The Fifth Commandment (Q68-71)

The Baptist Catechism  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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Introduction

Connection:
Imagine a family with loving parents who set godly rules that are for the good of their children—rules that show them how to walk in the path of life, in the ways of God. But imagine that one of their children, getting into the time of puberty and the teenage years, suddenly said: no! I’m not going to obey your rules! I want to do things my way! You can’t tell me what to do!
What was this child’s problem? He failed to see the blessings and bounty of living in the good rules and ways of their parents who had a loving authority over him. However, this child felt that his own naiïve autonomy was more valuable then his parents wise and gracious authority. Autonomy or Authority—there is an ancient battle between these two ways of life:
It begins in the Garden of Eden—God lovingly demanded the cheerful submission of his creatures—Satan hatefully deceived Eve into a sinful and autonomous existence.
Godliness is submitting to God as the Supreme King.
Sin is living in autonomous freedom with the Self as King.
This is the heart of the sermon for this evening as we begin looking at the second table of the moral law, of the Decalogue, of the 10 Commandments.
Theme:
The Fifth Commandment (Q68-71)
Need:
Our world despises authority; our world despises submission; our world despises order in relationships—but to do such a thing is to undue our very humanity, being made in the image of God. Because we are creatures, we are under God’s authority; because we are his creatures, we are called to submit to Him; because we are his children, we are called to love him in an orderly way. We need Scripture to lead us into the paths of true and godly authority and submission in all areas of life.
Purpose:
To instruct the saints in a godly view of authority and submission; to comfort the saints in the perfect submission of Jesus Christ our Saviour for our Salvation; and to exhort the saints to honour the Lord in all of their relationships.
PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY

Q68. Which is the fifth commandment? A68. The fifth commandment is, Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee (Ex. 20:12).

Here we see that we are now shifting into the second table of the Law. The first table of the Law deals with our duties toward God; the second table of the Law deals with our duties toward man. This is the moral law which is summarized by Jesus in “loving the Lord your God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength” and “loving our neighbour as ourself” (Matt. 22:37-39). Thomas Watson says:
Having done with the first table, I am next to speak of the duties of the second table. The commandments may be likened to Jacob’s ladder; the first table, as the top of his ladder, reacheth to heaven,—it respects God; the second table, as the foot of the ladder, rests on the earth,—it respects superiors and inferiors. By the first table we walk religiously towards God; by the second we walk religiously towards man. He cannot be good in the first table that is bad in the second. “Honour thy father and thy mother.”
Love for God and love for man are the sum duty of what God requires of mankind—and for those who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, for those who are trusting in Jesus Christ, this perfect law of liberty shows us the way to walk in our gratitude, living out our salvation as we are being transformed into the image of Christ in all of life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus, the second table of the law shows us how to honour Christ by honouring our neighbor. Tonight, we are focusing on the Fifth Word, the Fifth Commandment, which shows us how to honour our parents and all who are in authority over us.
Why is this part of the moral law so crucial for us, especially today? Because it assumes God’s mandate and desire for family and society: (1) A family with one husband and wife, who are both bringing up their children in a stable and loving environment, and (2) a way of life that respects authority and leadership which brings loving submission and subjection.
Let’s unpack this commandment using the rest of Holy Scripture:

Q69. What is required in the fifth commandment? A69. The fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honour and performing the duties belonging to every one in their several places and relations, as superiors (Eph. 5:21), inferiors (1 Pet. 2:17), or equals (Rom. 12:10).

First we see that the Fifth Word requires that we honour superiors; that is, those that are above us in some respect—our leaders and authorities. This is chiefly shown in children needing to honour, submit to, and obey their parents. One scholar says:
The Hebrew word for honour means glorify, which Scripture uses to speak of honouring God. Your parents aren’t God, but they’re God’s gifts to you, as you are God’s gifts to them. The way you treat them should resemble the way you respond to God. The dignity of parents lies in their capacity to symbolize the heavenly Father.”
Thus to honour is to give respect, praise, trust, obedience, and time to those who are above us. We are not to slander, shame, or scoff at our authorities. And those who are in an authority position, as a superior, they are to reflect the rule and reign of their heavenly Father, the living God—loving, caring, serving, and leading with mercy. They are to be lawful and loving in their rule—not tyranical and abusive.
Where does the catechism turn for a broader application of this principle of authority and submission? Ephesians 5:
Ephesians 5:21 ESV
submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
What does the Holy Spirit intend to teach us through this verse? I think that we are being shown here that especially Christians, who are led by the Spirit, who are willful and cheerful slaves of Christ our Lord, should submit to all authorities in our lives. I don’t think Paul is saying that each of us has a strong authority over one another which requires submission—I think that Paul is saying that we are to submit to one another insofar as God has placed authorities in our lives, in the church, in the home, and in the society. Why can I say this confidently? Because right after this verse Paul shows us what this submission to one another looks like—by each person submitting to those who above them, who are their leaders, who have a responsibility for them:
(1) Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord (Eph. 5:22).
This means that Husbands have a positions of authority and responsibility to lovingly lead, care for, serve, protect, provide, pray for, and etc.
(2) Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right (Eph. 6:1)
This means that Parents have a position of authority and responsibility to lovingly lead, care for, serve, nurture, strengthen, instruct, empower and etc.
(3) Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ (Eph. 6:5).
This means that Masters (or in our day—bosses) have a position of authority and responsibility to lovingly lead, care for, direct, govern, instruct, manage, and etc.
Thus Paul shows us that this mutual submission isn’t about us commanding each others’s obedience as if everyone was in the same place of equal authority—but rather it means that we are to submit to each and every one who is over us by God’s appointment and provision. To submit to one another, is to submit to those who are above us in the Lord.
God isn’t against authority—for authority is proper to God’s nature—He is the Sovereign King over the universe and we must submit to Him properly as his creatures, and in the Gospel, as his loving children.
Daniel 4:34–35 ESV
At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”
Because we are made in God’s image, and God is a perfect and authoritative God, he has made it so that there are positions of authority in society that are meant to be exercised in love and humility.
Yes—sinful humans abuse authority. But as Jonathan Leeman says, “The solution to bad authority is not no authority, but good authority”.
Godliness, following Jesus, holiness, and obedience means that we submit to those who are in a position of authority and responsibility over us.
However—and this principle applies to ALL positions of authority: when an authority goes outside of their circle or realm of authority (a government dictating how parents should parent), or if they explicitly command something that is sinful (parents dictating that children must worship a false god)—then we say with the Apostles: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
Authorities that are above us are always to be honoured—but not always to be obeyed (they are only worth our obedience when they are ruling justly and righteously according to God’s moral law).
The Apostle Peter says this:
1 Peter 2:17 ESV
Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
Love, Fear, and Honour. As someone who is under authority, you are supposed to love your neighbor, fear the living God, and then honour the emperor. Respect your authorities. Listen to your authorities. Value your authorities. Trust your authorities. Submit to your authorities. And when they are leading righteously—obey your authorities.
A helpful reminder is that the Emperors of the time of the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter were the Roman Emperors who were brutal with their immoral leadership. Paul and Peter are not commanding submission to a good King—they are commanding submission to a terrible King. Remember—obedience is only given when the King’s laws are moral—but you can still submit and respect and honour the wicked King by not sinning against him, by not revolting against his leadership, by not spitting in his face—but by loving and honouring him. Why? “For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Rom. 13:1).
Daniel 2:21 ESV
He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;
If we have power to seek to reform and change and influence the leadership then we do that. In a democratic society we have power of voting. Use your vote wisely—but know that whoever get’s in office is there by God’s sovereign hand.
As a congregation God has given the church authority to set up and take down officers in the church. If a leader is ruling unjustly and disqualified himself from the office, then the church is responsible to use their power accordingly and to follow the Lord’s instructions for the household of God.
But if we don’t have power to change a situation—we recognize God’s sovereignty, give honour where it is due, and render obedience when it is fitting.
Now, what about when we are dealing with someone who is an equal? Someone who is neither above us, nor below us—a fellow neighbor, a fellow sibling, a fellow church member? How do we honour our equals?
Romans 12:10 ESV
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
As is the case, God requires us to love. We don’t have power to command our equals—we only have power to counsel. We don’t have to submit to their dictates. What does Paul say to do?
To love one another with brotherly affection. Equals deserve a heart love, service, devotion, delight, care, counsel, support, and help. We are to love our neighbour as ourself. We are to treat them with dignity. But Paul adds more:
We are to outdo one another in showing honor. We are to seek to one-up each other in our love and service and care. We are to respect each other and treat each other “in humility, counting others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4).
We provide for each other’s needs—we pray for each other’s problems—we grant each other wisdom—we check in on each other’s walk with Christ—we fellowship with each other in encouragement. We love each other b/c we are the eternal family of God in union with Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.
Equals are to love each other, to good to one another, with a brotherly and sibling-like affection—for the glory of God.
Superiors must lead with righteousness, humility, and love; inferiors must submit to their authorities and render obedience; equals must outdo one another in love and honour.
Obedience is a delightful thing for the Christian who wants to honour Jesus Christ—and resisting tyranny by withholding obedience in sinful dictates shows that God is the Highest King, that Christ is Lord—not the prime minister, not our boss, not our parents, and not our elders—Christ is the Chief King, and every other authority only rules justly insofar as they submit to the perfect law of liberty, the law of Christ; but when they do—we cheerfully submit, trust, and obey.
This is the will of God for us in the 5th commandment. What does this commandment forbid? To the next question we go:

Q70. What is forbidden in the fifth commandment? A70. The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglect of, or doing any thing against the honour and duty which belongeth to every one in their several places and relations (Mt. 15:4-6; Ez. 34:24; Rom. 13:8).

The catechism quotes Matthew 15 where Jesus is rebuking the Pharisees for changing God’s law so that obedience and submission is evaded to those for whom it is properly due:
Matthew 15:4–6 ESV
For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God.
Here the Pharisees had basically said: yes you are called to honour and render obedience and support to your parents—but if you devote that obedience and support to the temple then you don’t need to honour your father.
The blunder was thinking that you could neglect one responsibility by exalting another one. To put it practically—we have duties to our parents and to our elders at our church—to neglect duties to our parents for our elders, or vice versa—is to fail to give proper honour to both authorities in our lives. God’s moral law does not contradict itself—honour is due to all proper authorities. We cannot add to or take away from our duties to such authorities. In so doing: “for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God”:
That is to day, that your words have trumped God’s written and sufficient Word. To go beyond what is written is to exalt a human tradition over the living and active Word of God which shows us God’s moral will for us in all of life.
Ezekiel 34:24 ESV
And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.
Here we see the idea of a hierarchy of authorities in the nation of Israel—God was the living God, Yahweh, their covenant God, but this God also instituted that their be Kings in Israel who are reigning and ruling in a proper authority. As noted earlier—we must not neglect our duties to one another in the place of another.
God call’s us to honour, submit to, and obey all authorities because they have been placed there by God: “I am the Lord, I have spoken”, listen to me and submit to those whom I place over you.
Romans 13:8 ESV
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Here the Spirit inspired Paul to remind us that if we have an out-standing debt that we are obligated to repay it. We must not go on owing anyone anything by refusing to pay it back.
Lending and Borrowing is legitimate (Ex. 22:25; Ps. 37:26; Matt. 5:42; Luke 6:35). But if we are not seeking to repay, to give back what we owe, then we are neglecting the honour and respect and submission due to the one who lended us money. Thus our desire is to owe no one anything—to pay back all our debts in their proper time.
And then, to remember that we are called to love each other—to never leave that debt outstanding—but to always be repaying the duty of love to each other: in the home, in the church, in society—all of our duties must be enflamed with true love and affection for others.
So we’ve seen what the Fifth Word requires of us, and what it forbids of us, but why does God command it? Let’s continue to the last question:

Q71. What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment? A71. The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is a promise of long life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve for God’s glory, and their own good) to all such as keep this commandment (Deut. 5:16; Eph. 6:2, 3).

Why does God command that we honour authority? Because it is for our good and for blessing in our life. Notice that it doesn’t say honour your father and mother that you might be saved … no this is not salvation by works—but this is living out salvation and recognizing that God blesses and rewards our child-like and loving obedience with blessings that serve God’s purposes in our lives. Ps. 19 says:

the rules of the LORD are true,

and righteous altogether.

10  More to be desired are they than gold,

even much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey

and drippings of the honeycomb.

11  Moreover, by them is your servant warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

Evangelicals love to talk about how we aren’t saved by works—but do we talk about how God does bless obedience?
This isn’t a health, wealth, and prosperity gospel. God does not promise universal long life and prosperity—but only such as serves His purposes in our lives. It’s almost like a proverb—as we walk with God, God lavishes us with good thing—as we neglect God, He disciplines and judges us in his Fatherly love and anger. Look at Deut. 5:
Deuteronomy 5:16 ESV
“ ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
And it’s repeated in the NT:
Ephesians 6:2–3 ESV
“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
The main idea here is that submission under, trust in, and obedience to authorities is God’s ordinary means of bringing blessings into our lives. Just think about it.
Does a rebellious child normally have a life that is filled with peace, wisdom, and blessing? NO. Why? Because they aren’t walking in the will of God. This is true in all areas of godly authority. Authority is placed by God for our good, and for His glory—and it is a means of dispensing common grace and blessings to his creatures, but especially to his children. Notice the Apostle Peter’s words in 1 Peter 3:8-14
1 Peter 3:8–14 ESV
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,
We are called to bless, to live according to God’s will, that we might obtain a blessing. Do you want to live the good life in the good days, then live a holy life, turn away from evil and do good. The Lord blesses the righteous with temporal blessings of his love and favour.
Now—this is a general promise not a specific promise. You’ll notice that the catechism says that this promise is only as far as it serves God’s glory and our good)—and sometimes suffering is a blessing God brings for our good, for our growth. So we can’t name it and claim it; we can’t declare and receive—God hasn’t promised wealth or material blessing—but He has promised that as we obey Him and authorities in the fear of the Lord that He brings good things into our lives. And what is the best thing? Fellowship with God. Hear from the Psalmist:

55  I remember your name in the night, O LORD,

and keep your law.

56  This blessing has fallen to me,

that I have kept your precepts.

According to the Psalmist, one of the best blessings that can be received in this life is the grace of God which empowers us to keep his precepts and walk in nearness to Him all of our days! This is true wealth and prosperity—to live as a child of the King.
God blesses his children with temporal good according to his wisdom and care—but the most important blessing is not temporal or in this life: it is salvation unto eternal life with Jesus Christ our Lord forever and ever!
The reality is that we have all failed to be perfectly godly as authorities, to submit to proper authority, and to treat our equals with perfect love. We have failed to keep the law of God—because God is the Judge who is the Highest Authority, and because He is Righteous and Holy and Just, then he not only has to dispense temporal curses, but also eternal curses for sinners who have broken his law and have rebelled against his authority as our loving and holy Creator.
We are all sinners who fail to honour our parents, who fail to honour our government, who fail to honour our Elders, who fail to honour our bosses, who fail to honour our leaders—and because these sins are against the Eternal and Infinite King of kings and Lord of lords—we stand condemned and under his wrath.
But God was rich in mercy and his infinite wisdom found a way for his wrath to be satisfied without contradicting his holiness and justice—by sending his own Son, Jesus Christ, to become a human being—to obey the law perfect, to honour his authorities perfectly, to render pure obedience at all points on our behalf to reconcile us to God—and to die on the cross of Calvary to suffer the justice and wrath of God that we deserve for every single ounce of a failure to honour our authorities, and for every single other sin every day of our lives in thought, word, and deed—Jesus Christ drank the cup of God’s judgment in full, in our place, so that we could be redeemed and reconciled to the living God. Hear from the Holy Spirit:

5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Beloved, trust in Jesus Christ—rely upon Him alone for salvation from God’s judgement—find justification (total forgiveness and total righteous standing before God), find peace (a restored relationship that will never be severed), find grace (a free gift of God’s favour and salvation), find hope (a confident promise of eternal life that cannot fail), find comfort (in the love of God poured into our hearts), find strength (in the Holy Spirit who empowers us to become more like Jesus), find salvation (being saved from the wrath of God, the judgment of God, from death, from hell, and from the tyranny of the devil), find joy (as we enjoy the presence of our God and Father whose presence brings the fullness of joy as we behold his glory and grace and love and majesty, as our God, as we are his children via adoption in Jesus Christ our Lord)!
Jesus perfectly obeyed the Fifth Word so that your legal standing before God could be perfectly righteous and obedience—and now He pours the Spirit of God into our lives so that we can live out the Fifth Commandment as we seek to do all for the glory of God, out of thanksgiving for his incredible mercies, and as we seek to know Him, enjoy Him, and walk with HIm for all of our days as we are waiting for His glorious return when He will bring heaven to earth at last, will cast the wicked to hell, and bring his weary saints to eternal life in resurrected bodies, in the presence of the Lamb of God, with all of his church, for all of eternity. Oh come Lord Jesus! And until then—let’s live for His glory by obeying the Fifth Word, out of love for our Awesome God.
Instead of walking in sinful autonomy, defying God’s authority, and his established authorities in our lives—let’s live in joyful submission to His authority, and to his established authorities in our lives. And may the light and love of Christ Jesus shine through us as we do that very thing. Amen?

Conclusion + Big Idea

Read the Q+A’s Again:
Amen, let’s pray.
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