The Moral Liability of a Father (Man)
The moral liability of a father encompasses a viewpoint that consistently defines what is moral (ethical), what is a liability (Obligation accountability responsibility [OAR]), and what a father is. It also requires recognizing the succinct order of morality, liability, and father (man), which affects the unique combination of the terms as a singular function. What has to be determined is whether the individual should be moral, liable, and a father and in what order. And, is there an order that fits these terms more than any other order? I submit that there is. I submit that an individual must be moral, liable, and then a father. However, a Venn diagram with the father in the center of the circle that encompasses the overlapping of the other three circles labeled morality, liability, and man visually represents the relationships between the concepts but not the order of hierarchy.
Father
A detailed discussion follows, beginning with definitions primarily from a biblical perspective. The definitions provide the foundational viewpoint for discussion and questions and identify my Christian bias.
- What is Morality? The Bible defines morality as living according to God’s standards and as a result of God’s purpose and gift to humanity.
- Living by God’s standards
- Grounded in God’s nature
- A revelation of God’s purpose
- A consequence of God’s experience
- What is Liability? Sustainable Liability manifests in OAR. Liability is a threefold cord of obligation, accountability, and responsibility. The moral liability of a father found in Ephesians 6:4, Proverbs 22:6, Colossians 3:21, Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Psalm 103:13, 1 Timothy 3:4-5, Genesis 18:19 and the Biblical moral responsibility of a father found in Proverbs13:24, 1 Timothy 5:8, Psalm 127:3-5, Deuteronomy 11:18-19, Hebrews 12:7-11, Proverbs 3:11-12, Malachi 4:6 are virtually identical.
- What is a Father?
The Bible declares that a father is a man who provides for, protects, and guides his family while honoring God. Eight identifiable characteristics of a devout and godly father are:
- Available: A godly father is present and active in their children’s lives.
- Correcting: A godly father corrects his children out of love, as God does.
- Forgiving: A godly father demonstrates forgiveness, as God does.
- Leading: A godly father leads his family by example, showing them how to handle joy and stress.
- Praying: A godly father prioritizes praying for his children.
- Protecting: A godly father protects his family from harm to their relationships with God, family, or themselves.
- Providing: A godly father provides for his family’s physical, spiritual, and emotional needs.
- Teaching: A godly father teaches his children about their identity in Christ.
All Bible Texts are from the English Standard Version
Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.
But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
“You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.
And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?
For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.”
Celebrating Children 