Series in Colossians - Do Everything As to The Lord

 

Do Everything As to The Lord.

Colossian 3:18-4:1

In the twenty-first century, the whole concept of family, duty vs. rights, and equity and submission are hotbeds of discussion in today’s culture and society. God never meant it to be that way, but with the evolution of sinfulness and depravity of minds and hearts towards the world and away from God and a Christian worldview, the Scripture is still the stalwart foundation for the propriety of family, relationship, duty, and obedience to God. 

So with this stated, let’s look at the first portion of the text.  “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.” 

Paul though not married, proclaimed wisdom and instruction from God to the Colossian church on the propriety of a christian home. First, Paul distinguishes the difference between rights and duties. For there is only one right, that is to choose, this is the limit of the free will of God to man. For in everything the believers did in this new life in Christ, their highest duty was to obey God. This meant submission to His will and purpose was to be their greatest honor in pleasing God in every area of their lives. There is no place in God’s economy for “rights”. Rights were birthed in rebellion and animosity, rooted in self-preservation against whatever was conceived to be controlling them. And with God, He is sovereign over all, and we are to submit to Him. When rebelling against Him and His commands happens, there are no rights but only His dominion and authority. (Ps. 2:1-3)

 Paul first instructs in marriage. He tells the women to be in submission to their husband. “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” 

Submission in a way was reciprocal between the husband and wife. He was to be understanding, and she was to be supportive. The husband wasn’t to be overbearing or demeaning, but reassuring and appreciative of the duties of the wife (Proverbs 31), and the wife reciprocated in submission as to the recognition of the unselfish love and authority of the husband in the christian home. She didn’t claim rights but deferred in obedience to God for the provision, protection, and governance of the husband’s duties. Much like the bride of Christ to the Lord Jesus, the bridegroom. “For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” (Eph. 5:23-24 NIV) 

Next, Paul exhorts the christian husband to likewise submit to the Lord as to his duties as a husband to his wife. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.As Jesus commanded, he is to love her unselfishly (agape), determined to fulfill the Lord’s purpose in providing for her needs and treating her as an equal in salvation and their relationship with their Lord and God. For marriage was an intimate bond birthed by God in the beginning of time.

Last, Paul admonishes the parents as well as the children in the ways of God. “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.”

 Children are considered a blessing from God. “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!” (Psalm 127:3-5a ESV).

The Christian home was to be an example of dutifulness and obedience to others of God’s love, authority, and hegemony over the home. The word Father in Greek (pateron) could be the collective of both parents (ie. Heb. 11:23, Moses’ parents). The parent was to be fruitful in the virtues and fruits of the Spirit (Col. 3:12-14) unto his children. Parents were to apply authority and discipline in love when challenged or resisted by a child. And the child’s attitude and demeanor would comply in obedience and readiness to obey and carry out instructions when done in an act of love in pleasing God. 

In all the submission and obedience within the family unit, it was all done to please God in their thoughts, words, and actions. For the christian’s attitudes were to be grounded in compliance to authority, especially God’s. “For this pleases the Lord.”

Application - I would like to say that I did all this well, but I didn’t. But through the grace of God I learned the importance of being the man, husband, and father that God required of me. There were many learning curves in the realm of submission to God as head of the family, to loving one another, and to obedience in all the members of my family. But with God all things are possible. He changed me into the man who loves his wife and children, who works hard to provide, protect, and govern in the matter of spiritual training and submission to God. And I can rejoice and say as John exclaimed in his third epistle, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:4)

Nearing our 49th anniversary, we are humbled by the goodness of God and in His faithfulness in strengthening and guiding us by His Word and the Holy Spirit as a family, and as an older couple. Truly, the words penned by Paul are for today, though the world will not listen, it is for those who will believe and submit in obedience to the will and purpose of God for marriage and family.

Let’s read the last portion of the text, “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism. Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.”

Throughout Paul’s lifetime and even beyond, slavery in the Roman world was a norm. It is said that over fifty percent of the people that you would see in a city or metropolis were slaves. Paul really challenged the norm in how a slave was to be treated by a master and vice versa. (See Philemon) For his first admonishment was to the slave, (especially one who was a christian). They were to obey their master as they obeyed God. For in everything they did was in view of God’s vision. So they too they were to “obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.” Their obedience and submission to God was a testimony to the master as well to all of their sincerity and reverence of God. Slaves had only duty, no rights, as was the custom of the times. But in the homes, they were often considered to be a part of the family. 

Paul as an Apostle of Jesus Christ understood slavery, for he considered himself to be a bond servant to the Lord. “Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.” (Rom. 1:1 NASB)

Next, Paul exhorts the masters to treat the slaves as they would have others treat them, (Matt. 7:12). They both, master and slave, were to do everything as to the Lord Jesus Christ. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Paul admonished both to live out the golden rule as Jesus taught. “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” (Matt. 7:12 NIV) And they both understood that in God’s kingdom there are no favorites. “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” (Col. 3:11 NIV) For their inheritance and rewards were in heaven. “Each one’s work will be clearly shown [for what it is]; for the day [of judgment] will disclose it, because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality and character and worth of each person’s work.” ( 1 Cor. 3:13 AMP)

When it came to wrongs and discipline, the christian master wasn’t to be an overlord, but to turn to God for He said that revenge and discipline are His. They were to treat them as a brother or sister in Christ. (Phil. vv.16-18) There is no favoritism with God for He is just and right in all He does. And master and slave knew that they were servants of Jesus Christ, and both had to answer to God, the master in heaven.

Application -  Bless the Lord that there isn’t any legalized slavery in today's world, though there still is an awful form of slavery that we need to pray about. As Paul wrote about duties performed as to the Lord, in our workplaces and places where we might volunteer, we must remember that our first duty is to God and to represent Him in a way that brings glory, honor, and praise to His name and person. Again, we submit our rights to the will of the Father, so that in all things He is pleased. 

The virtue of humility and love are the clothing we put on so that we bear with one another as we let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. And as Jesus said, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” (Matt. 7:12 NIV)

I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation for all those who have not yet received Jesus Christ for salvation. For Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

I have revised my webpage on Spiritual warfare. Please give it a look. Thank you. http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com