Of/In the Lord

As is the case a lot in my bible study, I find myself in the same passages time and time again. This morning in Ephesians 6. I may have written on this in before, as I have notes in the margins of my bible to the effect, but I was led here by God again and I know that means there is something here for me to learn and understand.

“⁴Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. ¹Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” – Ephesians 6:4 & 1 (ESV)

Yes, I know and did post these verses in reverse order. Speaking first to fathers to discipline children yet not in anger, but of the Lord. And then to the children to understand that the instruction and discipline of the father are of the Lord and they should obey in the Lord. These work together and both are responsible in making them work together.

I feel as though there is one-sided approaches to fathers and children. And those one-sided approaches are seen in perspective. Fathers see disobeying children and children see angry, overbearing fathers. And where perspective is important, it is also important to see things from the other’s perspective to get a sense of where the actions are coming from.

Children, we have to see that fathers are doing what they understand to be in the best interest of us. Fathers want us to be independent and successful. Do they get it right all the time, NO. Are all fathers raising us “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord”, NO. Yet, generally, fathers are acting in the way they know how. It is our role to ensure that we are obeying them “in the Lord”. We are to be following the teaching of the Lord and finding His instruction in that from our fathers.

Fathers, we have to see that children are doing what they understand to be in the best interest of us. Children look up to us to be the example of what right looks like in the world. Do they get it right all the time, NO. Are all children obeying “in the Lord”, NO. Yet, generally, children are seeking to understand the fathers instruction. It is our role to ensure that we are disciplining and instructing in the way “of the Lord”. We are to follow the teaching of the Lord and finding His obedience in our children.

Notice in the above that it is our responsibility to study and learn from the Lord what is right, regardless of which side we are on. Some of us are on both sides, fathers and children. And for us, we have double work to do, instruct “of the Lord” and obey “in the Lord”. Either way each is “the Lord” where we are to find that which is right and honorable.

Where are you looking for the example? Are you fully looking to your father or children here in this world? What if you were to look for the example of/in the Lord and applied His teachings to here in this world?

Earthly Fathers in Christ

“¹⁴I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. ¹⁵For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” – 1 Corinthians 4:14-15 (ESV)

See the writing of Paul to the Church at Corinth. He is letting them know that he is their father in Christ here in this world.

We all have those earthly fathers in Christ that can guide us when we are in need. This father may be our birth fathers or could be a surrogate much like Paul was to the Corinthians. This father is not a/the replacement for God the Father, rather he is someone who is there in the flesh to stand with you as you petition God the Father.

Even as God the Father is with me always, I am still human and find comfort in having someone physically available to walk with. It is a less than fulfilling to be alone, even alone in Christ. Yes, He fulfills my every need, yet there is something to having someone that will stand with me so that when I am not hearing the Father, I can hear my father who may be hearing from God the Father with/for me.

Paul was not the lord over the people and that he made very clear. He was an earthly father/teacher in the name of Christ to the people. He was the voice of Christ to the authority to speak the gospel to them all the while giving us the example of how to approach the gospel ourselves. We are to stand to the gospel yes, yet we are to stand in peace as Paul did and accept the punishment of man for the upholding of the law of God.

“¹⁶I urge you, then, be imitators of me. ¹⁷That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.” – 1 Corinthians 4:16-17 (ESV)

I am reminded of a quick little video I saw once as relates to being an imitator of the father. In the video, there was a man walking through a restaurant. The man was dressed in a suit and carrying a briefcase. Now that may not seem too unique, only as you looked behind the man, there was a small boy walking behind him. The boy was wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase. Cute right? Looking at the video, I see the boy imitating his father. He may not have known all that there was to the goings on in the moment, yet he was being like his father, knowing that dad was doing something and he wanted to do it also.

We need to have that father to look to as an example to do something. We have to be careful as to who we look to, although a great place to find one is in the presence of God the Father. There are earthly fathers out there for each of us to lean on. Yes, God the Father is where we look for true guidance, but there are times when we may not hear Him and need someone next to us to relay the message coming from Him.

Who is your earthly father? Are you out there trying to go it alone? What if you were to seek out an earthly father in Christ to stand with you as you petition God the Father?

Our Father, Ruler Over Me

Who is the ruler over you? There are a lot of competing forces in this world and each of them are trying to “earn” your allegiance only to rule over you once it has been given to them. I think it is interesting that “rulers” in this world gain your allegiance with promises of gain, only to turn and then expect blind following as they use that allegiance against you.

God is not that type of ruler. First of all, He does not work to “earn” my allegiance. Yes, He sent His son Jesus to die for my sins, but, He only loves me and He gives me salvation and is fully transparent in everything. He does not make promises for tomorrow, only that tomorrow will take care of itself. He does not ask for anything from me, other than love and obedience to His will. He does not ask me to go against authorities of this world, only that when the laws of man do not align with His laws, I should follow His law and accept the consequences of this world.

I have Jesus as my example of what right looks like and follow His example as I traverse this world. Jesus understood that the rulers of this world did not rule over Him. He followed the law of man when it did not conflict with the law of the Father and when it did, He accepted all that was the result of going against it. Jesus made it clear that this world and the rulers in it were not the rulers of Him.

“³⁰I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, ³¹but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.” – John 14:30-31 (ESV)

As a child of the Father, I too am ruled by Him. There is no claim of “ownership” of me from the rulers of this world. I have given myself to the Father and allow Him to rule over me.

I just chuckled as I was thinking of the last sentence above. I allow the Father to rule over me and yet, I do not feel as though He has His thumb on me in doing so. I have free will. I have free thought. I have contentment. I do not need for anything. Yes, I do have my hands out to Him, but I am only asking for love and comfort and direction, not hand outs. I look to Him for guidance and direction, not for Him to fix it all to my liking. The Father is all things to all people, unlike rulers of this world, who are all things to themselves.

I allow the Father to rule over me because of the personal relationship I have with Him. Jesus had the same type of relationship with the Father and as He is my example, if it is good for Jesus, my brother, then it is good for me.

What is your relationship with rulers? Are you slaves to the rulers of this world and looking for something from them that may never come? What if you approached it as Jesus, knowing that the rulers of this world have no claim on you and that the Father is the one to be your ruler?

Compassion and Forgiveness

We are going to be persecuted in this world for those things that are not in line with what is considered socially acceptable. Take all of the challenges and persecution that is taking place in the Middle East at this point in history. Whether you are on the side of Israel or the side of Palestinians, there is persecution that comes with your decided views.

“³³And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁴And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ And they cast lots to divide his garments.” – Luke 23:33-34 (ESV)

Notice here Jesus’ approach to the persecution. He calls for God to “forgive them”, and why, “for they know not what they do”. Jesus was in a situation where He was being persecuted well beyond anything that I will be subjected, and His go to was to show compassion for those persecuting Him and ask that they be forgiven. He is not asking for one side to be right and the other side to be wrong, Jesus is simply asking for compassion and forgiveness for all involved.

I have to remember that people are going to be people and they are going to do what is in the mind, whether that is of their own volition or it is driven by the evil one. These are only people and have every opportunity, just as I did, to repent and accept Christ. My role is to bring the love of Christ to them and as I do so, I have to show compassion to them and forgive them.

I do not have any special powers and am certainly not Christ. But, I am one of His children and am tasked to bring His way to the world. I am to demonstrate and be the example of Christ in the world today. The example that Jesus set was one of compassion and forgiveness and it is my role to bring the same to others in this world.

I believe that we are sorely missing God in the world today and we need all of His children to take up the example of Jesus and spread it far and wide, yet not to forget those in our immediate vicinity. I have a duty to complete the work Christ set for me:

“¹⁸And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” – Matthew 28:18-20

Jesus went through this world bringing His message to ALL, regardless of who they were or where they came from. He provided countless examples of compassion and forgiveness in His time here. He then challenged me to do as He did and bring His message to all and demonstrate that same compassion and forgiveness in the process.

What are your actions when things go sideways around you? Are you taking the process of condemning those who hold a different view? What if we used the example of Christ and showed compassion and forgiveness to all involved?