PARENTHOOD
a divine stewardship

Both Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:13-17 speak about the transgression and the fall of Satan. Isaiah chapter fourteen tells us that Satan violated God's authority, while Ezekiel chapter twenty eight tells that he violated God's holiness. To violate God's authority is a matter of rebellion; it is more serious than to violate God's holiness. Sin is a matter of conduct; it is easy to be forgiven of sin. But rebellion is a matter of principle; it is not easy to be forgiven of rebellion. Satan, in trying to set up his throne above that of God's, has violated God's authority. The principle of Satan is the principle of self-exaltation. Sin's coming into being is not the cause of Satan's fall. Rather it is because [Satan] rebelled against God's authority and was condemned by God that gave the subsequent rise of sin....

In the Lord's prayer there is the phrase, "Lead us not into temptation." Temptation speaks of Satan's work. There is also the phrase, "Deliver us from evil." Evil speaks of Satan himself. Following that, the Lord said, "For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory." This is the most important declaration. The kingdom is God's and so is the authority and the glory.

Everything is God's. What sets us completely free from Satan is the seeing of this one most precious thing—that the kingdom is God's. The administration of the whole universe is under God. For this reason we have to learn to submit under God's authority. No one can steal God's glory. (Authority and Submission, pp. 7-8, Watchman Nee, published by Living Stream Ministry 1988.)

THE PROPER USE OF CULTURE

The book of Colossians reveals that the all-inclusive, extensive Christ should replace every factor, element, and aspect of our natural human life. To a great degree, our human living is composed of culture. Humanly speaking, culture is very good. Every society is preserved and maintained by culture. If people did not have culture, there would be much more work for the police department and the law courts. At present, the work of the police and the courts is a supplement to the culture of a society. When a person does not conduct himself properly according to culture, the police may intervene. Every nation, society, and community is preserved by culture, the law, and the police.

If, after reading these messages on Christ versus culture, Christian parents tell their children that they no longer need culture, this will be a serious mistake. Without culture, children would act like animals. Children must be raised according to the standards of culture. Before they are of a proper age to receive Christ, the children must be built up in culture. The more the children are trained according to culture, the better it will be for them. The children must be trained to honor their parents, to love their brothers and sisters, to behave properly toward their neighbors, to be good students in school, to obey all laws, and to respect their teachers and other adults. Because children are too young to behave according to Christ, they must be taught to behave according to culture. If we did not have culture, we would be barbarians. The use of culture can be compared to the function of the law in the Scriptures. The law was decreed by God. Romans 7:12 says that "the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good." Used rightly, the law kept God's chosen people in custody until the coming of Christ. Rich families in ancient times had custodians who exercised custody over the children.

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