[AI translation] A week ago today, the same Word was spoken in this church. It was stated then that the apostle is here giving the Christian man's household rules. It is a way of life for people who have already accepted the grace of God offered in Jesus Christ, who have received Christ by faith and now want to walk in Him, that is, they want to be conformed to His will. We read here of the life of the great family of God, those who are part of the family of God acquired through the blood of Jesus. God has established the house rules of His family here because He wants His family to have order in their lives. We have seen that this divine order concerns not only a certain part of the believer's life, but the whole of it. There are four areas in which the believer lives his life: the family, the workplace, the church and the world. It is through these areas that the apostle marks out the narrow path which is the only way on earth for the redeemed man, the pilgrim's way. "As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" (Col 2,6).A week ago today, we began to detail this walking in the Lord, and we talked about family life. Now let's go further! So what is the believer's order of life as set out in God's Word: at work, in the church and in the world?
1) "In all things, you servants, obey your masters according to the flesh, not serving the eyes, as those who would please men, but in the uprightness of your hearts, fearing God. And whatsoever ye do, do it in the spirit, as unto the Lord, and not unto men: knowing that ye receive the reward of the inheritance of the Lord, because ye serve Christ the Lord. But whosoever doeth unrighteousness, receiveth the reward of his unrighteousness: and there is no imputation of persons. Ye lords, which are just and righteous, give to your servants, knowing that ye also have a Lord in heaven." (Col 3,22-4,1) There are two types of attitude: the attitude of servants towards their masters and the attitude of masters towards their servants. Today we might say that everyone is in some form of dependent relationship, both downwards and upwards. Everyone has some kind of master, superior, in whose service he is, and everyone has subordinates over whom he exercises a right of disposition. We all live in subordination and subordination to one another. There are those who are above us and those who are at our command. Now, in this interdependent relationship, the order of Christ is that servants obey in all things their Lord according to the flesh. The divine will manifested in this can be well understood if we know that Paul is here saying this to slaves - converted, believing, Christ-following slaves - that they owe obedience to their master according to the flesh, that is, to their unconverted, unbelieving overlord. The believing slave also owes obedience to his unbelieving master. There is therefore no dispute as to whether a believing man may do what his unbelieving master or commander requires of him.
There is no dispute as to the validity for a believing man of the orders and commands issued by an authority based on a non-Christian worldview. The will of the Lord is unmistakable: "O ye servants, obey your masters according to the flesh in all things." (Col 3,22a) The way of Christ in the face of superior authority is never one of rebellion or violence, but always one of honest and open obedience. The believer never sabotages, but always "serves", and "not to the eye", as the Scripture continues, "as those who seek to please men, but "in the uprightness of your hearts, fearing God" (Col 3,22b). So the faithful servant stands and works before his Lord according to the flesh, that at the same time he stands and works before the eyes of his Lord according to the Spirit, his heavenly Master. The believer does not serve his Lord according to the flesh in a lackey-like manner, in order to flatter him, to please him, so as to secure certain advantages for himself, but his obedience and service is obedience and service by faith, by faith that there, too, in his workplace, though indirectly, he obeys and serves the Lord! That is why he can do what he does "in the spirit", not just in a superficial, "with a bow and arrow" way, but with heart and soul, because he does it for the Lord and not for men.
Believers, you who are weary and bitter in your daily work - wherever you are and whatever service you are doing - "do it in the spirit, as to the Lord, and not to men" (Col 3:23). But over many difficulties, bitterness, feelings of inferiority, I am overcome by the faith that I work not for men, but for God! And how many hardships and burdens are relieved by the fact that I do not serve for the greater reward, "knowing that I receive the reward of the inheritance from the Lord, because I serve the Lord Christ"! (Col 3,24) Thus is the most profane work sanctified, in the happy faith, in the liberating faith that I serve the Lord Christ! For the believer fulfils his duty to the Lord God when he fulfils his duty at work! "As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" (Col 2:6) So, in the workplace, the believer walks in Christ when he is understood to be an absolutely reliable worker who can be counted on!
The sequel adds to what has been said so far: 'You, masters, righteous and just, give to your servants, knowing that you also have a Lord in heaven.' (Col 4:1) This is for believers who have authority over other people. The divine order is clear: if you have subordinates, never forget that you yourselves are subordinate to the Lord. You are not your own master, but are accountable to Someone. Treat those entrusted to you as you expect the Lord to treat you, and in the belief that you are responsible for them. The Christian responsibility we are talking about here - that is, being responsible for someone - is precisely the knowledge and belief that one must be responsible for that person at some point, for that person's physical and spiritual condition and state. It is in this sense of responsibility that a believer treats those who are entrusted to him. "Ye masters, righteous and just, render unto your servants, knowing that ye also have a Lord in heaven."
2) We have mentioned before that the apostle, when he goes into detail, the details of the Christian way of life, does not get lost in the minutiae, but only draws the main lines. He points out the most basic, the most important things: obedience in women, true love in men, obedience in children, obedience in servants, and responsible treatment in masters. Now, when he points to a new area, the area of the Church's life, he again says only the most important thing: persevering supplication. Surely there are many other things besides this, which are seen as the ecclesiastical duty of the believer, of the man who has received Christ, but it seems to me that this is the most important! The persevering, regular prayer of believers is the channel through which God's manifold blessings are poured out upon a whole congregation.
In the time of the famous Pastor Blumhardt, extraordinary miracles were performed in Möttlingen by the power of the Lord. Just as in the time of Jesus and the apostles: healings, a miraculous outpouring of God's healing, casting out demons and cleansing power. But behind all this extraordinary church life there was a lot of prayer, a quiet but faithful prayer ministry. It is through the prayer of believers, together or alone, that a spiritual atmosphere is created in which His presence is felt, condensed by His Holy Spirit. It is there that the Holy Spirit of God is truly at work in a church, where there is a living relationship, a connection between God and His church through the prayers of believers. Moses, the defeat of the Amalekites: Exodus 17:8-13) It is there that children grow up in the fear of the Lord, where confirmands are converted, where human souls are born again, where behind all these church works there is an army of believers laboring in prayer, where the Holy Spirit of God does this precious work through the prayers of believers. That is why this exhortation is part of the Christian man's order of life in the church, in the life of the congregation: 'Be persevering in prayer, giving thanks in it' (Col 4,2).
(1 Thess 5:25; Heb 13:18; etc.) Why? Because the apostle could only speak! But the problem with preaching is not that one should be able to speak well, but that one should be able to say what the Lord says. Anyone can learn to preach, but the message of the Lord can only be given by the one to whom the Lord himself has entrusted it. This is the problem of preaching: to understand and to make others understand what the Lord is saying and what he wants! So if the Lord gives it, it must be asked for! And it is not enough for one person, the preacher, to ask, but every believing soul must ask. Do you ask that the preacher may speak here as the Lord has commissioned him to speak? You are all responsible for the clear, unmistakable utterance of the Word of God among us! Help us, then: "Praying also for us, that God will open to us the door of the Word, that we may speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am a prisoner; that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak." (Col 4:3-4)
3) Let us also take a brief look at that area of the Christian man's life which we have just called the world. Here the divine injunction is: "Wisely conduct yourselves toward those outside, redeeming the good opportunity at the price of the good opportunity. Let your speech be at all times pleasant, seasoned with salt; that ye may know how ye ought to meet every man." (Col 5-6) - Who are the "world"? Those on the outside. So everything and everyone outside of Christ, who or what is not in the Lord: that is the world. We are told in the Word to bear ourselves wisely toward them. Wisely: I could say the same thing: In a manner according to God. You see, that wisdom does not come from us - so it is not only the wise man who can be wise, not only the educated man who can be wise, not only the sharp-minded man, but only the man to whom God gives this wisdom. It is the wisdom from above that can be asked for and that God gives without reproach to whoever asks Him. Wise behaviour is often behaviour in spite of emotion, often behaviour in spite of reason, often behaviour that seems totally unjustifiable. Wise behavior is acting according to God's advice and guidance in the situation! It cannot be prepared for, it cannot be learned, there is only one thing to do: to listen to the Lord with great humility and obedience!
It is the great responsibility of every believer to those on the outside to receive the message of the Word through them. Through the wise conduct of the believer. So it may not be through his words, not through his verbal testimony, but through his conduct. Those outside are not looking for the speech of our words, but the speech of our lives. The church meets the world through you, that is, where a believing girl punches tram tickets, where a believing man handles office files, where a believing policeman stands on a street corner, where a believing woman does the work of serving the many nervous people behind the counter. Here we need the wise behaviour, the wisdom from above of the child of God, so that the name of God is not blasphemed, but glorified! "As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him" (Col 2,6) Yes: out in the world!
It is the first Sunday of Advent. The expectation of the coming of the Lord fills hearts. Believers, for whom the Lord has already come, do you know that the whole world is eagerly awaiting the coming of Christ?! Well, you know, you who have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, for in those who walk in Him, the Lord is walking, coming, drawing near, conquering. So his kingdom is spreading, so his reign is filling this earth, that I and you and all the rest who have received the Lord are walking in him. We walk in Him, in His way, according to His leading, according to His will in the family, in the workplace, in the church and in the world.
We who have received the Lord, the messengers of Advent, let us now pray with Advent hope:
Thy kingdom come,
Thy kingdom come,
O our King, this land;
Increase thy army,
A ready shelter for thy precious Word,
Give everywhere a free flow.
(Canticle 483, verse 4)
Amen
Date: 2 December 1951.
Lesson
Kol 3,18-4,6