fam14 Fathers that Please God

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Fathers that Please God

Marks of a Good Father Fathers that please God
By David Cox
[FAM14] v1r ©2008 www.coxtracts.com
You may reproduce this tract if given away for free.

At times men think that they are very good fathers, when in reality they are not. It is not as you think that counts but rather what God has said about the matter. So we should explain what it is that makes a man a good father in the eyes of God. His relationship with God is going to cause the man to conduct himself well with his wife, and also with his children.




Responsibilities of the Man

When we speak of the man’s responsibilities with his family, we have to return to the garden and focus on Adam with his family. We see in Genesis 2:15 that God gave Adam the duty of “laboring” (working) and “keeping” (which is to have the charge over something that you need to constantly look after). The good father admits that he has duties before God in that of his family, and he works to support his family and to keep them from problems and dangers.

Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

When the first family fell into sin, God blamed the man for not having to take the leadership, and specifically, his sin was “because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife.” For not being a leader, God punished and will chastise every man. So then a good father understands his leadership over the family, and he develops his life and his relationship within and without the family as the leader of the family.

In the case of a pastor of a church, he should be an example of what is a good man, and specifically, God proposes that a good man of God should be someone who

1Tim 3:4 “One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;”

The leadership of a good father is to order his house so that all worship and serve God.

Josh 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Joshua proposed that he and his house under his leadership would serve God. So we can identify a good father as a person who orders his house such that he serves God with his family.

Gen 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

God made this commentary about “the friend of God”, Abraham, that God believed that Abraham would set his house in order. Abraham caused them to walk in the way of Jehovah, and he was going to cause his family to “keep the way of the Lord”. This “keep” is the same word in Genesis 2:15 which is to watch over a charge or responsibility that one has received. Those that want a good home have to accept the responsibilities related to a Christian home. There are Christian men who never pray with their families, never read the Bible with them, and never explain the principles of God to them. Moreover, they never carry their family to church, and they don’t participate in the things of God. This is not how we receive the blessings of God for our families.




Isa 38:19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.

The word “truth” here in Hebrew means firmness, faithness, something trustworthy or stable. Fathers should make the faith, the firmness, and the stability of God know and common because they are living it actually in their lives before their family.

Col 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. Col 3:21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

They do these responsibilities in love, and do not seek to provoke their family to irritation or rebellion. The good father does not make his wife bitter (which means to be upset, mad, irritated). He does not exasperate his kids. This means not to raise up strong emotions by provoking them. The rule that guides us here is to not discourage his family because of how he orders or imposes the authority of God, which God has given him spiritually speaking.

Eph 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Good fathers are not going to cause frustration of anger in his children, but order and discipline.




The good father disciplines whom he loves

Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

A good father is somebody that loves his children, and because of that, he disciplines his children for their failings of charcter so that they will be good Christians. There are two parts to this, there is discipline by the father, and their is reverence and respect on the part of the child. A good father insists (even using discipline if necessary) that his children respect and honor all adults and people in positions of authority. Equally there is a reception of discipline by the child because they respect the father. They understand that discipline comes because the father loves them. They hear and feel these regular expressions of love from their father.




A Good Father Supports his Home

Luke 11:11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

1Tim 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Eph 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

A good father is a person that gets a lot of joy and tranquility in his soul to provide for his family. It is his principle task in the home. Even Paul goes so far as to say that the man who does not support his faith has denied his faith. In other words, he is not manifesting a true salvation, and every proclamation of belief and love of God rings hollow for such a man. We can conclude that every good father is a good worker, somebody who works hard so that he can help his family economically.




A Good Father focuses on the Spiritual

1Tim 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

There is more to being a good father than just an open pocketbook always for his kids and wife. There are also spiritual teachings that they need to receive. Here we see the need to unfocus from riches, pleasures, and the possessions of this world, and refocus things on God and the spiritual, seeking peace, tranquility, and blessing..A good father refuses riches and possessions as the end goal of his life. He seeks to be content with what God allows him to have. His family is likewise taught the same. They do not fall into the errors of covetousness and selfishness.

Prov 30:7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: 8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: 9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

There is a balance between maintaining ourselves with our daily bread, and not entering into getting rich, or living the rich lifestyle.

Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Matt 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

The good father has to fight against covetousness in his own life, and in exalting luxuries and riches to overtake and crowd out the spiritual in his family’s life also. Possessions and riches do not provide happiness, peace, nor tranquility. The father simply focuses his life and his family’s life on the spiritual. To be content is something that comes only when a person seeks God with all his heart. To simply desire more and more, more expensive, and more luxury is not contentness. The good father has this under control both in his life and in his family.




The Good Father pitieth his Children

Ps 103:13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

The idea of pitieth is to have compassion and feelings for somebody, and to treat them tenderly. The good father does this with is family.




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Pastor David Cox

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