Mothers: Cultural or Scriptural?

by Dennis Michelson
(Novelty, Ohio)

Titus 2:1-5 and I Timothy 5:14-15

Introduction: When I started preaching it was a rare thing to run into a "blended family." Everyone in the family had the same last name - including both parents and the children. In one generation, all that has changed. It is now rare to find any kind of family one might term "traditional."

Much of this change has come because many professing believers have been influenced more by "cultural" rather than "scriptural" considerations. This message is an attempt to admonish mothers to stay true to their roles as outlined in the Bible rather than conforming to the latest fad from the culture. The term "admonish" means to bring them to their senses. My prayer is that such will be the case.

Roles determine relationships. We can never have right relationships in the family unless each member assumes their God-ordained role. The real question is not "how can I have a good relationship?" but "what is God's role and will for my life?" What is the will of God for mothers? The following four points answer that question.

1. The Biblical Mother Must Be Saved (Ephesians 1:1)

We often hear people say that their mother was a "saint." I certainly hope so. A saint is not a sinless person but a saved sinner. A sinner becomes a saint when she believes on the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior.

2. The Biblical Mother Must Be Spirit-Filled (Ephesians 5:18)

There is no way to perform the will of God in the home apart from the filling of the Spirit of God. The filling of the Spirit is -

Commanded - It is a sin to disobey this command.

Continuous - It is a daily thing. Just as you cannot remain drunk unless you keep drinking, so you cannot be filled with the Spirit unless you "keep drinking."

Control - The modern version of the filling of the Spirit is that one goes out of control. That is the opposite of what the Scripture teaches (compare with Colossians 3:15-16)

Conditional - The mother must depart from known sin and yield herself unto God.

Crucial - You cannot be a godly mother without it.

3. The Biblical Mother Must Be Submissive (Ephesians 5:21)

This is where culture and Scripture clash violently. Even though the future queen of England deleted submission and obedience from her vows - God has not deleted it from His!

4. The Biblical Mother Must Be Scriptural (Colossians 3:15-17 and Romans 12:1-2)

Read I Timothy 5:14-15 and Titus 2:1-5. The mother who is in concert with the Word of God will -

Love her husband (Titus 2:4)
Love her children (Titus 2:4)
Love her home (Titus 2:5)

Conclusion: The mother who loves her children more than she loves her husband is skating on very thin ice. The mother who pursues her career more than she pursues her husband and her home will find culture dictating her behavior rather than Scripture.