Austin Bible Church
Respect For Authority Begins in The Home
The Fifth Commandment can be found in Exodus 20:12. This verse is also binding in the New Testament as it is quoted in Ephesians 6:1-4.
""Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you." (Exodus 20:12, NASB)
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:1-4, NASB)
All respect for authority begins in the home. This is a basic principle which must be taught in the home. If a child respects their parents’ authority, they will respect the authority of their school, the laws of their county, state and nation, the military and so on. It all starts at home.
The Bible indicates that if authority and respect are not present in the home, then the whole system of national and personal survival is threatened. A basic principle is that a child’s attitude toward their parents determines how long they will live on the earth and how they will die.
The Word indicates that believers who respect authority will survive through the terrors of life because of that very mental attitude! On the other hand, the believer who flaunts authority and who will not obey their parents, will not obey traffic laws either. So they fly along at 90 mph and have a blow-out and they carry them out in pieces. Or he gets drafted, fools around through basic training and then gets mowed down in combat because he had no respect for military discipline and panicked under the pressure of combat.
This is borne out in Proverbs 30:11-17. The believer who does not respect authority will die a premature and violent death. The four generations mentioned here are describing a passage found in Exodus 20:5.
"There is a kind of man who curses his father And does not bless his mother. There is a kind who is pure in his own eyes, Yet is not washed from his filthiness. There is a kind—oh how lofty are his eyes! And his eyelids are raised in arrogance. There is a kind of man whose teeth are like swords And his jaw teeth like knives, To devour the afflicted from the earth And the needy from among men. The leech has two daughters, "Give," "Give." There are three things that will not be satisfied, Four that will not say, "Enough": Sheol, and the barren womb, Earth that is never satisfied with water, And fire that never says, "Enough." The eye that mocks a father And scorns a mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it." (Proverbs 30:11-17, NASB)
""You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me," (Exodus 20:5, NASB)
This is describing children who flaunt authority, unsaved here under this family curse. But the same principle applies to believers out of fellowship who flaunt authority and despise it. Notice Proverbs 30:11. This is a terrible thing. Now what is their end? Note the end result in Proverbs 30:17. This is saying that a rebellious, disobedient child will be food for the buzzards someday. Terrible.
Do you see how important it is to teach our children respect for authority? Look at Matthew 15:4. What death? The violent death of Proverbs 30:17. Now just think for a moment how many young men are dead because they flaunted authority, become full of pride and self-righteousness, knowing more than all the laws put together, and they died violently.
" "For God said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.' " (Matthew 15:4, NASB)
So divine viewpoint versus human viewpoint is vividly described here. Divine viewpoint is to honor and to obey your parents. If you do this, the second step is that you will honor the Word of God. No young man who despises the authority of his father and mother has any use for the Word of God. They mock their parents, and they mock the Bible. They mock their school teachers, and they mock the “cops.” They mock the military and on it goes to an early grave. Human viewpoint is a miserable way to live.
Respect for the Privacy of Others
A believer is not to stick their nose into other people’s business, nor to malign, gossip, etc. Any passage that condemns gossip, is an invasion of privacy. Gal. 6:4-5; 1 Peter 3:17.
“But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one will bear his own load.” (Galatians 6:4-5, NASB)
“For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.” (1 Peter 3:17, NASB)
Children must be taught to respect the privacy of others. A very-important doctrine in order to have a relaxed local church where everyone minds his own business. Gal. 5:13-15; Gal. 6:3-4.
"For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another." (Galatians 5:13-15, NASB)
"For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another." (Galatians 6:3-4, NASB)
What people wear is none of your business. What kind of cars they drive, the homes they live in, how they spend their money, and how much they give or don’t give in a local church is none of your business.
Respect for Property of Others
There are many passages on stealing and protection of property. This also involves borrowing people’s items and bringing them back in good shape. Children must be taught to respect the property of others as well as their own property. They must be taught to bring in their tricycles and bikes at night and to not damage neighbor’s property, to pay for damage they cause. Parents must discipline their children for damage they cause with the punishment proportional to the damage done.
The right of ownership of property means you don’t hunt where there is a no-trespassing sign. The right to choose your own friends teaches what the right type of friend is. They must also be taught that everyone has the right to live in their homes peacefully and unmolested.
Respect for the Rights of Others
Children must be taught to respect the rights of others. This the right of another person to make a volitional decision (when adult) or the right of parents to make volitional decisions for their children. Rank has its privileges. This is a general principle running throughout the Word of God. The chain of command, the chain of authority.