1.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
2.
Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
3.
That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
4.
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
4. “ And, fathers, provoke not your children to wrath. ” You know the poor little things have inherited evil tempers from you. If you can not kill a rattlesnake, just let him alone. If you arouse him, he will probably kill somebody. The hereditary evil in your children is the snake nature, imbibed from the devil in the fall through the serpent. You can not kill it. Adam the Second alone can kill Adam the First. Hence, do your utmost to avoid arousing the evil tempers in your children, till you can get them all sanctified out by the cleansing blood. “ But bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord; ” i.e., so correctly in the fear and love of God as to keep them out of sin, and enforce obedience. Solomon says, “If you beat a boy with a rod, you shall save his soul,” and warns us not to “spare the rod and spoil the child.” Meanwhile, you sedulously control him in harmony with the law of God. Your home is to be the school of Christ, in which you faithfully teach the inmates the Holy Scriptures and the way of the Lord.
5.
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
6.
Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
7.
With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
8.
Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
9.
And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
10.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15.
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16.
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18.
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19.
And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20.
For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
21.
But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:
22.
Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.
23.
Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
24.
Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
ARGUMENT 26
REGENERATION AND SANCTIFICATION
24. “ Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with Divine love in purity. ” Here we have agape, the definition of God himself. (1 John 4:18.) “God is love;” i.e., love is the Divine nature. It evanesced from humanity in the fall, and never gets back till the Holy Ghost pours it from his own heart into ours in regeneration. So this Divine love is the new heavenly nature imparted to us in regeneration. We receive it into a depraved heart, as we have no other sort. This heart must be thoroughly purified in the subsequent work of entire sanctification. Why does not God take the old life of sin out of us before he imparts the new life of grace? Why did not the Indians evacuate California before the Americans came and settled this beautiful country? From the simple fact that they loved California, and wanted to stay in it, and did stay until they were driven out by the new inhabitants. Even so the devil loves the human heart, and only evacuates it at the point of the bayonet. If the Holy Ghost did not come in, Satan would never go out. When he comes in, he always brings his new life with him. Hence, we see regeneration must precede sanctification. This verse is a good text, beautifully revealing this great double salvation in a nutshell.