Page 166 - Ephesians

with the Lord. If I’m rightly related to the Lord, I’ll be rightly related
in all the horizontal relationships of life. It’s never a problem
between parents and children. It’s always a problem between
parents and God, and between children and God. I believe with
all of my heart, that we ought to be teaching our children about
this vertical relationship, grounding them thoroughly in that.
Certainly, they are responsible to us, but it’s very scriptural to say
this, “Children have no responsibility toward their parents.” Before
you turn me off completely, let me finish. Children have no
responsibility toward their parents, but they have every
responsibility toward God, in terms of their parents. That’s not
just words. That’s a completely different direction.

Parents have no responsibility toward their children, none. But,
oh, do we ever have responsibility toward God, in terms of our
children. It’s always that way. Why is it so serious for children to
disobey their parents? Why is it so serious for anybody to rebel
against delegated authority? It’s a sign that they are rebelling
against God Himself. God is the One Who has commanded
these things. Here’s the principle. We are responsible in God to
obey delegated authority, as long as such obedience, does not
violate any of His objective truths.

In the case of our illustration, notice verse 2, “Honor your father
and your mother.” That word “honor” includes an awful lot. It
includes appreciation, it includes respect. I remember when I was
young, sometimes I would be ashamed of my parents. That’s not
honoring your parents. Here’s an illustration, Matthew 15:3-9, the
Lord Jesus was dealing with that haughty group of individuals
called the Pharisees. He said, “You’ve broken that
commandment.” They said, “How have we broken that
commandment?” He said, “By standing on your traditions.
You are giving all your money to the Lord’s work and you say
therefore you are free from honoring your parents.” In
Matthew 15, the Lord Jesus included under honor, helping out
your parents financially. He said, they didn’t help their parents,
and used the excuse that they gave all their money to the Lord.
By not helping them out financially, they dishonored them.