The Christian Family
The Christian Family is a little church, a
little government and a little society. It shapes the foundation
of the church, and of society itself. Future generations depend on the
leadership found in the home, and the values they receive there.
The Family is a God-ordained institution, a spiritual and organic
unity, that was established for the cultural mandate of 1) glorifying
the Creator, and 2) subduing the earth. In this mandate (Genesis
2) the duties of the husband, wife, children, masters and servants are
encompassed, and the Scriptures readily set forth a theology of domestical duties. Husbands, wives and children have specific,
God-honoring duties to perform in their respective stations in the
economy of God's redemptive plan. Their goal as a family is to 1)
honor God, 2) edify the church and 3) promote Christian values in their
respective stations of society. All this stems from the moral and
spiritual values enumerated in the home and functioning to honor Christ
Jesus. In this regard was the Puritan conception of the family or
household. Dr. William Perkins described the family as a "little
church", Dr. William Gouge called it the "seminary of the Church and
commonwealth..." and Rev. Richard Baxter characterized the home as "a
church... a society of Christians combined for the better worshipping
and serving God." Rev. Lewis Bayly taught that "what the preacher is in
the pulpit, the same the Christian householder is in his house." He was
quoting Augustine. The family, then, is the most important institution
in society paralleling the relationship of Christ and the Church.
Thus, Paul, carried by the Holy Spirit, rightly demonstrates this in
Ephesians 5:22-6:9 in the manner of the duty of the husband, of the
wife, of the children, and of masters and salves in the household.
May this section of the website be for the edification of the family,
and the respective duties of each hierarchical part of the family as
ordained by God.
...more to come as time allows.
|
|
Back to the
Christian Walk Check out the
Wild Boar News Podcast
Family
Worship
(WCF Introduction)
by Dr. Thomas Manton
The Directory
of Family Worship
The Word of God and Family
Prayer
Rev. Thomas Doolittle
God and the Family
Rev. Thomas Doolittle
A Remedy for Decaying
Religion
Rev. Oliver Heywood
A Sad History of David's Son
by Dr. William Plumer
How Not
to Foul Up the Raising of Your Children
by Dr. C. Matthew McMahon
Avoiding Dissention in
the Home
By Rev. Richard Baxter
The
Duties of the Husband and the Wife
by Dr. John Dod
Family
Duty
by John Bunyan
Family
Worship
by AW Pink
Family Religion
by Rev. George Whitefield
Household Piety
by Rev. Lewis Bayly
Motives to Family Prayer
by Dr. J. Merle D'Aubigne
Family and Grace
Dr. Jonathan Edwards
Seven Reasons Families
Should Pray
by Rev. Thomas Doolittle
The Exercise of Family
Devotions
by Dr. John Knox
The Duties of Christian
Parents
by Rev. JC Ryle
The Duties of the Husband
and the Wife
by Rev. Richard Steele
Fathers Leading Family
Worship
by Dr. JW Alexander
The Duties of the Husband
and the Wife
by Rev. Richard Baxter
The History, Nature and
Warrant for Family Worship
by Dr. JW Alexander
The Practice of Piety at
Meals
by Rev. Lewis Bayly |
