God’s Plan
Colossians 3:18-25 18 Wives, submit yourselves 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 embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.
Good Sunday afternoon everyone. We have reached a section of the Scriptures that I have lived by for a good part of my life. But first let’s look at what Paul tells the Colossians about the right behavior of Christian households.
For any man who has used these or other Scriptures as a means to control his wife, wrongly believing he can treat her any way he likes because she has an obligation to submit, he has not only misunderstood the Scriptures, but he has completely taken God’s Word out of context .
In studying Theology we were often warned against proof texting. In other words, it is our responsibility to read the Bible in such a way that informs our beliefs rather than picking verses that prove what we already regard as true. We can be sure of two things: the Bible is the best source to prove the Bible, and if Scripture goes against the character of God, then we have incorrectly interpreted the meaning.
There is a hierarchy in Heaven and on earth, and for there to be any harmony we must act according to God’s plans. Submission does not mean that God regards women as less than men. Instead, we are to give one another a sacrificial love.
Children, be obedient to your parents because God says obedience is better than sacrifice. Fathers, treat your wives and your children with love and with care because that is the will of God
And finally, verses 23 and 24 instructs us to work in whatever we do as unto the Lord. That means whether I am a worker at McDonalds or an executive at an Insurance Company (or a Pastor), it is our privilege and our duty to work for God.
May we follow God’s Holy Word in all we say and do for this is God’s plan.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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