This post is the third installment of an examination of Jonathan Edward’s statement concerning the Christian family. The phrase we are looking at today says every Christian family should be “wholly influenced and governed by His [God’s] rules.”
Here is the entire quote:
“Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church, consecrated to Christ, and wholly influenced and governed by His rules. And family education and order are some of the chief means of grace. If these fail, all other means are likely to prove ineffectual. If these are duly maintained, all the means of grace will be likely to prosper and be successful.”
One of the most gracious things God has done is to give us His inspired and inerrant word (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). His word is a reliable and trustworthy guide that shows us how to handle all of life’s issues in a way that is most beneficial for us and most glorifying to Him.
The Scriptures are also authoritative (John 16:12-15; Matthew 4:1-11). Over 2000 times, the Bible claims to be the “Word of God”. Through it, our great God who is omnipotent and omniscient has revealed His will. He is a wise and powerful Creator and His Word deserves the utmost reverence, respect, and obedience. The Bible contains direct commands and clear principles regarding how those who claim to be God’s children should conduct themselves.
The Scriptures deal heavily with family relationships and the proper order of the Christian home. So, when Jonathan Edward’s said our homes must be “wholly influenced and governed by His rules”, the assumption is that there is no lack of information concerning those rules, nor motivation to follow them. Here are just a few such “rules”:
Husbands and Fathers
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her - Eph. 5:25
Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel -1 Peter 3:7
But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever - 1 Timothy 5:8
And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up - Deuteronomy 6:6-7
And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. - Ephesians 6:4
Wives and Mothers
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. - Ephesians 5:22-24
That they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed – Titus 2:4-5
Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. – 1 Peter 3:3-4
And you, fathers (can also be translated “parents”), do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord - Ephesians 6:4
Children
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you - Exodus 20:12
Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord - Colossians 3:20
Everyone
This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it - 2John 6
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others - Philippians - 2:3-4
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you - Ephesians 4:32
In closing, let me say that it is impossible for anyone to faithfully and consistently follow these commands and instructions in their own strength. Through a surrendered and obedient life, the Holy Spirit can and will provide you the wisdom, desire, and ability to obey God’s “rules” for your Christian home.
David
All Scripture verses were taken from the New King James Version
Wednesday, May 27
Thursday, May 21
A Consecrated Home
Last week I began a phrase by phrase examination of a quote by Jonathan Edwards concerning the Christian family. This week I want to look at the second phrase in the paragraph.
“Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church, consecrated to Christ, and wholly influenced and governed by His rules. And family education and order are some of the chief means of grace. If these fail, all other means are likely to prove ineffectual. If these are duly maintained, all the means of grace will be likely to prosper and be successful.”
According to Webster’s, the word consecrated, used in the context of this phrase, means “to make or declare sacred; to devote irrevocably to the worship of God by a solemn ceremony.” To consecrate something means to dedicate it to God for His glory and for His purposes. In the Old Testament we can read about consecration ceremonies taking place in which people, animals, buildings, and material possessions are declared sacred and set apart for God’s use.
In Exodus 13, the firstborn children and animals of Israel are consecrated to the Lord at Passover. In Exodus 29, Aaron and his sons are consecrated to the Lord to serve Him as priests in the tabernacle. In Joshua chapter 6, the silver, gold, and bronze taken from fallen Jericho were consecrated to the Lord for “His treasury.” The act of consecration is a solemn and serious undertaking. It signifies a person’s acknowledgement of God’s rightful ownership of and sovereign headship over a person or object under their care.
With this in mind, what about your home? Is your home a sacred place dedicated to Christ and His service? Do you desire Him to be the sovereign Lord of your home and do you want it to be set apart for His glory? Whether you are a single adult living alone or a mom and dad with multiple children, you can plan and conduct a private consecration service for your home.
It may look something like this; Have your family gather together in a central location of your home for the reading of Scripture and for prayer. You may want to use Matthew 7:21-27, 1 Chronicles 29:10-14, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, or Ephesians 5:22-6:4 as possible Scripture readings.
Your prayer time can consist of praying for the physical and spiritual protection of your home and family; the dedication of yourself and your family members to fulfill the roles and responsibilities God has given through His word; the acknowledgement that He is the owner and ruler of all your possessions and the foundation of all healthy family relationships; and that in your home you desire Christ to be exalted and the Holy Spirit free to control and guide the life of each family member. You can commemorate this event by purchasing a framed Bible verse, picture, plaque, or figurine and placing it in a prominent area of your home.
Having a private time of consecration is only the beginning. Daily our lives and homes must be surrendered to the Lordship of Christ. Through His direction and enablement, our homes may not become problem free but, they can become bastions of God’s grace and mercy. They can become channels through which Christ receives the glory and honor due His name.
David
“Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church, consecrated to Christ, and wholly influenced and governed by His rules. And family education and order are some of the chief means of grace. If these fail, all other means are likely to prove ineffectual. If these are duly maintained, all the means of grace will be likely to prosper and be successful.”
According to Webster’s, the word consecrated, used in the context of this phrase, means “to make or declare sacred; to devote irrevocably to the worship of God by a solemn ceremony.” To consecrate something means to dedicate it to God for His glory and for His purposes. In the Old Testament we can read about consecration ceremonies taking place in which people, animals, buildings, and material possessions are declared sacred and set apart for God’s use.
In Exodus 13, the firstborn children and animals of Israel are consecrated to the Lord at Passover. In Exodus 29, Aaron and his sons are consecrated to the Lord to serve Him as priests in the tabernacle. In Joshua chapter 6, the silver, gold, and bronze taken from fallen Jericho were consecrated to the Lord for “His treasury.” The act of consecration is a solemn and serious undertaking. It signifies a person’s acknowledgement of God’s rightful ownership of and sovereign headship over a person or object under their care.
With this in mind, what about your home? Is your home a sacred place dedicated to Christ and His service? Do you desire Him to be the sovereign Lord of your home and do you want it to be set apart for His glory? Whether you are a single adult living alone or a mom and dad with multiple children, you can plan and conduct a private consecration service for your home.
It may look something like this; Have your family gather together in a central location of your home for the reading of Scripture and for prayer. You may want to use Matthew 7:21-27, 1 Chronicles 29:10-14, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, or Ephesians 5:22-6:4 as possible Scripture readings.
Your prayer time can consist of praying for the physical and spiritual protection of your home and family; the dedication of yourself and your family members to fulfill the roles and responsibilities God has given through His word; the acknowledgement that He is the owner and ruler of all your possessions and the foundation of all healthy family relationships; and that in your home you desire Christ to be exalted and the Holy Spirit free to control and guide the life of each family member. You can commemorate this event by purchasing a framed Bible verse, picture, plaque, or figurine and placing it in a prominent area of your home.
Having a private time of consecration is only the beginning. Daily our lives and homes must be surrendered to the Lordship of Christ. Through His direction and enablement, our homes may not become problem free but, they can become bastions of God’s grace and mercy. They can become channels through which Christ receives the glory and honor due His name.
David
Tuesday, May 12
Is Your Family a Little Church
The great pastor and theologian of the 18th century, Jonathan Edwards, once said in regard to family life:
“Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church, consecrated to Christ, and wholly influenced and governed by His rules. And family education and order are some of the chief means of grace. If these fail, all other means are likely to prove ineffectual. If these are duly maintained, all the means of grace will be likely to prosper and be successful.”
There are several points that Edwards makes in this statement which I believe are extremely important for parents and their children to understand. Each phrase is unambiguous, deep in meaning, and biblically based. Over the next few weeks I want to explore this short paragraph one phrase at a time to glean from it the truths it contains.
Today, I want to look at the opening phrase that says, “Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church.” When we understand why the church exists we can easily see how the family can and should be likened to a little church. The church has three primary functions. First, it exists for the praise and worship of God. Paul instructs the body of believers at Colossae to “sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thanksgiving in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16) The heart of every believer should overflow both privately and corporately with worship, thanksgiving, and adoration of our one true God.
Second, the church exists to nurture and build up believers to maturity in the faith. Ephesians 4:12-13 says that gifted men were given to the church “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” Spiritual maturity is promoted when the Word of God is taught accurately and intently, then application is made by the believer through faith and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Third, the church exists to fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. It is primarily the ministry of the church to make the name of Christ known locally and globally through missions and evangelism (Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8). Along with this, the church is to be God’s instrument of mercy by caring for the poor and needy in the name of Christ (Acts 11:29; 1 John 3:17).
Based upon these three functions, every parent can determine if their home is operating like a little church by asking these three questions: Is my family praising and worshiping God together? Are my family members maturing in their faith at home through training and instruction in the Word of God? Is my family actively making Christ known by sharing their faith with others and by ministering to those in need? If not, then your home has been reduced to a place where individual interests and schedules set the family’s priorities. When this happens, godly pursuits always get squeezed out of the picture and become add-on activities if time allows.
I hope your home is now, or will become, a “little church” that is “consecrated to Christ.” We will look at this second phrase next time.
David
“Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church, consecrated to Christ, and wholly influenced and governed by His rules. And family education and order are some of the chief means of grace. If these fail, all other means are likely to prove ineffectual. If these are duly maintained, all the means of grace will be likely to prosper and be successful.”
There are several points that Edwards makes in this statement which I believe are extremely important for parents and their children to understand. Each phrase is unambiguous, deep in meaning, and biblically based. Over the next few weeks I want to explore this short paragraph one phrase at a time to glean from it the truths it contains.
Today, I want to look at the opening phrase that says, “Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church.” When we understand why the church exists we can easily see how the family can and should be likened to a little church. The church has three primary functions. First, it exists for the praise and worship of God. Paul instructs the body of believers at Colossae to “sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thanksgiving in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16) The heart of every believer should overflow both privately and corporately with worship, thanksgiving, and adoration of our one true God.
Second, the church exists to nurture and build up believers to maturity in the faith. Ephesians 4:12-13 says that gifted men were given to the church “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” Spiritual maturity is promoted when the Word of God is taught accurately and intently, then application is made by the believer through faith and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Third, the church exists to fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. It is primarily the ministry of the church to make the name of Christ known locally and globally through missions and evangelism (Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8). Along with this, the church is to be God’s instrument of mercy by caring for the poor and needy in the name of Christ (Acts 11:29; 1 John 3:17).
Based upon these three functions, every parent can determine if their home is operating like a little church by asking these three questions: Is my family praising and worshiping God together? Are my family members maturing in their faith at home through training and instruction in the Word of God? Is my family actively making Christ known by sharing their faith with others and by ministering to those in need? If not, then your home has been reduced to a place where individual interests and schedules set the family’s priorities. When this happens, godly pursuits always get squeezed out of the picture and become add-on activities if time allows.
I hope your home is now, or will become, a “little church” that is “consecrated to Christ.” We will look at this second phrase next time.
David
Tuesday, May 5
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