Keeping The Fifth Commandment
Last Lord's Day we considered the fifth commandment of the Decalogue, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you." (Exodus 20:12, ESV). Aside from the challenge we all have in obeying and submitting to authority in general, we also tend to have a really hard time with the very first word of this commandment; "Honor". What is that exactly? And what if my parents have sinned against me in grievous ways or what if they're not Christians etc.? Questions like these quickly begin to surface in a fallen world. But the commandment stands. Honoring our fathers and mothers is a non-negotiable for Christians but the expression of that honor may look different depending on the circumstances. To help us think through some of these complexities I highly commend these three articles by Tim Challies. May they bless you and help you to keep the fifth commandment.