Colossians 3

Colossians 3:1

II. THE BELIEVER’S DUTY TO THE PREEMINENT CHRIST (Chaps. 3, 4) A. The Believer’s New Life: Putting Off the Old Man and Putting on the New (3:1-17) 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. The If of this verse does not express any doubt in the mind of the Apostle Paul. It is what has been called the If of argument, and may be translated since: Since then you were raised together with Christ. … As mentioned in chapter 2, the believer is seen as having died with Christ, having been buried with Him, and having risen with Him from among the dead. The spiritual meaning of all this is that we have said goodbye to the former way of life, and have entered upon a completely new type of life, that is, the life of the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Because we have been raised with Christ, we should seek those things which are above. We are still on earth, but we should be cultivating heavenly ways. 3:2 The Christian should not be earth-bound in his outlook. He should view things not as they appear to the natural eye but in reference to their importance to God and to eternity. Vincent suggests that seek in verse 1 marks the practical striving and that set your mind in verse 2 describes the inward impulse and disposition. The expression set your mind is the same as that in Phi_3:19 : who set their mind on earthly things. A. T.

Robertson writes: The baptized life means that the Christian is seeking heaven and is thinking heaven. His feet are upon the earth, but his head is with the stars. He is living like a citizen of heaven here on earth.During World War II, a young Christian enthusiastically reported to a mature servant of Christ, I understand our bombers were over the enemy’s cities again last night. To this, the older believer replied, I did not know that the church of God had bombers. He obviously was looking at things from the divine standpoint, rather than taking pleasure in the destruction of women and children. F. B. Hole explains our position clearly: The counterpart to our identification with Christ in His death is our identification with Him in His resurrection. The effect of the first is to disconnect us from man’s world, man’s religion, man’s wisdom. The effect of the other is to put us into touch with God’s world and with all that is there. The first four verses of chapter III unfold the blessedness into which we are introduced. 3:3 When Paul says that the believer has died, he is referring to position, and not to practice. Because of our identification with Christ in His death, God wants us to consider ourselves as having died with Him. Our own hearts are always ready to dispute this fact, because we feel so very much alive to sin and temptation. But the wonderful thing is that as we by faith reckon ourselves to have died with Christ, it becomes a moral reality in our lives. If we live as those who have died, then our lives will become increasingly conformed to the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, we will never reach perfection in this life, but it is a process that should be going on in every believer. Not only have we died, but also our life is hidden with Christ in God. The things that concern and interest the worldly man are found on this planet on which we live. However, the things that are of greatest concern to the believer are all bound up in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. His destiny and ours are inseparable. Paul’s thought is that since our life is hidden with Christ in God, we should not be occupying ourselves with the petty things of this world, and especially the religious world about us. But there is another thought connected with the expression your life is hidden with Christ in God. The world does not see our spiritual life. Men do not understand us. They think it is strange that we do not live like they do. They do not comprehend our thoughts, our motives, or our ways. Just as it is said of the Holy Spirit that the world neither sees Him, nor knows Him, so it is with our spiritual life; it is hidden with Christ in God. First Joh_3:1 tells us: Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. The real separation from the world lies in the fact that the world does not understand, but rather misunderstands the believer. 3:4 To climax his description of the believer’s portion in Christ, the apostle now looks on to Christ’s coming again. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. At the present time we are raised with Him and enjoying a life that is not seen or understood by men. But the day is coming when the Lord Jesus will return for His saints. Then we will appear with Him in glory. Men will understand us then and realize why we behaved as we did. 3:5 In verse 3, we were told that we died. Here we are told to put to death our members which are on the earth. In these two verses we have a very clear illustration of the difference between a believer’s standing and state. His standing is that he has died. His state should be that of reckoning himself dead to sin by putting to death his members which are on the earth. Our standing is what we are in Christ. Our state is what we are in ourselves. Our standing is the free gift of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our state represents our response to God’s grace. Here we should also notice the difference between law and grace. God does not say, If you live a life of freedom from sin, then I will give you a position of death with Christ. That would be law. Our position would depend on our own efforts, and needless to say, no one would ever attain that position. Instead of that, God says: I freely give to all who believe on the Lord Jesus a position of favor in My sight. Now go out and live a life that is consistent with such a high calling. That is grace! When the apostle says that we should put to death our members which are on the earth, he does not mean that we should literally destroy any of the members of our physical body! The expression is figurative, and is explained in the phrases that follows. The word members is used to signify the various forms of lust and hatred that are enumerated. Fornication is generally used to describe unlawful sexual intercourse or immorality, especially between single people (Mat_15:19; Mar_7:21). Sometimes it is broader, and is translated sexual immorality. Uncleanness refers to impurity of thought, word, or action. It speaks of moral filth rather than physical dirtiness here. Passion denotes strong and unbridled lust. Evil desire speaks of intense and often violent craving. Covetousness in general means greediness or the desire to have more, but here it may refer especially to an unholy desire to satisfy sexual appetite which is idolatry. The list begins with acts and moves on to motives. The various forms of sexual sin are described, then they are traced to their lair, namely, the covetous heart of man. The word of God is clear in teaching that there is nothing inherently wrong in sex. God made man with the power for reproduction. But the sin comes when those things which God has so graciously bestowed upon His creatures are used for vile, illicit purposes. Sexual sin was the cardinal offense of the pagan world in Paul’s day, and doubtless it still holds first place. Where believers are not yielded to the Holy Spirit, sexual sins often come into their lives and prove their downfall. 3:6 Men think that they can commit these outrageous sins and escape punishment. The heavens seem to be silent, and man increases in his boldness. But God is not mocked. The wrath of God comes down upon the sons of disobedience for these things. These sins have their consequences in this life; people reap in their own bodies the results of sexual immorality. In addition they will reap a terrible harvest of judgment in a day yet future. 3:7 Paul reminds the Colossians that they once indulged in these sins before their conversion. But the grace of God had come in and delivered them from impurity. That was a chapter in their life which was now covered by the blood of Christ. They now had a new life which empowered them to live for God. See Gal_5:25 : If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.3:8 Since they had been redeemed at such a tremendous cost, they should now put off all these things like a dirty garment. Not only does the apostle refer to the various forms of unholy lust listed in verse 5, but also to the types of wicked hatred which he is about to enumerate. Anger is, of course, a strong spirit of dislike or animosity, a vengeful spirit, a settled feeling of hatred. Wrath describes an intense form of anger, probably involving violent outbursts. Malice is wicked conduct toward another with the idea of harming his person or reputation. It is an unreasonable dislike that takes pleasure in seeing others suffer. Blasphemy here means reviling, that is, strong, intemperate language used against another person. It means scolding in a harsh, insolent manner.

Filthy language means shameful speaking, and describes that which is lewd, indecent, or corrupt. It is disgraceful, impure language. In this catalog of sin the apostle goes from motives to acts. Bitterness starts in the human heart and then manifests itself in the various ways which have been described. 3:9 In verse 9 the apostle is saying in effect, Let your state be consistent with your standing. You have put off the old man; now put him off practically by refraining from lies. Lying is one of the things that belongs to the old man, and it has no place in the life of the child of God. Every day in our lives we are tempted to distort the truth. It may be by withholding information on an income tax form, or by cheating on an examination, or even by exaggerating the details of a story. Lying becomes doubly serious when we injure another by a false statement, or by creating a false impression. 3:10 Not only have we put off the old man, but we have put on the new man, who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him. Just as the old man refers to all that we were as sons of Adam, with an unregenerate nature, so the new man refers to our new position as children of God. There has been a new creation, and we are new creatures. God’s purpose is that this new man should always be growing more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ. We should never be satisfied with our present attainments, but should always press on to the goal of increasing conformity to the Savior. He is our example and the rule of our lives. In a coming day, when we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, we will be judged not by how much better our lives were than others but rather by how our life measured up to the life of the Lord Jesus Himself. The image of God is not seen in the shape of our bodies, but in the beauty of the renewed mind and heart. Holiness, love, humility, meekness, kindness, and forgivenessthese make up the divine character. (Daily Notes of the Scripture Union) 3:11 In the new creation of which the apostle has been speaking, there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. Differences of nationality, religion, culture, and social level are not the things that count. As far as standing before God is concerned, all believers are on the same level, and in local church fellowship this same attitude should be adopted. This does not mean that there are no distinctions in the church. Some have the gift of evangelist, some of pastor, and some of teacher. Some men are elders in the church and some are deacons. Thus, the verse does not disparage proper distinctions. Neither should the verse be taken to teach that the distinctions listed have been abolished in the world. Such is not the case. There is still the Greek and the Jew, Greek here standing for the Gentile peoples in general. There are the circumcised and the uncircumcised. These two expressions are generally used in the NT to describe Jew and Gentile respectively. However, here they might refer more particularly to the ritual itself as practiced by the Jewish people, and as disregarded by the Gentiles. There is still the barbarian (uncultured person) and the Scythian. These two expressions are not here set in contrast to one another. The Scythians were barbarians, but were generally considered to be the more extreme form; they were the wildest and most savage of the barbarians. The final contrast is between slave and free. Free refers to those who never had been in bondage, but were born free. For the Christian these worldly distinctions are no longer of importance. It is Christ who really counts. He is everything to the believer and in everything. He represents the center and circumference of the Christian’s life. Bishop Ryle states this truth boldly: The three wordsChrist is allare the essence and substance of Christianity. If our hearts can really go along with them, it is well with our souls. … Many give Christ a certain place in their religion but not the place which God intended Him to fill. Christ alone is not all in all to their souls. No! It is either Christ and the churchor Christ and the sacramentsor Christ and His ordained ministersor Christ and their own repentanceor Christ and their own goodnessor Christ and their own prayersor Christ and their own sincerity and charity, on which they practically rest their souls. 3:12 In verse 10, Paul said that we have put on the new man. Now he gives some practical ways in which this can be done in our everyday lives. First of all, he addresses the Colossians as the elect of God. This refers to the fact that they had been chosen by God in Christ before the foundation of the world. God’s electing grace is one of the mysteries of divine revelation. We believe the Scripture clearly teaches that God, in His sovereignty, has chosen men to belong to Christ.

We do not believe that God has ever chosen anyone to be damned. Such a teaching is directly contrary to Scripture. Just as we believe in God’s electing grace, we also believe in man’s responsibility. God does not save men against their will. The same Bible that says elect according to the foreknowledge of God also says whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.Next Paul addresses the Colossians as holy and beloved. Holy means sanctified, or set apart (same word as saints) to God from the world.

We are positionally holy, and we should be practically holy in our lives as well. Because we are the objects of God’s love, it gives us a desire to please Him in every way. Now Paul describes the Christian graces which we are to put on as a garment. Tender mercies speaks of a heart of compassion. Kindness speaks of the unselfish spirit of doing for others. It is an attitude of affection or goodwill. Humility means lowliness, the willingness to be humbled and to esteem others better than oneself. Meekness does not speak of weakness, but rather the strength to deny oneself and to walk in grace toward all men. Vine says: The common assumption is that when a man is meek, it is because he cannot help himself; but the Lord was meek because He had the infinite resources of God at His command. Described negatively, meekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest; it is equanimity of spirit that is neither elated nor cast down, simply because it is not occupied with self at all. If humility is the absence of pride, then meekness is the absence of passion. Longsuffering speaks of patience under provocation and of the long endurance of offense. It combines joy and a kind attitude toward others, along with perseverance in suffering. 3:13 Bearing with one another describes the patience we should have with the failings and odd ways of our brethren. In living with others, it is inevitable that we will find out their failures. It often takes the grace of God for us to put up with the idiosyncrasies of others, as it must for them to put up with ours. But we must bear with one another. Forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another. There are few disputes among the people of God which could not be solved quickly if these injunctions were heeded.

Forgiveness should be exercised toward others when they have offended. We often hear the complaint: But he was the one who offended me. . . . That is exactly the type of situation in which we are called upon to forgive. If the other person had not offended us, there would have been no need for forgiveness. If we had been the one who had committed the offense, then we should have gone and asked for pardon. Forbearance suggests our not taking offense; forgivenessnot holding it.

There could scarcely be any greater incentive to forgiveness than is found in this verse: Even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. How did Christ forgive us? He forgave us without a cause. So should we. He forgave us freely. So should we.

He forgave and He forgot. So should we. Both as to manner and extent, we should follow our blessed Lord in this wonderful attitude. 3:14 Love is here spoken of as the outer garment, or the belt, which binds all the other virtues together in order to make up perfection. It holds together in symmetry all parts of the Christian character. It is possible that a person might manifest some of the virtues above without really having love in his heart. And so Paul is emphasizing here that what we do must be done in a genuine spirit of love for our brethren. Our actions should not be grudging but should be born out of wholehearted affection. The Gnostics thought of knowledge as the bond of perfection, but Paul corrects this view by insisting that love is the bond of perfection.3:15 The peace of God should act as an umpire in our hearts.

If in anything we are in doubt, we should ask ourselves the questions: Does it make for peace? or Would I have peace in my heart if I went ahead and did it?This verse is especially helpful when seeking guidance from the Lord. If the Lord really wants you to embark upon a certain course of action, He will most assuredly give you peace about it. If you do not have that peace, then you should not proceed. As has been said: Darkness about going is light about staying.Christ called us to enjoy His peace, both as individuals and also in the church. Do not overlook the importance of the latter part of this verse: To which also you were called in one body. One way in which we could enjoy peace would be to live in isolation from all other Christians.

But this is not God’s purpose. He has set the solitary in families. God’s intention is that we should gather together in local churches. Although living with other Christians may try our patience at times, yet God in this way can develop virtues in the Christian’s life which He could not produce in any other manner. So we should not shirk our responsibilities in the local church, nor give them up when we are annoyed or provoked. Rather we should seek to live compatibly with our fellow believers and help them in all we do and say. And be thankful. This refrain is repeated over and over again in Paul’s writings. There must have been a good reason: The Spirit of God must consider a thankful spirit very important. And we believe that it is!important not only for a person’s spiritual life, but for his physical welfare as well. Doctors have found out what the Scriptures have taught through the yearsthat a cheerful, thankful attitude of mind is beneficial for the body, and that worry, depression, and a complaining spirit are definitely harmful to one’s health. Usually we think of thankfulness as something that is determined by our immediate circumstances, but Paul here shows that it is a grace to be cultivated.

We are responsible to be thankful. Of all peoples of the world, we have the most for which to give thanks (compare Deu_33:29). The fault is not in any lack of subject matter, but only in our selfish hearts. 3:16 There is disagreement as to how verse 16 should be punctuated. There was no punctuation in the original language of the NT, and the meaning of such a verse as this is largely determined by the punctuation marks that are used. We suggest the following: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another; in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.There are thus three sections to the verse. First, we are to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly. The word of Christ refers to the teachings of Christ as found in the Bible. As we saturate our hearts and minds with His holy word, and seek to walk in obedience to it, then the word of Christ is really at home in our hearts. The second thought is that in all wisdom we should be teaching and admonishing one another. Every Christian has a responsibility to his brothers and sisters in Christ concerning this matter. Teaching has to do with doctrine, whereas admonishing has to do with duty. We owe it to our brethren to share our knowledge of the Scripture with them, and to seek to help by practical and godly counsel. When teaching and admonishing are given in wisdom, they are more likely to find acceptance than when we speak with force but unwisely or without love. The third thing is that with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs we should sing with grace in our hearts to the Lord. Psalms describe those inspired utterances which are found in the book by that name, which were sung as part of Israel’s worship. Hymns, on the other hand, are generally understood as songs of worship and praise addressed to God the Father or to the Lord Jesus Christ. For example: Jesus! the very thought of Thee With sweetness fills my breast; But sweeter far Thy face to see, And in Thy presence rest. Attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux These hymns are not inspired in the same sense as the psalms. Spiritual songs refer to religious poetry describing Christian experience. An illustration of this might be found in the words: O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer. Joseph Scriven Using these various types of songs we should sing with grace or thanksgiving, in our hearts to the Lord. At this point it might be well to say that the Christian should use discernment in the type of music he uses. Much of the so-called Christian music of today is light and frothy. A great deal of this music is utterly contrary to Scripture, and still more is so similar to the world’s pop and rock that it is a discredit to the name of Christ. Verse 16 is very similar to Eph_5:18-19, where we read: And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. In Col_3:16, the main difference is that instead of saying be filled with the Spirit, Paul says: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. In other words, being filled with the Spirit and being filled with God’s word are both requisites for living joyful, useful, fruitful lives. We shall not be filled with the Spirit unless we are saturated with God’s word; and the study of God’s word will not be effective unless we yield up our inmost being to the control of the Holy Spirit. Can we not therefore conclude that to be filled with the Spirit means to be filled with God’s word? It is not some mysterious, emotional crisis that comes in the life, but rather day by day feeding on the Scriptures, meditating on them, obeying them, and living by them. 3:17 Verse 17 is an all-inclusive rule by which to judge our conduct as Christians. Young people today especially have a difficult time deciding whether certain things are right or wrong. This verse, committed to memory, can prove to be the key for unlocking many of these problems. The great test should be: Can I do this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? Would this be to His glory? Could I expect His blessing to rest on it?

Would I want to be doing it when He comes back again? Notice that this test should apply to the words we speak and to the deeds we do. Obedience to this command ennobles all of life. It is a precious secret when the Christian learns to do all as to the Lord and for His glory. Once again the apostle adds the word, Giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Thanks!

Thanks! Thanks! It is a perpetual duty for those saved by grace and destined for the courts of heaven.

Colossians 3:18

B. Appropriate Behavior for Members of the Christian Household (3:18-4:1) Paul now gives a series of exhortations to members of the Christian household. The series continues through 4:1. He has advice for wives and husbands, for children and parents, and for servants and masters. At first, it may seem like an abrupt change to turn from the subjects which have occupied Paul to such mundane matters as home life. But actually this is most significant.

EXCURSUS ON THE CHRISTIAN HOME God considers the home to be a very important force in the Christian life. The well-known statement, The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world, has truth in it beyond what appears on the surface. The family unit was designed by God for the preservation of much that is worthwhile in life. As less and less attention is devoted to the home, even so our civilization deteriorates rapidly. Paul’s first Letter to Timothy teaches in a special way that God has ordained home life as the means of developing spiritual qualities, so that one’s fitness for leadership in the church grows out of his proved character in the home. In the verses to follow we have some of the fundamental principles to guide in the establishment of a Christian home. In studying this section, we should be aware of the following musts.1. There must be a family altara time each day when the family gathers for the reading of the Holy Scriptures and for prayer. 2. The father must have his place of authority in the home, and he must exercise it in wisdom and love. 3. The wife and mother should realize that her first responsibility to God and to the family is in the home. In general, it is not wise for the wife to have an outside job. There are, of course, exceptional cases. 4. The husband and wife should present a godly example to their children. They should be united on all matters, including the disciplining of the children, when necessary. 5. The family unit should be maintained. It is all too possible to become so engrossed in business, social life, and even in Christian service that the children suffer from lack of affection, companionship, instruction, and discipline. Many parents have had to confess mournfully over a wayward son or daughter: And while your servant was busy here and there, he was gone (1Ki_20:40). 6. With regard to the disciplining of children, three cardinal rules have been suggested. Never punish in anger. Never punish unjustly. Never punish without explaining the reason. 7. It is good for children to learn to bear the yoke in their youth (Lam_3:27), to learn the discipline of work and of accepting responsibility, and the value of money. 8. Above all, Christian parents should avoid being ambitious for their children in a carnal, worldly way, but should constantly hold before them the service of our Lord as the most profitable way in which to spend their lives. For some, it might mean full-time service on a mission field; for others, it might mean service for the Lord in a secular occupation. But in either case, work for the Lord should be the primary consideration. Whether at home, at work, or wherever we may be, we should be conscious of the fact that we represent our Savior, and so every word and act should be worthy of Him, and should, in fact, be governed by Him.

3:18 The first injunction of the apostle is addressed to wives. They are enjoined to submit to their own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. According to the divine plan, the husband is head of the house. The woman has been given the place of submission to her husband. She is not to dominate or to lead, but to follow his leadership, wherever she can do so without compromising her loyalty to Christ. There are, of course, instances in which the woman cannot obey her husband and still be faithful to Christ. In such an instance, her first loyalty is to the Lord Jesus. Where a Christian woman has a backward husband, this verse indicates that she should help him to fulfill his proper place in the home, rather than for her to usurp it because she may be more clever. 3:19 The balance which is presented to us in the word of God is beautiful. The apostle does not stop with this advice to wives; he now goes on to show that husbands, too, have a responsibility. They are to love their wives, and not to be bitter toward them. If these simple precepts were followed, many of the problems of married life would disappear, and homes would be happier in the Lord. Actually no wife would be likely to object to submitting to a husband who truly loves her. It has been noted that the husband is not told to make his wife obey him.

If she does not, he should take it to the Lord. The submission should be her voluntary act as is fitting in the Lord.3:20 Children are admonished: obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. In all ages, families have been held together by two simple principlesauthority and obedience. Here we have the latter. Notice that this obedience is to be in all things. This means not only in the things that are agreeable, but those which are not so naturally pleasing. Christian children who have unsaved parents are often placed in a difficult position. They want to be true to the Lord, and yet at the same time they are faced with demands made upon them by their parents. In general, we feel that if they honor their parents, God will in turn honor them. As long as they are living in the home of their parents, they have a very definite obligation to perform. Of course, they should not do anything that would be contrary to the teachings of Christ, but ordinarily they would not be called upon to do such. Often they will be called upon to do things that might seem very distasteful to them, but as long as it is not distinctly wrong or sinful, they can determine to do it as to the Lord. In this way they can be a good testimony to their parents and seek to win them to the Lord. 3:21 Fathers should not provoke their children, lest they become discouraged. It is interesting that this advice is addressed to fathers and not to mothers. Does it not reveal that the danger of a father committing this fault is greater than that of a mother? Kelly suggests that mothers are probably more prone to spoil the children. 3:22 From verse 22 to the end of the chapter, the Spirit of God addresses bondservants or slaves. It is interesting to note the amount of space devoted in the NT to slaves. This is not without significance. It shows that no matter how low a person’s social status may be, he still can attain the very highest in the Christian life through faithfulness to the word of God. Perhaps it also reflects the foreknowledge of God that most Christian people would occupy places of service rather than positions of authority. For instance, there is very little instruction in the NT that refers to rulers of nations, but there is considerable advice for those who devote their lives in the service of others.

Slaves in the days of Paul usually received very little consideration, and doubtless it struck the early Christians as unusual that so much attention was given to them in these Letters. But it shows how the grace of God reaches down to men, no matter how menial their position might be. C. H. Mackintosh notes: The slave is not shut out from the service of God. By simply doing his duty in the sight of God, he can adorn the doctrine and bring glory to God.Bondservants are told to obey in all things those who are their masters according to the flesh.

There is a gentle reminder here that these masters are only masters according to the flesh. They have another Master who is above all and who sees all that is done to the lowliest of His children. Slaves are not to serve with eyeservice, as menpleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. (For a good example of this in the OT, see Gen_24:33.) Especially when a person is oppressed, it is a temptation to slack off in work when the master is not looking. But the Christian servant will realize that his Master is always looking, and so even though his earthly circumstances may be very bitter, he will work as to the Lord. In sincerity of heart means that he will have a pure motiveonly to please the Lord Jesus. It is interesting that there is no express prohibition against slavery in the NT. The gospel does not overthrow social institutions by revolution. However, wherever the gospel has gone, slavery has been uprooted and eliminated. This does not mean that these instructions are therefore without meaning for us. All that is said here may very well be applied to employees and employers. 3:23 Whatever is done should be done heartily (literally from the soul) as to the Lord and not to men. In every form of Christian service as well as in every sphere of life, there are many tasks which people find obnoxious. Needless to say, we try to avoid such work. But this verse teaches us the very important lesson that the humblest service can be glorified and dignified by doing it for the Lord. In this sense, there is no difference between secular and sacred work. All is sacred.

Rewards in heaven will not be for prominence or apparent successes; they will not be for talents or opportunities; but rather for faithfulness. Thus obscure persons will fare very well in that day if they have carried out their duties faithfully as to the Lord. Two mottoes which are often hung over the kitchen sink are: Not somehow, but triumphantly, and Divine service held here three times daily.3:24 The Lord is keeping the records at the present time, and everything done as to Him will command His attention. The kindness of God will repay the kindness of men. Those who have little of earthly inheritance will receive the reward of the inheritance in heaven. Let us remember this the next time we are called upon to do something that we do not like to do, whether in the church, in the home, or at work; it is a testimony for Christ to do it uncomplainingly, and to do the best possible job. 3:25 Paul does not specify just whom he has in mind in verse 25. Perhaps we would most naturally think of an unjust master, one who oppresses his servants. Maybe a Christian servant has become weary of obeying his unjust demands. Never mind, Paul is saying, the Lord knows all about it, and He will take care of the wrongs, too.But although this might include masters, it is addressed primarily to servants. Slipshod service, cheating, loafing, or other forms of insincerity will not go unnoticed. There is no partiality with God. He is the Master of all, and the distinctions that prevail among men mean nothing to Him. If slaves rob their masters (as Onesimus apparently did), they will have to give an account to the Lord.