The Legacy and Faith of a Godly Father | The Institute for Creation Research

The Legacy and Faith of a Godly Father

Good fathers serve an essential role in the family, and it’s surely fitting that we express our love and gratitude on Father’s Day. After all, the fifth of God’s Ten Commandments begins with “honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12), which the apostle Paul later affirmed as the “first commandment with promise” that affords well-being and long life (Ephesians 6:2-3). Good parents are worthy of praise.

That said, this Father’s Day will feel empty to me. As many know, my father, Dr. Henry Morris III, was called home by God last December at the end of a very difficult year. The Morris family will still gather, just as we always have, to enjoy sweet fellowship over a good meal while children and grandchildren play outside in the early summer sun. But this year there’ll be one empty chair at the head of the table, one less handshake or hug to share, and one less “Love you, Dad” to say. He will be missed.

Good fathers, living on Earth or living in glory, remain worthy of honor. But what’s required to be truly worthy of such praise? Biblically speaking, it starts in childhood as parents are exhorted to “train up” their children “in the way [they] should go” (Proverbs 22:6). However, godly instruction is primarily the responsibility of the Christian father, applied with a gentle and firm hand to “bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). This must begin with the father’s own commitment to godly leadership and godly living, attributes my dad modeled consistently throughout his life.

Perhaps the strongest incentive for godly living is the impact of a father’s example on his child. From King Solomon we know that “the glory of children is their father” (Proverbs 17:6), and children do indeed “glory” in their father when his example is good and godly. They will, like me, desire to follow his moral and spiritual model in their own lives and lead their own children in God’s righteous ways.

Apart from his love for my mother, my dad had three great loves in his life: God’s Word, God’s people, and God’s work through ICR. He held Scripture in the highest regard and preached or taught God’s people nearly every Sunday for well over 50 years. And with ICR, he accomplished what few others could do. He not only maintained the integrity of the marvelous work of his own father, ICR founder Dr. Henry M. Morris, but he even built upon it, enhancing nearly every facet of the ministry until bringing the ICR Discovery Center for Science & Earth History to fruition.

Through it all, my father’s faith in God to provide and guide was his greatest testimony to me. And the Lord blessed! By His grace, Dad left ICR in excellent standing—completely debt-free, with new leadership in place and a dedicated staff committed to studying and proclaiming the truth of God’s Word. ICR is stronger and more effective today because of his godly leadership—and this son can truly “glory” in his father.

God has used ICR to equip multitudes of fathers and grandfathers (and mothers and grandmothers, too!) with solid resources to help train their children in biblical truth. Perhaps our work has personally touched you in this way. Or perhaps like me you have the tremendous privilege to glory in the godly legacy passed on by your father and grandfather. If so, ICR prayerfully invites your help in support of our ministry to “glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:6).

* Mr. Morris is Director of Donor Relations at the Institute for Creation Research.

Cite this article: Henry M. Morris IV. 2021. The Legacy and Faith of a Godly Father. Acts & Facts. 50 (6).

The Latest
NEWS
''73-Million-Year-Old'' Alaskan Salmon
Fish evolution remains an enigma. Evolutionists can only say fish first “appeared” over a half-billion years ago.1 Creationists...

NEWS
God's Memorial Day
“And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of...

NEWS
How Did Earth Get Its Water?
Earth’s oceans contain 321 million cubic miles (1.335 billion cubic kilometers) of water. The moon causes ebb and flow of tides twice in a 24-hour...

NEWS
The Origin of Eukaryotes
Eukaryotes are multicellular organisms that contain diverse differentiated cell types. Within almost every cell there are subcellular compartments called...

CREATION PODCAST
Water vs. Wind: The Controversial Coconino | The Creation Podcast:...
Welcome to the sixth episode in a series called “The Failures of Old Earth Creationism.” Many Christians attempt to fit old...

NEWS
Fossil Fish Finally Filmed
The bizarre lobe-finned coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) “that flourished some 350 million years ago”1 continues to be a thorn...

NEWS
The Mosasaur: A Giant Sea Dragon
Mosasaurs (order Squamata) were massive marine lizards that were common in the pre-Flood oceans. Therefore, it is not surprising that their fossils...

DAYS OF PRAISE DEVOTIONALS
Summer 2025
...

NEWS
Was Life Detected on a Distant Planet?
There was celebration, albeit briefly, for the discovery of potential life on a planet called K2-18b, which is 124 lightyears away from Earth. The...

NEWS
Ichthyosaur Graveyard Explained by the Flood
Ichthyosaurs are marine reptiles that occur globally in the same rock layers as dinosaurs. Specimens with babies support the idea that they gave live...