Colossians Chapter 3 Verses 18-25

Col. 3:18 “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. 20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. 21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. 22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.”   

Paul in this passage gives us lessons in personal discipleship.  We all serve different positions in life and have a need to know how to conduct ourselves in the positions that we serve.  As far as serving different positions, I can speak personally.  I have been a child, and a husband and a father.  Moreover, I have worked in the workplace as both a servant and a master (supervisor).  Being on all those positions in life, I have needed to know how to conduct myself as a disciple of Christ in those positions in life.  Regardless of the position we are currently serving in we have to humble ourselves to properly serve.   

“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.”  Submission speaks of rank or authority.  It has nothing to do with personal worth in the family.  For a husband to think he has more personal worth to the family than his wife is likely practicing self deception.  The Lord has given an authority structure to the family and it mirrors the authority structure of the church.  Christ is the head of the church and the church acts under the authority of Christ.   

“Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.”  In Eph 5:25 we read “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” Husbands love for their wives is mirror Christ’s love for the church.  Christ love for the church is a devoted, unselfish, and sacrificial love.  Our love for our wives should conform to John 15:13: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” 

The word, bitter, means to make sour.  The husband has the ability to sour a relationship.  However, the verse teaches us that as husbands we should do everything we can not to sour the relationship. 

“Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.”  One of the biggest problems for children is rebellion.  Samuel told King Saul in 1 Sam. 15:23 “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.”  The Lord is well pleased when children are obedient to their parents but he looks upon rebellion as being equivalent to the sin of witchcraft.   

“Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”  Probably the most common way that fathers can provoke their children to anger and discourage them is through ridicule and derision.  While it is necessary at times to chasten and admonish our children, we should avoid belittling them, ridiculing and deriding them.  Chastening and admonish should be through love for them.   

“Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:”  Most of us know of individuals who will make a show of working hard and doing good when the boss is around, but when the boss is out of sight will slack off.  This is called eyeservice or men pleasing.  Our service to our masters should be in singleness of heart, fearing God.  We read in Eph. 5:5 “Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; 6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:”   

“Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”  When our behavior mirrors that which is set forth in the subject passage, we receive a reward or blessing from the Lord as we are in doing as instructed we serve the Lord Christ. 

“But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.”  When we do not heed the admonishment set forth by Paul in the passage then we will be chastened of the Lord.  It doesn’t matter what our position may be because the Lord does not respect or favor us based on our position in life.