The Father's Love, and Fathers' Love (Part II)
Since God loves His children to the extent which He does, and will discipline and chasten them for their benefit and learning, so that the Christian will grow (Heb 12:5) it is instructive to compare His care and concern with how we ought to have the same care and concern for our own children. The fact that children are a gift from God, and are a blessing to us is so well described in the following passage.
Ps 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. (KJV)
With the blessing of children comes the responsibility to nurture them and discipline them with the same concern as God has for them. The intensity of God's concern and regard for children, both Christians and little children alike is evidenced in Matt. 18:1-7.
Knowing how God loves His children as well as how he loves little children, we ought to be deeply impressed with the responsibility God places in our hands as the stewards of His creation. Just as God chastens the Christian out of love and concern, we also should love our own children with that same depth of love. Consider this from the Proverbs:
Prov 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. (KJV)
Of course, this is not referring to arbitrary mistreatment of children. Rather, it is in regard to the true love one has for the well being and careful nurturing to cause a child to grow and mature, so that the child will not be emotionally, mentally, or spiritually handicapped as that child reaches adulthood. As Solomon wrote, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit:
Prov. 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
There is a way that each person should go, whether it be their professional lives, or whether it be their spiritual. Parents may be the most influential people as to whether one denies God in his old age or not.
All people should be taught that there is an order to authority. Without a respect for authority a society will degenerate into anarchy. There are prisons filled with men and women who, because of their lack of respect for civil authorities, perhaps even for parental authority, they have lost their freedom and liberty. God has revealed to us His design for a pattern of authority within the family.
1 Cor 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. (KJV)
With this order of “headship” in mind, God instructs us:
Eph 5:33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (KJV)
When everything is said and done, it is the individual who must make up his mind whether to obey the Gospel or to reject the Christ. Parents wield a great amount of influence upon their children so that when the time arrives that they have reached the age when God holds them accountable for their sins, that they will have a tender heart, be reverent enough to hear the Gospel of Christ, will listen to God and His commandments, and will be ready to respond in a positive way. If, however, they are of a rebellious nature, and have a hardened, callous heart, they may reject God. How much grief would one have, knowing that his own child has considered himself unworthy of eternal life by rejecting God's plan of redemption.
Curtis A. Little, Royse City, TX
