Tag: colossians 3

How to Build a Christian Home and Career (Colossians 3:18-4:1)

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Colossians, Imago Dei ClassLeave a comment

My last post considered the admonition for us to put off the grave clothes that adorned our old life and put on the grace clothes that befit our new life in Christ. In this week’s passage, Colossians 3:18-4:1, Paul continues the theme of Christian living in light of the theology and doctrine presented in the first two chapters. Specifically, he addresses two areas of the Christian life that provide the foundation for society as a whole: family and work. Here’s the text:

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. 21Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22 Bondservants, 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 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. 41Masters, treat your bondservantsjustly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven (Colossians 3:18-4:1 ESV).

The Household

This section begins with instructions for wives and husbands. I believe Paul mentions marriage first because it is the foundation of the family, and therefore, of society. A husband and wife cannot obey the following verses regarding raising children if they are not pursuing a godly marriage. So, what does a godly marriage look like?

First, in a godly marriage, wives submit to their husbands (v. 18). Paul says that such submission is “fitting in the Lord.” The verb used here is in the middle voice, calling wives to willingly submit themselves under their husbands’ leadership.  In other words, they don’t try to usurp his role as the leader of the home. They don’t try to override the decisions he makes. They don’t disparage his leadership behind his back. Instead, they choose to follow his leadership as he follows Christ.

Such submission glorifies God because it exemplifies the Son’s submission to the Father. Though they are equal in deity and unified as one God, the Son submitted himself to his Father and his Father’s will. In 1 Corinthians 15, we see the Father putting all things in submission to his Son, but we also see the Son in submission to the Father. Jesus himself spoke of his submission in places like John 6:38, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.”

A godly wife is one who recognizes that God calls her husband to lead her and be her “head” (Eph 5:23), and who encourages him in this role. She loves him, prays for him, and as he follows Christ, she follows him.

What does this look like in real life? Suppose a husband and wife move to a new city for work. They attend different churches and settle on two of their favorites. However, the church the husband believes is the best fit for the family is not the same church the wife thinks is the best fit. After much prayer and conversation, if they cannot come to the same conclusion, the wife should trust the leadership of her husband, follow him (willingly, not begrudgingly), and trust God with the results.

Second, in a godly marriage, husbands love their wives. Notice that husbands are not called to enforce the submission discussed in 3:18. They are not called to lord their authority over their wives; they are called to love their wives. In a parallel passage, Paul tells husbands to love their wives “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,” (Eph 5:25-27).

The husband’s role is to sacrifice himself for the highest good of his wife- her sanctification. He loves her by putting her first, caring for her spiritual needs, and providing for her emotionally and physically. This kind of love is a choice- it is not a feeling. It does not come natural to husbands, nor was it natural in the Colossians’ day. It is daily work. It is the conscious dying to self for the good of another, and repenting of selfishness when it creeps in.

Husbands, do you love your wives? Do you prioritize her spiritual health? Do you pray for her? Do you pray with her? Do you wash her with the word? Let me encourage you- find a place to start! Look for small ways to serve her. Let her hear you pray over her in the mornings or evenings. Be the one to begin spiritual conversations. Love your wife by leading your wife!

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Throw Away the Grave Clothes and Put On the Grace Clothes (Colossians 3:5-17)

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Colossians, Miscellaneous4 Comments

Have you ever spent a long day working outside in the heat? During the warmer months, I spend at least one day a week working in the yard. After such a day, my clothes are usually a dirty smelly mess, and I have to shower before doing anything else. My clothes are so filthy that I almost feel bad even putting them in the dirty clothes basket alongside other dirty clothes (that aren’t nearly as dirty).

Now imagine what it would feel like to put those clothes back on after getting out of a nice long shower. It would be just…wrong. Why? Because after getting clean, you should put on clean clothes. You should adorn yourself with what is now true of your nature. You’re no longer a dirty sweaty mess, so you shouldn’t wear dirty sweaty clothes. You’re clean. So you should wear clean clothes. Simple enough, right?

This is essentially Paul’s argument in Colossians 3:5-17. Since we have died to our old selves and old ways, we should put off our old clothes. Since we have been cleansed and raised with Christ, we should put on new clothes of righteousness. But how do we do that? What clothes should we remove, and which should we put on? What does that look like in real life? This passage has the answers.

Grave Clothes

First, we must take off our grave clothes, “for we have died, and our life is hidden with Christ in God” (3:3). However, Paul uses much stronger language than just “putting off” our old clothes. He says that we are to, “put to death” certain characteristics of our life before Christ (3:5). We are to kill our old habits and ways- sexual immorality, impurity, passion (lust), evil desire, and covetousness (3:5). All of these lead to idolatry because we cannot pursue them and also submit to the Lordship of Christ.

Brothers and sisters, if you are still in sexual sin, you must put it to death. It is a suffocating garment of death that rots the soul and destroys relationships. Do everything you can to put a bullet in the head of sexual temptation and sin!

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Christ, Who is Your Life (Colossians 3:1-4)

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Colossians, Miscellaneous1 Comment

Guest written by Mark Shideler

In Colossians 3:1-4, Paul takes us through a progression of “If, Then, Why?” to teach us how to live our physical life on this earth with spiritual things in mind.

IF…

Paul writes in verse 1, “If then you have been raised with Christ…”

This question is pointing back to what he shared with the Colossians in chapter 2:13 , “…you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses…”

The Bible paints a very bleak picture of our spiritual state without Christ. Although we are born into this world physically alive, we are spiritually dead. We have no ability to come to God or desire to do so. Our sin separates us from God and actually makes us God’s enemy (Romans 5:10).

Modern religion often incorrectly portrays God as a sort of doting grandparent. But God doesn’t just adore us no matter what we do. He is a righteous judge who must punish sin. He is actually angry with our sin and can’t overlook it just because He loves us. However, He displayed His love by providing a way for our sin to be forgiven (even though we didn’t deserve it).

When we could never get to God, God came to us. Jesus Christ died to fulfill the legal transaction necessary to forgive sin – an innocent life dying for a sinful life. When we repent of our sin and place our faith in Christ’s sacrifice, we are forgiven, raised from death to life, and brought into fellowship with our Creator.

Paul didn’t take for granted that this transformation had happened in the life of every person in the church of Colossae. He says “IF” this has happened…

I wonder, would we be shocked at how many spiritually dead people attend church every week? Going to church, doing good things, getting baptized, and even believing in God cannot raise a dead soul to life. Only repentance of sin and faith in the finished work of Christ’s sacrifice can do that. All of us should heed Paul’s admonishment in 2 Corinthians 13:5 to examine ourselves to make sure we are in the faith.

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