. There it stands together with wives submitting to their husbands, husbands loving their wives, fathers not provoking their children, and servants obeying masters in singleness of heart as to the Lord. There it stands together with putting off fornication, uncleanness, evil desire, covetousness, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication, and lying, and with putting on mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, forgiveness, charity, the peace of God, thankfulness, and doing all in word or deed in the name of the Lord Jesus. It was given to leave on the minds of unbelievers an impression favorable to the truth, and practiced with patience, meekness, and forbearance it gives everyday testimony that the truth sanctifies character.
The command is joined to the fifth commandment, which calls children to honor father and mother and promises long life in the land God gives. It shows that God's commandments bind the young, and that people will be judged and rewarded for their deeds. The obedience it means is cheerful, willing, prompt, and dependable, coming from love rather than being forced. Such willing obedience shows care for parents and guardians.
In practice it means speaking only respectful words to parents. It means being kind and dutiful, faithfully respecting their wishes, and faithfully doing daily duties in the home with courtesy, cheerfulness, and affection. It means helping a father all in one's power and lifting a share of the burdens. It means responding to being fed and clothed and loved and cared for by bringing all possible happiness into the family.
Holy Living and Hope
Children's obedience belongs among the commandment-keeping duties and within the holy, obedient life of those risen with Christ who set affections on things above and put on the new man renewed in knowledge after the image of the Creator. It stands together with putting off fornication, uncleanness, evil desire, covetousness, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication, and lying, and with putting on mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, forgiveness, charity, the peace of God, thankfulness, and doing all in word or deed in the name of the Lord Jesus. With wives submitting to husbands, husbands loving wives, fathers not provoking children, and servants obeying masters in singleness of heart as to the Lord, it is part of purifying the soul in obeying the truth here below in preparation for the higher life.
That holy character is learned by Bible study and is practiced with patience, meekness, and forbearance, giving everyday testimony that the truth sanctifies character. It makes a clear distinction between those who serve God and those who do not, requiring separateness in this life from those who disobey God. Obedience done with respect to the future reward and inheritance from the Lord belongs to this course of preparation.
Obedience and submission must be learned in this life, for rebellious, disobedient, ungrateful, falsifying, lying, and cruel-minded children will have no place in the purified new earth and new heaven wherein dwelleth righteousness. There the peace of the redeemed will not be disturbed by unruly people. Learning submission now belongs to God's requirements for the young and to belonging to the redeemed community, while persistent disobedience leaves children unprepared for life in the new earth.
Learning this obedience prepares children to make their calling and election sure and to become members of the family of heaven and children of God and missionaries in the home. It is learned in the home church together with praying and trusting in God, through kindly dutifulness, faithful respect for parental wishes, respectful speech, and faithful daily duties done with courtesy, cheerfulness, and affection in response to being fed, clothed, loved, and cared for. Those who so obey will, when Christ comes, appear with Him in glory, be gifted with a higher nature, have corruptible bodies changed to immortal and glorified, receive the future reward and inheritance from the Lord, and be fitted for eternal life in the new heaven and new earth.
Training in the Home
Learning obedience at home educates children to submit to God's authority, so that respect for parents trains them to reverence God and to obey God and His requirements. Right habits of obedience formed in character-building in the home make it much easier for children to be taught by God and to obey His requirements. This early obedience brings advantage against Satan not only for this life but for eternity.
The authority of the parent must be established beginning with the infant in its mother's arms, with little children taught to respect their parents and obey the law of the household. While children live under their parents' roof and depend on them they are to be subject to parental control, and parents should firmly require them to follow what is right. Parents are to govern their children rather than letting the children govern them.
Parents are responsible for teaching this obedience and for firmly requiring perfect obedience in the fear of God and in what is right. They are to be firm and decided in manner while manifesting a kindly and affectionate spirit, with patience, meekness, and forbearance. Parents who do this have the favor of God because they are educating in the way God ordained, with obedience taught at home leading children to obey their heavenly Father. This obedience is learned in the home church together with praying and trusting in God, and practiced with patience, meekness, and forbearance it gives everyday testimony that the truth sanctifies character.
Choosing to follow Christ does not end the need for parental counsel and direction amid sin and the evils of the natural heart. While a minor a child is under obligation to obey. Refusing parental guidance shows unreadiness to obey God willingly and to live as a Christian, for children who will not obey their parents willingly cannot obey God willingly or be Christians.
It is a great wrong for a father to keep supporting a son old enough to support himself while the son refuses obedience. When by words and actions a child despises the voice of counsel and authority and has no interest in sharing burdens, the father's obligations toward him cease.