The Law of Christ (Part 5): Honor Your Parents - 11.30.25

Jordon Gilmore

Key Text

• Exodus 20:12 – “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
• Ephesians 6:1–3 – The first commandment with a promise.

1. Why This Commandment Matters

• This command sits in the middle of the Ten Commandments—between spiritual laws and moral laws.
• Its placement shows how important honoring parents is to God.
• Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly:
  • He satisfied the law’s demands.
  • He modeled how to live a holy, obedient life.

2. What “Honor” Really Means

• Honor = respect in word and action, with an inward attitude of esteem.
• Honor begins with respecting the position of parent, even when the person fell short.
• The goal is respect for both position and merit—but position still deserves honor.
• Example: saluting the rank/uniform, not the person—honoring authority even when relationships are difficult.

3. A Cultural Tension We Must Navigate

• Our generation emphasizes emotional health and personal healing—which is good.
• But reflecting on childhood wounds can sometimes harden hearts toward parents.
• Even in cases of neglect, abuse, immaturity, or addiction:
  • God’s command does not change.
• The challenge: learning how to honor parents without denying real pain.

4. The Promise Attached to Honor

• Paul calls this the first commandment with a promise:
  • “That it may go well with you and that you may live long.”
• We never graduate from this command—even as adults.
• There is wisdom and benefit built into honoring parents.

5. Three Benefits of Honoring Parents

1. Personal Healing
2. Setting a Generational Pattern
3. Breaking Generational Trauma

6. God Takes Disobedience Seriously

• Romans 1:28–32 and 2 Timothy 3:1–5 list “disobedient to parents” alongside grave sins.
• Why so serious?
  1. It violates God’s divine order meant for protection.
  2. Rejecting earthly authority makes it harder to submit to God’s authority.
• Hebrews 12:9 – Respecting earthly parents trains us to honor God as Father.

7. Jesus as the Perfect Example

• Luke 2:41–52 – Jesus at age 12 in the temple.
• Though spiritually exceptional, Jesus:
  • Returned home.
  • Was submissive to His parents.
• For 18 years, He lived under their authority.
• Result: “Jesus increased in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man.”
• Lesson:
  • Surpassing parents in knowledge, skill, or spirituality does not remove the call to honor.

8. Honor in Action, Not Just Words

• Matthew 15:3–9 – Jesus condemns “lip-service honor.”
• The Pharisees used religion to avoid caring for parents.
• We should pray: “Lord, what does honor look like in this season?”

9. Giving Grace and Ongoing Care

10. A Generational Vision (Jeremiah 35)

• Lesson:
  • Obedience to parents produces long-term generational protection and blessing.
  • What we model today may protect descendants we will never meet.

11. Final Challenge

• Honoring parents is not just personal—it’s generational.
• Our obedience today shapes our children, grandchildren, and beyond.
• God calls families to be faithful across generations.
• It begins with honoring our fathers and mothers.