So It Will Go Well With You

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. Ephesians 6:1-3 (NASB unless noted)

This verse represents the only Old Testament commandment that is given to Gentile believers to do. It is described by Paul as the “first commandment with a promise” attached to obeying it.

Do we give thought to the consequences of not obeying it?

This commandment is simple in that the corollary is almost obvious—if we do not obey/honour our parents it will not go well with us and we will not live long.

Obedience is important, especially to God who promises to discipline his children:

It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? Hebrews 12:7

We don’t give enough consideration to Father’s discipline when we endure hardships (read Fathered by God).

Look at Paul’s words to the Corinthian believers who were acting in a despicable way when they were not sharing the communion meal with other believers of lessor means:

For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 1 Corinthians 11:30

Discipline! Those guilty of eating and drinking "in an unworthy manner" were experiencing weakness, sickness, and even death.

Is Father serious about obedience?

His commandments pertain to relationships. When we disobey or even ignore His commandments, we harm to His children. No parent will stand for that.

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. John 14:15

We do well to consider obedience where He commands we obey those within the body that He has placed in authority over us, or that we love and honour our wife, or to submit to and fear our husband, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols (halal?) and from fornication, etc. When we obey because we love Him we need not fear His discipline.

We have Jesus, as our example of real obedience:

Have this attitude [determination] in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who…humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8 brackets are mine.

Are we willing to be obedient to all that Father asks of us even if it means our death?

We are willing if we love Him as we should.

©2020, Dr Steven Bydeley, a man.

All publishing rights reserved. Permission is herewith granted to reprint this article for personal use and to link or refer to it; however, no commercial re-publishing of the material in this article is permitted without prior written consent.

Steven is the author of Fathered by God and with his wife Dianne, co-author of Dream Dreams and Dreams the Heal and Counsel. He has been a guest on the Miracle Channel, Trinity Television, and Crossroads Communication, and has taught internationally on various topics.

Without Prejudice. © 2023, Steven., house of bij de Leij., of man.