Day 338: Pleasing God – Colossians 3 vs 18 – 4 vs 1

18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.  19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.  21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22 Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.  23-25 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. 4 vs 1 Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. Colossians 3:18-4:1 English Standard Version

Even in the year 2021 there are still structures in society. We may not have slaves in the West, but we still have employers and employees. Parents can still be held responsible for actions of their children. Both in the Old Testament and the New, God tells His people how they should conduct themselves in this world, and it's very different to how unbelievers see things. What is the reason the Holy Spirit gives through Paul why wives should submit to husbands? (vs 18)

It's not because men are somehow better than women, or stronger, or because of history – but because it is 'fitting in the Lord'. God intended that a home should be made up of husband, wife and children – in that order. But notice (in vs 19) how the Holy Spirit prohibits men from abusing their role of head of the home. The love which God calls husbands to love their wives with is the same sort of love Jesus Christ has for His bride, the Church. It is a sacrificial love.

What was the reason the Holy Spirit gave for children to obey their parents? (vs 20)

Again, it's not because parents are more clever or better people. Some children grow up to be much smarter than their parents! But it's because obedience to parents is something that pleases God. Remember, it was one of the Ten Commandments God gave through Moses and it had a very precious promise attached to it. God said to Israel that when children honour their parents “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” (Exodus 20:12)

Once again, the Holy Spirit immediately prohibits fathers in particular from abusing their authority and behaving in ways that cause a child distress and anger. (vs 21) Fathers are not to be tyrants and their rules should not crush the spirits of their children. God does however expect fathers and mothers to teach their children His words and to discipline them fairly when needed. That comes through clearly in books like Deuteronomy and Proverbs.

Which brings us to slaves who were also Christians. Slavery did not vanish overnight. It was so ingrained in society that even Christians in those days sometimes had slaves or were slaves. That was surely the hardest role in the structures of society to be in. But what reason did the Holy Spirit give why Christians who were slaves should go about their work from the heart? (vs 23-25)

They were reminded that they were ultimately serving the Lord Jesus Christ rather than whoever owned them in the world, even if their owner was also a Christian. Apart from the fact that, if they were slack in their work or pilfered from the master’s good's, they would be punished like any other slave, their motive for being honest and working well was because they were doing it for Jesus. They knew He would reward them for their loyalty – they too would inherit eternal life and the blessings that come with that.

Once again, the Holy Spirit prohibited Christians who had any slaves from abusing their authority. Notice the two things they were particularly called to treat their slaves with, and the reason for doing so. (4 vs 1) What a difference that would’ve made to the slave. In those days, as today, society wasn't perfect, nor were the people in it. But Christians were called to live with their eyes upon Christ and to serve Him in whatever part of society they were in. That still applies to us in 2021.