Holiness in Honoring Parents

………. Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy. Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father,……: I am the LORD your God.(Lev 19:2-3)

We see the failure of this commandment in practice within today’s society, especially with the invention of the Old Folks or Retirement Homes. A visit to these places will reveal the despair of elderly parents who are placed there to be cared for ‘professionally’ but not in love. Parents who once had the strength and energy in their youth to sacrifice and love in bringing up children have been deserted and left in their sunset years amongst strangers and not family. Albeit there are ‘bad’ parents, but there is no perfect parent save our Father in Heaven. Hence there is no excuse to forfeit our responsibility to our parents who were or are responsible for our upbringing.

The covenant (Exo 19:5) gave us the first or prime commandment with promise (Eph 6:2) for wellness and long life. A commandment that is not in relation to little children only but as well as to adults; in the Moral Laws or Ten Commandments this is first in relating to others besides God (Exo 20:1-7). ‘It includes inward reverence and esteem, outward expressions of respect, obedience to the lawful commands of parents, care and endeavour to please them and make them easy, and to avoid every thing that may offend and grieve them, and incur their displeasure’ (Matthew Henry). True honoring of parents involves praise from the lips and reverence from the heart (Mark 7:6). There must be a connection or agreement between words uttered and from the heart (Luke 6:45).

The declaration of this commandment is given without any explanation except that our God is Holy and this is one of the ways we practically practice holiness or separation unto the Father (Matt 5:48). Families that honor parents are considered holy, this is a revelation of a truth that some have lost today even in the church. Breakdown in families, result in breakdown of churches. The seriousness of this commandment is not an Old Testament principle (Exo 21:15, 17) but our Lord Himself reminded of its importance (Matt 15:4). Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature when under subjection of His parents although He knew His divine destiny (Luke Luke 2:41-49).

Have some been overcome by being un-well in mind, body and spirit? Perhaps it’s a sickness unto chastisement (1 Cor 11:30) for dishonoring of parents in speech and in heart. Have lives been lived out in abundance (John 10:10) or there is lack of contentment (1 Tim 6:6, Phil 4:11). Examine ourselves if we have not obeyed this critical commandment with God’s promise.

The New Covenant

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, …..This cup is the new testament in my blood….(1Cor 11:23-25)

The New Testament or Covenant is a revelation from God which is the Covenant of Grace sealed by blood of Christ. The New Covenant has been misconstrued leading to the teaching of nullifying the Law, devalue of the grace of God and denying the need for holiness. Our revelation of God as well as His truths are very much dependent on the condition of our heart (Psa 18:26) as one can also take the Text out of context. The obedience and the keeping of the Covenant are in reference to the Ten Commandments or the Moral Law of God (Heb 8:9, Exo 19:5) for God’s people is redeemed to obey. We understand that the Law was not given to be redeemed but after redemption, in other words we are saved in order to obey. Hence our salvation is never of works but entirely of faith (Eph 2:8. 9) and clearly stated that ‘it is the gift of God’. There were ceremonial and social laws in addition to the Moral Law but only the Ten Commandments were stored in Ark of the Covenant, indicating the importance as the Ark is the representation of the Presence of the moral God. Doing away with the Moral Law is to do away with the moral character of God. If we who are called to be conformed to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29), Who Himself is the fulfillment, establisher and embodiment of the Law (Matt 5:17), are immoral in nature than there is a grievous contradiction. ‘Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God’ (2 Cor 7:1).

A contract is written between two parties with regard to what they plan to do. A contract is self- serving, whereas covenant is relational and values the interests of the other person. Therefore a covenant is a positive not a negative; to us it is God who will ensure that whatever He does is for the interest of His redeemed people for His Name’s sake However, this is not being taken presumptuously that we should take it as our right, but rather it is based on His grace and mercy because God is the executor and ensure the completion of the covenant

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: (Jer 31:31)

The first Covenant was marriage broken by idolatry therefore a New Covenant is required ‘because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord’ (Heb 8:9) and the initiator of the new is God ‘in days to come’. It was at the Last Supper that Jesus instituted the New Covenant (Luke 22:20). The New Covenant is clearly spelt out as He will put His law in our inward parts, and write it in our hearts; and will be our God, and they shall be His people (Jer 31:33). The first Covenant was written by the Finger of God on tablets of stone and now it’s on heart of flesh (Eze 26:36). Obedience is then from the heart not exerted from the external, it is an obedience motivated by love not obligation (Matt 22:37); we are a ‘people shall be willing in the day of thy power’ (Psa 110:3). ‘He works in them a disposition to obedience, a conformity of thought and affection to the rules of the divine law, as that of the copy to the original’ (Matthew Henry). In this disposition of obedience, is a relationship with the All-Sufficient God becomes an engaging reality. We are not alone in obeying God’s statutes (Eze 36:27) but the Holy Spirit, Who is the Promise of the Father will be our helper (Acts 1:4) that we walk not forced but by an internal principle.

Stemmed out of that New Covenant is the richest of the knowledge of Christ that we attain unto ‘the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ’ (Eph 4:13) and ‘as far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us’ (Psa 103:12). What a blessing it is to live without any guilt or condemnation hanging over our heads, where God’s grace and mercy flows like a river without obstruction.

The sum of this New Covenant of Grace is that we shall be His People and He will be our God (Eze 36:28) in that we were firstly chosen and loved by Him, not we of Him. This is the capstone of our faith in Christ, not merely saved from hell but to manifest the life of the Son of God.

Suffering

For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. (Php 1:23-24)

Here is the apostle from the point of his salvation was told that he would be shown ‘how great things he must suffer for’ Christ’s name sake (Acts 6:16). He suffered the loss of all human accolades and experiences that he may win Christ (Phil 3:8). He didn’t suffer for wrong but suffered for righteousness sake (1 Pet 3:14). His suffering came from external sources (2 Cor 11:23-27) as well as from the deep care for the churches (2 Cor 11: 28). Yet with great revelation was the thorn of humility (2 Cor 12:7). What does this kind of extremity of suffering amount to? In the midst of suffering one will ask if there is anything to gain from it.

It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. (Psa 119:71)

Suffering comes in forms of affliction, tribulation, trials, troubles and the like. All these words are all too familiar in both New and Old Covenants. In suffering lack and hunger Paul learned the secret of the Christ’s strengthening and true contentment. The learning of lowliness of heart came upon Paul because He was yoked to Jesus (Matt 11:29) with that learning the secret of rest unto the soul. Without suffering we can continue to be restless with regard to self and when the reality of hardship hits us we will fall apart. But in walking in a yoked relationship with the Author and Finisher of our faith, though we fall, we will not be utterly cast down (Psa 37:24).

This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. (Psa 34:6)

Suffering leads us to prayer and from the stature of humility in prayer we will find God’s grace and mercy that endures forever. ‘Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray’ (Jam 5:13), be prayed over by spiritual authority (Jam 5:12) and know the power of the prayer of faith (Jam 5:15). Thus having spiritual authority is an important basic principle of covering and meekness to walk under that covering. Let us not walk in accordance to what is right in our own shortsightedness (Jdg 21:25).

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered (Heb 5:8)

The disciples who are no greater than their Master will not escape ‘the fellowship of His sufferings’ (Phil 3:10) because in that process of conforming into His death, there is a conformance to His image of Son-ship. Our deep assurance is that even suffering cannot separate us from the love of God (Rom 8:35) and as sons of God we are His dearly beloved. ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose’ (Rom 8:28).

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Mat 6:34)

Suffering is inevitable in our fallen world. If we view suffering as negative we can end up in bitterness towards God and miss His full blessings for sons He wants to bring unto glory (Heb 2:10). However, if we respond to our God in child-like faith, He Who knows the number of hairs on our heads in suffering we find ourselves drawn closer in love, prayer and Christ-likeness.

Devotion

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. (Luke 2:25)

Devout men and women are those who pay serious attention to the Lord with transparent and sincere hearts that wishes for the best and glory of the God Whom they worship or serve. Sometimes devotion to service, ministry and even prayer could supersede our true devoutness and God is very clear that nothing comes before Him (Exo 20:3). In other words the things that are outcome of our devotion to God have taken priority tainting the divine oneness in Christ.

And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. (Act 8:2)

Devout men and women are bold individuals and yet have an exchanged ‘heart of flesh’ (Eze 36:26) to grieve things which the Christ would grieve over (Psa 78:40). Bold men and women do not become devout, but the devout become bold for God. The Lord will give the devout His heart and put His Spirit upon them (1 Cor 6:19), even their bodies transformed to vessels of His glory.

A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. (Act 10:2)

The devout to God give generously and are remembered in Heaven for that. Their alms are not done in pride (Matt 6:3) for men to see but become memorials before God. They have learned to hear and respond to the cry of the poor (Pro 21:13). The poor will always be amongst us to test where our heart and treasure is, material blessings are not meant to be hoarded but the devout see themselves as channels of blessings and experience the true blessings thereof (Acts 20:35).

And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, (Act 22:12)

Not only the devout have good testimonies, but also be those whom God will strategically use even to launch men and women into their God led callings. What a great privilege to be part and parcel of God’s plan and purposes! Don’t be devout men and women of things, be devout men and women of God, He will give His heart and Spirit to do in accordance to all that He authored in us and will personally ensure its completion. Don’t be devoted to causes, no matter how spiritual they are, but be devoted to Jesus so we don’t end up glorying in causes but in Christ.