The last section: masters and the servants.
22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.
Colossians 3.22-25
Servants obeying all things your masters ask according to flesh.
You see, Christ is the One that we should be looking to.
When reviewing this section 1 Corinthians 7.22,
22 For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise, he who is called while free is Christ’s slave.
1 Corinthians 7.22
You see, when we became born again, we became bond servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, which means that when we do things in this world, we’re not doing them to please men, as men usually do to please us. But, instead, we’re meant to do them with sincerity of heart and fear of God.
I need to remember this on the Monday mornings.
We are meant to do all things not being men pleasers but with sincerity of heart and in fear God, knowing that, in the Lord, you shall receive the reward of inheritance, because you serve the Christ. We don’t do it to please man, but we do it to please God because we know our reward is coming.
Hopefully, one of the five crowns:
- the crown of righteousness
- the crown incorruptible,
- the crown of life,
- the crown of glory or
- a crown of rejoicing.
We are to emulate the Lord Jesus Christ.
You may be reminded that Philippians 2.5-8 says,
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2.5-8
Jesus was obedient to God the Father. We should be obedient as bond servants of Christ, to His commandments.
We shouldn’t be “I” pleasers but should please the Almighty.
We should work hard in all that we do. And Jesus is our guide.
We work hard not because we want to please man but to please God. And, if we do our work diligently on earth, we will receive our rewards in heaven.
In conclusion, this is a very challenging section within Colossians.
The character of the new man:
- Seek Christ and die to self. The old man is gone, and we are a new creation: the new man.
- We are one in Christ and we’re to act like it holy and beloved bowels of mercy
- kindness and humbleness of mind
- meekness
- long suffering
All of which we are to show in our daily lives.
And we are to forgive like Christ forgave us.
In the Christian home, wives are to submit to their husbands, and husbands are to love their wives. Children are to obey their parents.
And to finish, the master and the servant, we are to be like Christ Jesus. We are bond servants to Jesus, and we should be ready to do His work with all diligence, to the praise and glory of His holy Name, amen.
Let’s bow our heads in prayer:
Father God, we thank you that you are always with us. That, Lord, even though we don’t feel worthy sometimes, Lord thou art worthy.
And Father, we pray Father that when we leave today, we would forgive the way the Christ forgave us. And that we would love like He loves us; that we would be long-suffering that we would show meekness, that, Father, we would show grace even when the person may not deserve it, because Lord, You have shown grace to us Father.
I pray Lord that we would be that new man, that would we exhibit the characters of the new man.
I pray Lord also for the protection of our homes. That Father, You would defend the family unit. That no matter what society says, our family units would be what you determine them to be like.
So, Father I pray, Lord, that You’ll be with us this week, that you’ll grant us traveling mercies wherever we may go to the praise and glory of Your holy Name, amen.