God's Word is Our Guide

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