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. 4 Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven (Colossians 3:22-4:1 NKJV).
We covered verse 22 in our last study, but we begin there so we might today understand the complete thought which Paul is bringing to us.
In modern times with the breaking of the horrible sin of slavery in Society, we should apply these principles to the employer/employee relationship. In the work environment, we are under an obligation to obey our employer. Most companies have rules and regulations that the employee must be familiar with and are willing to follow. There is a recognized chain of command in an orderly business format.
Notice Paul’s admonition to the employee in verse 22, “not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in the sincerity of heart, fearing God.” Eyeservice definition: “Service performed only under inspection or the eye of an employer.” The right viewpoint for the believer is that God is our overseer. Our service is to God and His kingdom. Years ago, as I went to work for a large service company, the Lord spoke these words to me, “let your goal be to make your service manager a success, and I will make you a success.” The Lord was faithful in what He had promised me. I never lacked in a pay raise, I always was number one in selling service contracts, and I consistently had excellent evaluation reports regarding my performance.
Paul goes on to say, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” When we are joined to the Lord and baptized into His body, we are to no longer think that our service is to men. It is not! It is only to the Lord. Where we work, the business should become benefited by the employment of a son or daughter of God. How we live and treat others is part of our daily witness to an unbelieving world. It speaks volumes of the Life of Christ dwelling in us. It strengthens our words when we through the goodness and faithfulness of God, live a surrendered life to His glory. It is the Lord of heaven who rewards us. Our inheritance is in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the Lord Jesus Christ that we serve.
Paul reminds us, “But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.” God has no respect for persons. If we do well, the Lord will reward us for our diligence, but if we do wrong, that also will reap a payment from the Lord for the wrong done. Peter reminds us of how our Lord sees things from a pure perspective when he teaches in Acts 10:34, “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said; of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.” These are very important verses and go to the heart of the understanding of the “New Creation Man” that God is raising up out of every nation on earth.
Paul reminds us in Romans 2:11-16 (KJV) “For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” Hearing the “word of God” preached every week, does not save or sanctify a person. It is in both the hearing and the applying that our salvation is established. It is one reason why “baptism” is so important and critical to our Christian growth and maturity. It is the second response to the “good news of the gospel of the kingdom of God. The first being repentance and then followed by baptism, which is an obedient action that publicly displays our surrender to the death of Christ, and our absolute reliance upon His resurrection life. Death to self is followed by receiving the “empowerment” of the Holy Spirit in the resurrection life of Christ (see Acts 2:38). To simplify what has been said: We begin by changing our mind about Christ, accepting what He has done for us. Next, we change our identity from Adam to the Last Adam, and then we cease to live life out of our energy or control, but now by the power of the Holy Spirit, receiving His life-giving spirit.
There is no partiality in what Christ has done for us, nor is there partiality in what is required of us, that is, in the way we live out our life toward others. So in all that we do, it is unto the Lord. In verse 24, we learn that it is from the Lord that we receive our true reward. The reward is in the “inheritance” we have in Christ Jesus. Ultimately we only serve the Lord Christ. This should take a lot of pressure off of us. We don’t need to perform for others. Do everything unto the Lord.
Those who do wrong will be repaid for their wrongdoings. God is not impartial. Wrong is compensated for the evil done. Those who do right are rewarded for the good which they have done to others. What Paul is teaching is an eternal principle, regardless of the situation. Revelation 20 tells us of the books which will be opened. The “Book of Life,” and whoever’s name is not found in that book, will be judged for the works they have done. That judgment leads to being cast into the lake of fire. The final judgment is all about receiving or rejecting God’s eternal salvation received by trusting in Christ and living out your salvation with fear and trembling before the Father.
Verse 25 makes it abundantly clear, “But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.”
Chapter 4:1 Sums up these thoughts as Paul finishes by addressing Masters and their treatment of bondservants. Paul puts the focus on “what is just and fair.” Back then, it was about how Christians, who were lessor by Society’s norms, were treated. Today, this principle would relate to Employers and their treatment of employees. Paul’s reasoning had to do with the fact that the human “Master” also had a “Master” and that Master is in heaven. He is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ himself. (NKJV). You see, Jesus’ death on the cross and His Resurrection changed everything in terms of relationship and how we are to serve and treat others. Jesus is always the third party. Everything we do includes Jesus. Eventually, we will all give an account to Him.
Remember what Paul taught in Galatians 3:21-29. We were all confined under sin. That is Jew and Gentile, Male and Female, Bond and free. The human race was bound by sin. Even the Law of God was helpless to save us, because of the weakness of our flesh so that we could not keep God’s Holy Law.
“But the Scripture has confined all under sin that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
All those who have put their faith in Christ have been made sons and heirs of God’s promises.
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (NKJV).
Keeping this in mind, we now must see one another and treat one another as Christ sees us and treats us. We must understand that everything has changed because of God’s New Creation. Jesus dealt with the sin issue. Jesus overcame the devil and his demons. Jesus overcame the world. He conquered and has called us to be part of His conquering kingdom here on earth. The kingdom is now, the kingdom is present. The kingdom of God is not someday. The kingdom of God is initiated in the here, and now. We have been called out of darkness into His marvel’s light. A life led and directed by the Holy Spirit, and the eternal Word of God found in the scriptures. Our identity is in Christ and His kingdom. Day by day, Jesus’ resurrection life is available to you and me. Saint of God, allow the Holy Spirit to live out the life of Christ through us as Sons and Daughters of our great King.
Lord, anoint me to be a kingdom of God husband. Lord, anoint me to be a kingdom of God wife. Lord, anoint our children to be the kingdom of God children. Father, strengthen us to do everything to the glory of God in all of our affairs in this life for Jesus sake, Amen!