The Sacrifices of God are a Broken Spirit and a Contrite Heart.

• I will have Mercy, and NOT Sacrifice - Matt 9:13 declares, “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”. We are born sinful by birth, by nature, and by inheritance, as we learn from Rom 5:12. Rom 6:23 also affirms, “For the wages of sin is death...”. And the death that God has in mind is eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire. It is no wonder that the Bible uses such horrific language as “...Vengeance is mine, I will repay...” found in Rom 12:19; and Heb 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”. One of the most amazing of all of God’s characteristics is His mercy. It has been said that grace is getting what you don’t deserve (salvation), whereas mercy is not getting what you do deserve (God’s justice). God in His Mercy has provided Himself the only sacrifice that can redeem us from His wrath, which is the Lord Jesus Christ, typified by a “lamb …without blemish and without spot…” in 1 Pet 1:19, whose “precious blood”, or “life”, is the only covering, or payment, for sin. John 1:29 says, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”. Our only hope lies in the work of the Lord Jesus to pay for our sins in Hell, and bestow His righteousness, or goodness, upon us, as we read in Eph 2:4-5. In Psa 86:13 we find words of eternal comfort for those who, by God’s grace, have a Savior – the Lord Jesus Christ: “For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell”. Titus 3:5 declares, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us...”. Quoting from the Old Testament and referring to the sacrificial work of the Lord Jesus, Rom 4:7-8 asserts, “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin”. Acts 5:31 further acknowledges, “Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel [Israel of God-the Elect], and forgiveness of sins.”

Luke 12:5 “But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”

Isa 8:13 “Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.”

Mic 7:18 “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.”

Heb 2:17 “Wherefore in all things it behoved him [Jesus Christ] to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”

Eph 2:4-5 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).”

• I am NOT come to Call the Righteous - Matt 9:13 declares, “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”. The Bible declares in Rom 3:10-11, “There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God”. Of course, apart from the Lord Jesus, of the human race, there is not one person—since the fall of Adam and Eve into sin—who can say that they are righteous in God’s sight. We are sinful by birth, by nature, and by inheritance, as we learn from Rom 5:12. Furthermore, 1 John 1:8 reminds us: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us”. The most fundamental deception of sin denies the very existence of sin itself. Deception is indeed the core foundation for all sin, and its roots go down very deep into the darkest chambers of our hearts, as James 1:14-15 sharply warns. Sin also enslaves, as Jesus explained to the religious leaders of His day in John 8:34: “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin”. Sin is also characterized by spiritual deadness, as we see from Eph 2:1-3, “... who were dead in trespasses and sins...”. God sets the stage for us in Luke 18:9 by introducing those to whom this parable was addressed: “And he [Jesus] spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others...”. Immediately we know that the two sins of pride and lack of love are very much in evidence as we read through this account. The words of Luke 16:14-15 speak to this very issue. The contrast between pride and humility is found throughout the pages of Scripture; and one such example is the historical parable of the Pharisee and the publican, or tax-collector, found in Luke 18:9-16, which is a good example of the difference between the so-called “righteous” and “sinners”. Keep in mind that a parable is an earthly story with a spiritual meaning that God has assigned to it to teach His people truth. In Luke 18:10-12, look at the Pharisee’s words – one can’t help but notice the personal pronoun “I” used four times in two sentences! He also prided himself, boasting ostentatiously, for what he was not instead of acknowledging his sinfulness. Instead of standing in the grace of God, that Pharisee was standing in his own pride, as Jesus pinpointed. Prov 16:18 proclaims – “Pride goeth before destruction [in hell], and an haughty spirit before a fall”. In 1 Pet 5:5b (and in James 4:6) we are admonished to “… be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.”

Rom 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”

James 1:14-15 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

Luke 16:14-15 “And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. And he [Jesus] said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”

Luke 18:10-12 “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.”

Isa 29:13 “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men...”

James 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble”

• I am come to Call Sinners to Repentance - Matt 9:13 declares, “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”. The good news of the Gospel is that the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners from eternal damnation in Hell. In fact, Rom 10:17 informs us, “... so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. God utilizes His divine words of the Bible to convict of “sin, righteousness, and judgment”, as we see from John 16:8. David, after having sinned grievously, acknowledged his sin and repented of it, when God’s Word came through prophet Nathan, in Psa 51:5-6, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom”. As God opens our spiritual eyes and ears to comprehend our spiritually dead condition, we realize that we are sinners by birth and by nature, and that we have violated God’s Word, the Bible. This recognition, in turn, drives us to conclude that we need a Savior — Someone Who is altogether Righteous – because we are unrighteous, or wicked. Lastly, we need the Righteousness of Christ to escape the fiery judgment of God. In parable in Luke 18:14, God reveals a very important biblical principle, “... every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted”. We must never forget that the publican was no more deserving of salvation than the Pharisee. What transpired has to do with the electing love of God entirely. Luke 18:13-14 describes the heart attitude of one who has already been humbled (or saved) by God. Both men uttered words which were indicative of the condition of their hearts as Mark 12:34 reveals, “... out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh”. Only God can so work in a person’s soul as to bring about that which James 4:10 affirms, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up”. Once again, the words of 1 Cor 1:27-29 ring out in praise to God’s rich grace and mercy: “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: THAT NO FLESH SHOULD GLORY IN HIS PRESENCE”.

Ps 69:13 “But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.”

Isa 66:2 “For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word”

Ps 34:18 “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”

Luke 18:13-14 “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

Ps 51:16-17 “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

Will the Lord be Pleased with Thousands of Rams? To Obey is Better than Sacrifice.

• Will the Lord be Pleased with Thousands of Rams? - The Bible teaches much about forgiveness and how it is intimately associated with blood atonement. But why blood atonement? In Lev 17:11 we find this principle, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul”. In Heb 5:1 we learn the purpose of burnt offerings and sacrifices, “For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins …”. Nonetheless, all of those sacrifices commanded by God in the Old Testament merely served as sign posts to illustrate a deeper spiritual reality which was yet to appear, the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb 10:8-10), as we find stated in Gal 4:4. What is the meaning of these “burnt offerings and peace offerings”? Undoubtedly they speak of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who had to become sin offering for His people, and then had to endure the flames of God’s eternal justice on their behalf. He was the “burnt offering” to redeem wicked, rebellious sinners. He was forsaken by His Father and became a curse in order to mediate an eternal peace between Holy God and fallen man. Heb 10:8 declares, “Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein” and Isa 53:10 asserts that God is pleased with only one sacrifice, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him [Lord Jesus]; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”

Mic 6:6-8 “Wherewith shall I come before the, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

Heb 10:1-4 “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. 3But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

Gal 4:4 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

Heb 10:8-10 “Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he [Lord Jesus], Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

• To Obey is Better than Sacrifice, and to Hearken than the Fat of Rams - Jer 7:22-23 is an astounding declaration of the value of obedience which God desires above anything we might offer Him. This agrees perfectly with the New Testament admonition found in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments”. Obedience is the thrust of the statement we find in Luke 6:46, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say”? Another very significant example for the necessity of obedience is found in 1 Sam 15:19-23 where Saul, the first king of Israel (who was not a saved man), is being reproved by God through the prophet Samuel for his sin of disobedience. Firstly, 1 Sam 8:7 highlights the gravity of rejecting God’s Word (the Bible), which is tantamount to rejecting God, as Israel desired for a human king (foolishly coveting what other nations had) as opposed to the perfect King and Lord Himself: “And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them”. The life of King Saul, Israel’s first king, is a sad, but provocative, account that illustrates the importance of true obedience as opposed to a false sense of obedience. Many aspects of King Saul’s life and rule were not unlike other non-Christians who appear outwardly to be highly moral. However, in this account (and others) he displays a critical lack of understanding the fundamental principles of obedience as he succumbed to self-deceit, blaming others, and stubbornness. Toward the end of his life he even consulted a medium, thus violating God’s law which he, as king, was responsible to enforce. This grievous sin speaks of his utter disregard for the Word of God: “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry”. His life is a warning to all of us who claim to be a believer to take a long, hard look at how we measure up to the Bible. On the other hand, the Lord Jesus was the epitome of obedience, as Heb 5:7-9 affirms. Indeed Christ came to fulfill all righteousness – every jot and tittle that the Law of God demanded. As the perfect Man and “God in the flesh” he perfectly obeyed His Father in thought, word, and deed. It is only by the obedience of Christ that anybody can be saved, as Rom 5:19b asserts: “… so by the obedience of one [Christ] shall many be made righteous”. Apart from Lord Jesus, who else can obey? Those who do come to salvation by God’s grace alone (Eze 36:26-27) hear His voice and subsequently obey, as John 10:27 indicates, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me…”. It should be carefully noted that obedience is a result of salvation, as are all other Christian “virtues”. Before Salvation one is spiritually dead in trespasses and sins under just wrath of God, according to 2 Thes 1:8 (and a plethora of other passages), “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Notice how God connects the idea of “knowing God” (that is, having a relationship with God) and “obeying the Gospel” (which in actuality is the entire Bible, or the “Law of God”, or the “Covenant”). After salvation God continues to work in the life of the child of God to mold them into likeness of Christ, in accordance with Php 2:13, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”.

Jer 7:22-23 “For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.”

1 Sam 15:10-12, 17-23 “Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying, 11It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night ...  the LORD anointed thee king over Israel? 18And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed 19Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD? 20And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites 21But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal. 22And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”

Heb 5:7-9 “Who [Lord Jesus] in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he [Lord Jesus] were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;”

Eze 36:26-27 “A new heart also will I [God] give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

• The Sacrifices of God are a Broken Spirit: a Broken and a Contrite Heart - We read in Isa 66:2, “For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word”. Who is this person described as “poor, of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word”? This person is found among those to whom Luke 1:50 refers, “And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation”. Those whom God has saved, or reconciled, have a deep fear and sensitivity to God’s Holy Word, the Bible, because they are fully aware that His Word is an extension of God Himself. When we become saved, we also become “Just” in God’s eyes because we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. And only God can humble someone. For each child of God, humility is not an option but a way of life, as God indicates in Isa 57:15. It is God who enables those who first obtain His mercy through salvation to reflect His merciful nature towards others. 1 Pet 2:10 explains who those people are, “[Believers] Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God:which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy”. In other words, those who “obtain mercy” (salvation) are called “the people of God” (believers), and God gives His people the ability to “love mercy” according to Mic 6:8. Although believers do not have the authority to forgive sins, they do have a duty to share God’s mercy with others by proclaiming the True Gospel of grace so that God may forgive their sins, if it is His will to do so. The Gospel is the “power of God unto salvation” according to Rom 1:16. We read in Pro 14:21, “He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he”. Our “neighbour” is our fellow man, and those who are spiritually “poor” are unsaved. We believers have mercy on our unsaved neighbors by giving them the Gospel. Have you obtained God’s mercy so you can obey God’s commandment to “be merciful” that we read in Luke 6:36? “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful”.

Psa 51:16-17 “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

Isa 57:15 “For thus saith the high and lofty One [God] that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

Mark 12:30-31 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:33 “And to love him [God] [obedience - loving God is keeping commandments] with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour [showing mercy] as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Mic 6:6-8 “Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? 7Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

As for Me and My House, We will Serve the Lord

• Choose you This Day Whom Ye will Serve - You can see in Exo 11:4-7, how God puts “a difference between the Egyptians and Israel” — typifying the unsaved and the saved, God’s people and the people in Satan’s kingdom. A lot of this, of course, is spiritual language about God’s mercy and God’s judgment. One of the reasons why God describes His Word as having two edges is because it always presents us with two sides, two opposites. There is life and death, blessing and cursing, good and evil, light and darkness, sweet and bitter, wisdom and folly, mercy and judgment. Why are there these two edges in life? Why is it not always blessing and love? Of course, it is the result of the sin. We were created in the image of God (Gen 1:26) and we were created to be creatures to serve God and to obey God. Yet, when Satan deceived Eve, and then later, Adam also rebelled against God (Gen 3), this whole world was plunged into sin, the whole world was cursed and we became servants of sin. This is what brought all of this evil into the world. Now the choice is, we are either going to serve sin unto death, where Satan would be paid homage, or we will serve the Lord Jesus Christ unto righteousness, because He has saved us.

Exo 11:4-7 “And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.”

Deu 30:15-20 “See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; in that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live [eternal life]: that thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land [new heaven and new earth] which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

Joshua 24:15 “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Rom 6:16-18 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”

• Woe unto them that put Darkness for Light, and Light for Darkness - Notice that Eve, having been deceived by Satan, succumbed to the three enticements found in 1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world”. Those within Satan’s dominion continue to follow these same lusts, regarding them to be part of a “normal” lifestyle. Christians are not immune to the same temptations; but, because they have regenerated souls, there is an innate battle between their redeemed souls and their unsaved bodies. Now if we are not reading the Bible, if we are not letting God talk to us, how are we going to know what is good and evil? We are only going to have our own mind to guide us, and that is what the world does. Isa 5:20-24 tells us, we will have the two sides backwards, upside down, and are going to go down the wrong path because our minds are tainted by sin and not trustworthy. We can not see anything because we are spiritually dead and we have turned things upside down and only God’s Word can open our eyes as Isa 29:18 declares: “And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind [spiritually blind] shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness”. 2 Pet 1:4 assures the true believer of the necessity to rely upon God’s Word—the truth entirely: “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust”. When God saves us and changes our heart, he turns us right-side up, upright again. Psalm 146 declares how, in the end, God is going to restore everything to its proper place. The word “woe” in these verses we just read from Isaiah 5 is a pronouncement of judgment. Jer 10:10 also speaks of the Lord: “But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation”. The Living God is the very essence of Truth, as God the Son so boldly asserted in John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”. Psa 146:5-6 states: “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever…”

Isa 5:20-24 “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.”

Acts 17:5-7 “But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down [upside down in World’s eyes but right side up in God’s eyes] are come hither also; whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.”

Psa 146:8-10 “The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: the LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.”

• As for Me and My House, We will Serve the God of Living - We must bear in mind that man’s death in the Garden of Eden is his greatest problem. We read the first reference to dying in Gen 2:17, “for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”. Thus, when Adam disobeyed God’s command of “thou shalt not eat of it”, God cursed man and the earth with death, as we read in Gen 3:17-19. Sadly, we see that man’s relationship with God was broken. He died spiritually in his soul, or spirit essence, and physically his body became subject to deterioration and death. We can think of that as the “first death”, although that is not a term used in the Bible. The phrase “dying thou shalt die” indicates that every human being is a “spiritually dead man” in the first stage of the dying process during his temporal life on earth; and, unless God resurrects his soul from that condition so that he “hath part in the first resurrection”, he will ultimately experience the “second death” in hell. The “darkness” and “power of Satan” that underlies an unsaved person’s life are carefully delineated in John 3:19: “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil”. Not only are the unsaved in complete rebellion against God and His Law, the Bible, unsaved man is under Satan’s (the god of this world) spiritual control and is a prisoner in his kingdom. The redemption that God has procured for each believer is the greatest miracle in this universe and pictures the transfer of power and spiritual metamorphosis that occurs when one experiences birth from above to become a servant of Christ, as we see from Acts 26:18. New-Birth — Resurrection is critical to God’s salvation program. And true salvation is inextricably linked to the Bible, as John 5:25 affirms: “when the dead [spiritually dead] shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live [born-again]”. John 8:12 and Psa 119:105 assures the Christian that his path will be well lit and that Lord Jesus and His Word is the source of the light: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” and “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path”. Rom 6:12-13 becomes part of the new “marching orders” of the resurrected believer: “yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive [born-again] from the dead”. In Mark 12:24-27 we find Jesus’ response to a question about the Resurrection, “He is not the God of the dead [spiritually dead], but the God of the living [born-again believers]”. Thus, the eternal body of elect believers are those whom God has “called out” of the world (or Satan’s kingdom) and placed in His eternal kingdom – the Kingdom of Christ (Col 1:12-13), are admonished in Rom 12:1-2 to live out their lives in this world, as ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ and “be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” . Those who have been placed in God’s family or kingdom can certainly identify with the words of Gal 1:4: “Who [speaking of the Lord Jesus] gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father”.

Mat 22:31-33 (Exo 3:6) “But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead [spiritually dead], but of the living [born-again believers]. And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.”

Acts 26:18 “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”

Col 1:12-13 “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us [true believers] meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:”

Rom 6:12-13 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive [born-again] from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”

1 Pet 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”

1 John 2:15-17 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

Rom 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Train Up a Child in the Way He Should Go

• Parent, Are You a Child of God? - The word “teach” in this highly significant verse Deu 11:9 “And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up”, is directed to all true believers, especially those who are Christian parents. As we think about the enormous implications inherent in this verse, we must first recognize the importance of examining ourselves to determine if I, as a parent, have indeed become a child of God. This is a prerequisite in order to teach any child truth from the Bible. Psa 50:16 warns the unsaved “What hast thou to do to declare my statutes” and 2 Cor 13:5 warns each individual to “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”, to meditate and walk in the Word of God. Another reason why this is so critical is because children learn more by the example set by the parent (or parents) than by any other means. Thus, as parents, we must beseech the Lord for His strength and grace in order to live out what we believe in front of our children; in other words, doctrine and daily living must go hand in hand. Jos 1:7-9 reveals God’s words to Moses’ successor, Joshua. In short, the essence of a Christian’s life is to be focused on and obedient to the Word of God. May God save you and work “in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ (Heb 13:21)”.

Psa 50:16-21 “But unto the wicked [unsaved] God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant [or God’s law] in thy mouth? 17Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee. 18When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. 19Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. 20Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son. 21These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.”

Deu 11:18 “Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.”

Jos 1:7-9 “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

• What to Teach your Child? - The word “teach” in Deu 11:19 “And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” also appears in Deu 6:6-9 (a parallel passage to Deu 11:18-20), “thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children”. In verse 6, “these words” refer to “the words of eternal life”, the Word of God, as we also see in John 6:68 “Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life”. In our day when apostasy abounds, we are under divine obligation to make sure the Gospel we are teaching is indeed that which is based upon all of the Bible and only the Bible! Ultimately, only God can teach or reveal truth to a person, regardless of their age “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day” (Psa 25:4-5); yet the Christian parents (particularly the father in most cases) are responsible to witness the Gospel to their child (or children), as Eph 6:4 underscores, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord”. We provoke our children to wrath by over-disciplining or under-disciplining them. The right-discipline is to “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord”. Could it be that if God has redeemed us by His grace, we would be obedient to Eph 4:15, which states, “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”

Deu 6:6-9 “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”

Isa 48:17 “Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.”

Psa 34:11 “Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”

• When to Start Teaching your Child? - 2 Tim 3:14-17 teaches a vital principle using Timothy, Paul’s young protégé, as an illustration, “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect [or complete], throughly furnished unto all good works”. Pro 22:6 also adds “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it”. Another example given to us in the Scriptures is that of Abraham in Gen 18:19, “For I know him [Abraham], that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him”. May God enable us by His grace to perform this solemn duty of training our children in the Word of God - the Bible.

Psa 78:1-8 “Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: 3Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. 4We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. 5For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: 6That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: 7That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: 8And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.”

• When and Where to Teach your Child? - “When” and “where” this instruction is to take place. The word “when” is repeated four times in this passage: “And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deu 11:19). Why so often?  Why so repetitive? Again and again and again, teach, teach, remind them, remind them “beware lest thou forget the LORD (Deu 6:12)”.  This verse pinpoints the fact that teaching our children to walk according to the Word of God is to be done routinely within the normal day-to-day activities as we interact with them, in every life situation, in every life decision. As we contemplate the verses in this lesson, may God give those of us who are parents His grace and strength to faithfully teach our children the truth of the Bible and to teach not only our own children, but to anyone else God might give us an opportunity to witness. Pro 1:8-9 admonishes children (also applies to every child of God) “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.”

Deu 6:6-12 “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. 10And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, 11 And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;

12 Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt (bondage of Satan), from the house of bondage.”

Pro 4:1-7 “Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. 2For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. 3For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. 4He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. 5Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. 6Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. 7Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”

Abba, Father in Heaven

• Our Father Which Art in Heaven - When Jesus prayed, He ad-dressed God as His Father. The Lord Jesus himself is spoken of as the “everlasting Father (Isa 9:6)”. Amazingly, God commands us to also address God as “Our Father” in the Lord's prayer. We do not fully under-stand such condescension on God's part but was made possible only through the sacrifice of His Son, Lord Jesus Christ. The Old Testament also has references to God as our Father. In the Bible, the fatherless is a reference to the spiritually destitute, the unsaved people. We are of God our Father through creation, but our sins have estranged us from God. In Adam we all fell and spiritually, the devil became our father. Only a true believer – that is, one in whom the Holy Spirit “dwells” – has been adopted into God’s eternal family as one of His children and has become a “joint heir” of heavenly glory with Christ. This happens at the moment we become “born again”. We are orphans when we are dead to sin, and God comes to us as a Father to the fatherless. God will be a Father to those who acknowledge their orphaned condition, their spiritual bankruptcy, with a broken and contrite heart. God cares for those who love Him.

John 8:42, 44 “42Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do...”

Rom 9:7-8 “Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.”

Eph 1:3-6 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”

Gal 4:4-5 “...God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

Rom 8:15-17 “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

1 John 3:1-2 “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

Eph 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

• Jehovahjireh, Lord, Our Heavenly Father Will Provide - Gen 22:1-14 describes the historical parable in which God commands Abraham to sacrifice his “only son” to God on Mount Moriah. When Isaac asked his father “where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”Abraham answered “God will provide himself a lamb”. Literally, verse 8 proclaims, “God will see to the lamb for Himself…”. God does not require Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac – and yet God willingly offered up His beloved Son – the Lord Jesus on the crosson Mount Moriah. Every time I read this passage I am dumbfounded by God’s mercy! God makes this amazing declaration in John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” While this is certainly true when taken at face value, yet when we grasp the spiritual ramifications of this sentence they indeed stagger our puny minds. What God is really enunciating is the fact that the Lord Jesus became sin – that is, the totality of each true Christian’s sins – and then He had to suffer the punishment of eternal damnation for those very sins. This fact is vividly highlighted in 2 Cor 5:21. Is it any wonder that Rom 8:32 asks this vital question, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”, “all things that pertain unto life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3)”. The Bible speaks of the Father as the giver of every good and perfect gift (Jam 1:17). The greatest gift of all is the gift of salvation. He provides both Spiritual needs (Luke 11:13) and Worldly needs (Matt 6:32) of His children.

Gen 22:7-8,13-14 “And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 13And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.”

2 Cor 5:21 “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of  God in him.”

Heb 10:12 “But this man [Lord Jesus Christ], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;”

2 Pet 1:3-4 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

Luke 11:9-13 “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 11If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”

Matthew 6:25-33 “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

• What Son is He Whom the Father Chasteneth Not? As Many as I Love, I Rebuke - The “reproving” that the Scriptures provide is actually a demonstration of the Lord’s great, eternal love toward His redeemed people. Gods corrections and chastisements demonstrate His perfect, loving care and concern for each of His beloved children as He conforms them to the image of His dear Son. Rev 3:19 admonishes, “As many as I love, I rebuke [reprove] and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent”. John 15:2 also reveals God’s purpose in divine “pruning” in order to foster increased fruitfulness in the lives of His elect children. Job 5:17-18 adds to that idea. Similarly, in Heb 12:8 we learn that God “chastens” His children for their spiritual “profit”, and unlike an earthly father, our Heavenly Father never makes mistakes, and His discipline – though “grievous” – “yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness” as an end result.  Job 23:10 is a remarkable affirmation of God’s power and grace in the lives of His children: “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” This wonderful promise highlights God’s constant faithfulness and love to His elect, and Jam 5:11, in turn, is a commentary on Job himself.

Pro 3:11-12 “My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”

Heb 12:6-11 “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.9Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.11Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

John 15:2 “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”

Job 5:17-18 “Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.”

Jam 5:11 “Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.”

Qualities of Godly Fathers

• One That Ruleth Well his Own House - God commands fathers to teach, discipline, and rule their households. As early as Gen 18:19 we note God’s expectation for Abraham as the head of his family: “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him”. A similar command was given in Deu 6:7: “thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children”. 1 Tim 3:5 postulates, how the Elders and Deacons in an institutional Church were to be selected to a high degree on the basis of how well they ruled their own households. This verse should still reflect the goals of all Christian fathers with respect to teaching and disciplining the children whom God has entrusted to their care. God’s words about rearing children in the Scriptures are not just “suggestions” – they are commandments that we must strive to obey. Let’s consider 1 Tim 3:4, “One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity”. To “rule” is to, “maintain”, or “be over”. God has assigned this vitally important task to all fathers. Naturally, if there is no father, these responsibilities are then incumbent on the mother. May God give us the grace to perform these most important biblical duties with faithfulness and kindness. 

Psa 127:3 “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.”

1 Tim 3:12 “Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.”

1 Tim 3:5 “For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?”

Rom 12:8 “Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.”

Gen 18:19 “For I know him [Abraham], that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”

• Having his Children in Subjection with All Gravity - Now let's consider second part of 1 Tim 3:4, “One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity”. What does it mean to have one’s children “in subjection with all gravity” and to have “faithful children not accused of riot or unruly” found in Tit 1:6? Luke 2:51 is speaking of the Savior Himself, Who, as a boy, humbly submitted Himself to His earthly parents. What an outstanding example for all children and adults as well! Rom 13:1 announces a key principle for obeying all God-ordained authority. Fathers, we need to cultivate these characteristics of submission and obedience to the Bible in our own lives, as well as in the lives of our children. The word “riot” means “excess”, “out of control” and also rendered as “disobedient” and “not put under”, as in 1 Tim 1:9. The idea here is that the children are not to be “out of control” since “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child…”, according to Pro 22:15a. Riotous and unruly behavior must never be tolerated and must be corrected immediately, firmly, and consistently so the child will understand that he cannot get away with such unacceptable behavior. In Heb 12:8 we learn that God “chastens” His children for their spiritual “profit”, and unlike an earthly father, our Heavenly Father never makes mistakes, and His discipline – though “grievous” – “yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness” as an end result. Rev 3:19 admonishes, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent”. Eph 6:4 underscores, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord”. We provoke our children to wrath by over-disciplining or under-disciplining them. The right-discipline is to “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord”.

Tit 1:6 “If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.”

Luke 2:51 “And he [Jesus] went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them [His parents]: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.”

Rom 13:1 “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”

Pro 3:11-12 “My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”

Heb 12:6-11 “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

• Having his Children Steadfast in God - Have you ever wondered why we don’t have to teach our children to be selfish, or mean, or rebellious? It is a part of their human nature – even as it is with every one of us. And that is precisely what Eph 2:1-3 teaches. We inherited this sinful nature from Adam. At the very onset we learn that God clearly established laws, or rules, that Adam was expected to obey (Gen 2:15-17) – and had the ability to do so. God also informed Adam that disobedience to his commands would result in death, spiritual death. This concept of God’s Law (which is the entire Bible) and the eternal consequences of violating His Law (eternal damnation) is of supreme importance to the human race. There are also other ways that we, as fathers, teach rules, and how the breaking of those rules results in specific consequences. As fathers, we have a divine obligation to teach our children the Gospel of Christ, which is the whole Bible and we need to be reminded of our solemn responsibility to train, correct, and discipline our children in love. One aspect of Tit 1:6 that I don’t want to overlook is the phrase, “... having faithful children…”. I cannot emphasize this enough; As fathers we can modify behavior, and it is part of our responsibility to ensure that there is an atmosphere of order and tranquility in our homes. However, that in itself will not produce salvation, or “faithful children”, only “the rod of correction” which is the “Word of God” can produce Faith unto Salvation since “So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom 10:17)”. God’s Word, the two-edge sword which has power to deliver ones soul from hell, is the source of all divine instruction, nurture, admonition, chastening and correction.This has to be the ultimate aim of all our prayers for our children, all our training, all our correction, all our discipline, and all our love. May it bear the fruit of 2 Tim 3:15, if God should allow: “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus”.

Eph 2:1-3 “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation [or lifestyle] in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”

2 Tim 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction [nurture] in righteousness:”

Pro 22:15 “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction [the Word of God] shall drive it far from him.”

Pro 29:15 “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”

Pro 23:13 “Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod [the Word of God], he shall not die [eternally].”

Deu 6:7 “And thou shalt teach them [God’s commandments] diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

Psa 78:4-8 “We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.”

• One That Sets the Example - As parents we are also subject to the same authority as our children – God’s Word – and we need to clearly explain this fact to our children. Thus, parents and children are to walk humbly and obediently before the Word of God. Without a doubt, one of the most difficult arenas in which to be a witness is among our own family members. It is indeed a proving ground without parallel, and we face all kinds of tests daily. How are we going to react? Are we going to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit or the works of the flesh? The word “teach” in this highly significant verse Deu 11:9, is directed to all true believers, especially those who are Christian parents. As we think about the enormous implications inherent in this verse, we must first recognize the importance of examining ourselves to determine if I, as a parent, have indeed become a child of God. This is a prerequisite in order to teach any child truth from the Bible. Psa 50:16 warns the unsaved “What hast thou to do to declare my statutes” and 2 Cor 13:5 warns each individual to “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith”, to meditate and walk in the Word of God. Another reason why this is so critical is because children learn more by the example set by the parent (or parents) than by any other means. Thus, as parents, we must beseech the Lord for His strength and grace in order to live out what we believe in front of our children; in other words, doctrine and daily living must go hand in hand. Thus, family life according to God’s Word becomes the forge, hammer, and anvil that shape our Christian living and growth. Without a doubt the greatest lesson our children will learn will be to follow not so much what we say, but rather what we do. This is the overwhelmingly profound influence of example. Consider the words of Jam 1:22-25 “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves ...”. 2 Tim 1:5 highlights this heavenly truth as well. If any of our children becomes a true child of God, it is only by the mercy of God; but whatever happens we can rest in the knowledge that God does “all things well”, according to Mark 7:37. Psa 127:1 is a magnificent tribute to God’s constant faithfulness: “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it ...”.

Jos 1:7-9 “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

Deu 11:19 “And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

Psa 50:16-17 “But unto the wicked [unsaved] God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant [or God’s law] in thy mouth? 17Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.”

2 Cor 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

Jam 1:22-25 “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

2 Tim 1:5 “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”

Psa 127:1 “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.”