Honoring God’s Authority

Minister:
Date: AM
Text: Proverbs 4; Lord's Day 38
Psalters: 259, 329, 223, 366
  1. The honor required.
    1. To “honor,” is to render respect, soul submission. God requires that His children Ashow all honor, love, and fidelity.”
      1. Honor is an inner respect, to think highly of them, giving reverence.
      2. Honor is always required – even and especially when we cannot obey or they sin against us or are wrong.
      3. Fidelity is faithfulness shown also when parents are old; there is no age limit to the honor commanded.
    2. Honor is the only good source of obedience and submission.
      1. Obedience is a yielding of myself so I do as commanded.
      2. Honor submits when we may not obey, being willing to bear the consequences of not obeying them.
  2. The great reason for honor is because of the presence of God’s authority in all of our life.
    1. Always we are under authority, so we may never do whatever we want, when we want, and how we want.
    2. Authority is the God-given right to rule (determining the standard, the demand to conform, and to judge).
    3. All authority is God's.
      1. It is His because he created, upholds, and governs all things (Rom. 11:36).
      2. God delegates the exercise of His authority chiefly to Christ when He ascended: Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:19ff; Phil. 2:11,12.
  3. Why are we to honor God’s authority?
    1. Our heavenly Father encourages us by adding a promise to this commandment.
    2. Compliance to authority (obedience and submission) is for our good.
    3. More importantly, this is well-pleasing to God (Col. 3:20).
    4. Finally love God and show your love for Him by obeying Him and His will.