The Book of Colossians part 10 – Week 20 / May 12th


“As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the
Lord, so walk in Him…..”

Colossians 2:6

Paul has now completed his treatise against doctrinal errors that threaten the spiritual life of the church at Colossae. He now turns his attention to pastoral issues that involve the practical outworking of one’s faith. Here he deals with the foundational relationships that all people have. He thus gives instructions about family, marriage and work relationships. In other words he is saying, “This is what Christian relationships should look like.” We would do well to mark these and ensure that we reflect the very things that Paul, so many centuries ago, wrote to the Colossian Christians about. Time and time again it is here in this area that Christians fail and thereby providing no way of living for others to follow. We must pay close attention then to all that Paul says.

The Christian Way
Colossians 3:18-4:1

Marriage V18-19
Wives and husbands have distinctive but equal roles. When these are recognized the marriage relationship becomes stable and a great blessing to those who live in it. We live in a world where, thanks to secular humanism, the distinctive roles that men and women have in marriage have been rejected and even scoffed at. It is therefore not surprising that the divorce rate in the world today is huge to say the least. One would think that the “progressive pundits” would stop and asked why and at least admit that their misguided theories have brought destruction and violence to so many lives (Malachi 2:16). But they don’t; they just continue on as if all is well. They are blind fools and they are many!

When God made man He affirmed that he was incomplete though perfect (Genesis 2:18-25); he needed a helper or someone that would make up his obvious deficiencies. The answer was woman! She would come from near to his heart and she would submit her ideas, thinking, intuition and opinion to him thus enabling him to make better decisions and the right ones! So, submission is not being told by a man what to do but it means; she tells him what to do and then leaves him to make “the call.” Men fail when they do not bring their wives into their every decision and they should never tell their wives what they want them to know but rather what they should know. When men treat women with disrespect by not listening to them and therefore dishonoring the reason why God created them, they dishonor God and He in turn will not answer their prayers!  (1Peter 3:7)This is a serious matter. Husbands must love their wives. That is cherish them, lay down their lives for them and sacrifice for them. This teaching coming from Paul, an unmarried man, is remarkable and we must all heed it lest we see more devastation and breakdown in marriages.

Children  V20-21
Children should learn to obey their parents and this means that the mother and father must be absolutely united and resolute when they train their offspring. Children quickly learn how to play one parent off against another with shouting, chaos and disorder being the result. God is well pleased with obedient children and we must not forget that the training that children get in their homes will set their course for the rest of their lives and particularly their married lives.

God has gifted men with love authority and women with love care. When these work together our children are secure, well adjusted and able to accept authority figures in their lives. Fathers and mothers must not become unbalanced by emphasizing the one more than the other. Fathers then must be careful that their love authority does not become authoritarian! This will damage the children, provoke them and make them bitter. The world is full of bitter children who carry their resentment into adult life. We must be careful!

Employment  V22-4:1
Bondservants or employees must do their work unto the Lord and “not with eyeservice.” God is watching us as we belong to Him and when we serve in a company or business of any type we ultimately serve Him and therefore we must not be shoddy, dishonest and unreliable. A judgment day is surely coming and God in Christ will reward us for our actions when living under employment. Of this we must and can be sure!

Equally employers must treat their employees with respect, kindness and give them what is just and fair. That is, pay them generously and not be stingy while they make millions. Once again, employers should know that they have an employer in heaven who is watching their conduct and He will deal with them in the end if they have been unjust.

Let us then be sure that our lives are truly Christian and reflect these values.

Malcolm Hedding.

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries

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