For the month of October, we are answering the challenge John Goldwater, pastor of Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS, laid out — the #DailyWisdomChallenge. Each day, we are going to read through a chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month.
This fits with what we have studied in Colossians, specifically Colossians 3:1-2, namely that we should seek “the things that are above, where Christ is” and set our minds like a thermostat “on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. Imagine what a month meditating on God’s Word daily can do for us.
Won’t you join us on this #DailyWisdomChallenge and set your minds on Christ?
Proverbs 5 is tough — as it should be, because there is real danger and wickedness in the world that actively seeks to lead us astray.
Right there in Proverbs 5:1, we see the same call to attentiveness to “wisdom” in order to gain “insight” (Proverbs 4:1) and “understanding” as in our last post. The specific nature of the wisdom offered in Proverbs 5 is about the temptation of adultery, and it uses the illustration of the words (anti-wisdom, if you will) that come from the “lips of a forbidden woman” (Proverbs 5:3).
I chose Proverbs 5:18 as the focus verse because it very clearly illustrates a few things about the way that God’s plan and wisdom unfold.
First, God is not some cosmic killjoy trying to keep us from having fun and enjoyment. We need to be attentive to God’s wisdom because He knows best, and especially because He knows and sees beyond what we can. We might get caught up in listening to the anti-wisdom and think it’s “honey” because its rhetoric is “smoother than oil” (Proverbs 5:3), but in reality, that honey is laced with “wormwood” (poison) and seeks to cut us down as with a “two-edged sword” (Proverbs 5:4).
Second, God’s ways are not empty of enjoyment. Proverbs 5:18 gives contrast to the poison anti-wisdom and allure of adultery by reminding that there is rejoicing in one’s own wife, one’s own spouse. Furthermore (and not something I am going into here), the following verses show that all of the enjoyment promised by the forbidden woman (without the danger and death) can be more truly and completely found in one’s own marriage! In fact, that’s God’s design. Read on in Proverbs 5 and be attentive to see what I’m talking about.
Lastly, following God’s design and heeding His wise counsel leads to life. The forbidden woman “does not ponder the path of life” (Proverbs 5:6) and “her steps follow the path to Sheol” (Proverbs 5:5). Let me translate that for you: she doesn’t care that the wages of sin is death because she’s on the broad road that leads to destruction, to Hell (Romans 6:23, Matthew 7:13). You may not know it, but there is more going on than someone tempting spouses to cheat; as Paul said in Ephesians 6:12, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”. Be attentive to the wisdom of God and not tempted by the smooth honey poison of the devil and this world.
To sum all this up, and especially if you are married, God’s ways are best and the husband or wife He has given you is where you are to find your delight.
Lord, help us enjoy our marriage and be attentive to your wisdom and ways. Protect our marriages and strengthen them in you. Shield us from the evil attacks around us and keep our attention and ears tuned into what You have for us.
For the month of October, we are answering the challenge John Goldwater, pastor of Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS, laid out — the #DailyWisdomChallenge. Each day, we are going to read through a chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month.
This fits with what we have studied in Colossians, specifically Colossians 3:1-2, namely that we should seek “the things that are above, where Christ is” and set our minds like a thermostat “on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. Imagine what a month meditating on God’s Word daily can do for us.
Won’t you join us on this #DailyWisdomChallenge and set your minds on Christ?
This section of proverbs is written father-to-son and gives a good picture of why the wisdom of God is good for us — and better than the wisdom of the world.
There is a phrase in English that is meant to convey this: father knows best. There was even a TV show with that name in the 1950s. Well, it ain’t the 1950s anymore. Fathers don’t always know best or give the best advice; they don’t always give the best example to follow and aren’t too consistent (even absent in too many cases).
The phrase “father knows best” doesn’t mean what it once did. And, truth be told, it didn’t mean it as often as folks would like to believe then. Here’s some good news, though: God the Father knows best. Always. His wise counsel is worth following. His example is worth following. He is the very definition of consistent. And because He is God, He is never absent!
The picture we get in Proverbs 4 is instruction for the son to “be attentive” in order to “gain insight”. So, for us in this #DailyWisdomChallenge (and for all the days that follow until we stand before the Father), we should be attentive to what God the Father has to tell us in His Word. That will give us insight into how He intended us to live, and since He is God — the inventor of humanity and the giver of life, He knows how He designed life to work best. God the Father knows best.
Here’s some more good news: we never have to wonder if God is leading or guiding us the right way. Earthly fathers are fickle and often fail (I am unfortunately an example of this), but God the Father always gives us “good precepts”. He never leads us wrongly. So, don’t forsake His teaching but follow it wholeheartedly.
Lord, help us to hear you and be attentive to Your Word. Instill in us a trust for You as Father that may not come easy to us, and give us the strength and opportunity to live out your “good precepts”. Amen.
Tomorrow is Sunday, and Lord willing, we will have the opportunity to gather and worship Him!
Let me say that again — we will have the OPPORTUNITY to worship Him, gathered with other believers and pointing to Him with all that we do.
Why?
God is worthy! Revelation 4:11 says, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
God is holy! Psalm 29:2 says, “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.”
God is the mighty Creator! Psalm 95:6 says, “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, out Maker!”
God is good, steadfastly loving, and eternally faithful! Psalm 100:4-5 says, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thank to Him; bless His name! For the LORD is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.”
God is great and powerful — worthy to be praised! Psalm 96:4-5 says, “For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.”
God is worthy to be praised because He is the Savior! In Isaiah 43:11, He tells us, “I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior.”
Our God — Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords — is worthy to receive worship and praise and honor because He is the Redeemer! In Titus 2:13-14, Paul tells us that we are “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.”
So, about that OPPORTUNITY tomorrow where, should the Lord let us wake, we GET to worship Him: what will you do with it?
We saw in the verses above that our God is not like the “worthless idols” of this earth — the vain things that charm us and distract us from Him. He is good and loving and sovereign and mighty, and He saves and redeems us. We can be sure that there are many frightening and concerning things going on around the world today, but none of them — NONE of them — frighten or concern our God because He has already won the victory and is undefeatable!
The words of Jesus’s words to His disciples at the end of John 16 when I think of the things that frighten me in the news and in my social media news feed of late — and these words move my heart to worship despite fear — they move me to comfort despite rising anxiety and unsurety. Listen to the words of our King:
I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
I feel those words in my soul — “take heart; I have overcome the world.”
That’s my God.
That’s my King.
He cares for us and has provided for us.
He has already — that’s right, past tense — “overcome the world”.
And tomorrow, we are going to celebrate Him and worship Him and praise Him and read His Word and preach His Word and make much of Him because He is God and He is worthy to be praised.
Won’t you gather with us?
Here are our Scriptures & songs:
Scripture | Romans 6:4-8 —
4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
Song | Washed Clean — Scripture Inspiration: 2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 1:17-18, Matthew 11:28-30, Romans 8:2, John 8:34-36, Psalm 51:2, Psalm 51:7, Jeremiah 33:8, 1 John 1:9, Titus 3:4-5, Proverbs 16:18, Proverbs 3:34, Ephesians 2:1-2, Acts 26:18-19
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Song | What He’s Done — Scripture Inspiration: Matthew 7:33, Mark 15:22, Luke 23:33, John 19:7, Matthew 26:26, Colossians 1:19-20, 1 Peter 1:19, John 8:36, Isaiah 53, Psalm 147:3, John 3:16, John 15:13, Romans 8:5-8, 1 John 1:9-2:2, Acts 4:12, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, Hebrews 2:14, Philippians 2:5-11, 1 Corinthians 15:50-57, Revelation 4:1-11, 1 John 5:4, Revelation 17:14, Revelation 5:12, Philippians 4:8
For the month of October, we are answering the challenge John Goldwater, pastor of Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS, laid out — the #DailyWisdomChallenge. Each day, we are going to read through a chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month.
This fits with what we have studied in Colossians, specifically Colossians 3:1-2, namely that we should seek “the things that are above, where Christ is” and set our minds like a thermostat “on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. Imagine what a month meditating on God’s Word daily can do for us.
Won’t you join us on this #DailyWisdomChallenge and set your minds on Christ?
Trust is difficult, especially in times when you feel like there is no one you can trust. In the case of today’s Scripture, it is you — your own heart — that you cannot trust.
We can, however, trust in the LORD!
What we have here is an either/or situation. We are either trusting in the Lord or we are trusting in ourselves. Everything in the world tells us to listen to our hearts and follow our hearts and be true to ourselves and so on and so forth. All of that has us doing what we want when we want it. It sounds pretty good, at least on the surface. The issue is that we often want the wrong things.
Take for instance what I want right now. As I sit here writing this, I want a double cheeseburger and some crunchy tater tots. I want to wash it down with an full-sugar green Mt. Dew. For good measure, a couple of Little Debbie snacks could top me off and leave me sitting fat and happy. That flies in the face of the hard work I have done the last several months of trying to eat healthier and live healthier so as to honor the Lord with my body and be healthy enough to be the husband, father, pastor, and teacher I have been called to be. My wanter is broken.
The things I want are wrong for me. Yes, they satisfy whatever whims I come up with, but left to myself, I will never want to make healthy choices — or in the context of Proverbs, wise choices. Yes, sometimes we want to be dumb; it’s called willful ignorance. So, how can we trust ourselves if our desires long for sin and stupidity? We can’t. We need someone trustworthy to keep us on track.
If you are saved and follow the Lord, you know that you can trust in Him and not lean on your own understanding. You can put yourself fully in His hands and trust that He will take care of you. You can trust that God the Father knows best and has your best interests at heart. When your understanding calls for the contrary, you can trust Him when He leads you in His ways.
When it says “in all your ways acknowledge Him”, it means give Him control in all of your ways. That is, after all, what it means for Him to be Lord. He calls the shots. You follow in the way He directs. He will “make straight your paths” and keep you going where He leads!
So, what will you do: trust in the Lord or go your own way?
Lord, help us to follow you. You know we want things that are bad for us. You know the sin we struggle with is the sin we desire. Please fix our hearts and help us to want what You have for us and to understand that Your ways are better. Help us to trust You with our lives and live it according to Your wisdom rather than the wisdom of the world. Amen.
For the month of October, we are answering the challenge John Goldwater, pastor of Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS, laid out — the #DailyWisdomChallenge. Each day, we are going to read through a chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month.
This fits with what we have studied in Colossians, specifically Colossians 3:1-2, namely that we should seek “the things that are above, where Christ is” and set our minds like a thermostat “on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. Imagine what a month meditating on God’s Word daily can do for us.
Won’t you join us on this #DailyWisdomChallenge and set your minds on Christ?
Studying God’s Word is good and good for us.
Reading God’s Word is good and good for us.
Learning more and more about about Him is good and good for us.
Knowing Him and making Him known is good and good for us.
We need to be careful that we understand our part in this, though, if we are going to become wise in Him. As Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, there is knowledge that “puffs up”, however “love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). In the case of Proverbs 2:6-8, we need to be humble and know that the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding we gain comes from God and flows from the love He has for us and that we have for Him!
We get — that’s right GET — to study God’s Word. We get to receive knowledge and wisdom from Him. All these are blessings that come from Him. If we get puffed up with knowledge, it means that we have this whole thing out of whack.
I love the way that Proverbs 2:1-5 uses language that shows just how much of a privilege it is to get to seek Him and know Him. We should “treasure” His commandments (Proverbs 2:1). We should incline our hearts to understand and make our ears “attentive to wisdom” (Proverbs 2:2). We need to call out to Him “for insight” and raise our voices to call out to Him “for understanding” (Proverbs 2:3). We need to seek Him and His wisdom “like silver” and “as for hidden treasures” (Proverbs 2:4). Then, and only then, the Bible tells us that we will “understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of GOD” (Proverbs 2:5).
It all comes from HIM!
I think about it almost as the difference between me in high school and me in my latest studies at William Carey University. In high school, I was legally and parentally obligated to be there. I worked as hard as I had to and not too much more. I got enough knowledge that I could let folks know how smart I was. Some of it was easy, and the rest was obviously unfair because surely I was too smart to struggle. I was in my teens and puffed up with arrogance, thinking I knew everything. Fast forward to my time at Carey when I was in my late-30s and the same age as professors and over a decade older than my fellow students. I was paying money out of my own pocket, and I had to bring my grades to my wife instead of my mama! I was motivated to learn because I understood the purpose of the knowledge. If I didn’t know or understand, I had to ask because I was not as quick as the other “kids” anymore. I know the value of what I am working for now.
That’s how it is with seeking the Lord and His Wisdom now. I’m too old to worry about impressing folks with knowledge and things that once drove me and motivated me pale in comparison with “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). I want to know Him more than I want to know about Him. I want to follow Him more than I want folks to think well of me. I want more of Him and less of me.
I know my inadequacies, and so does He. And I can trust that He is “guarding the paths of justice, and watching over the way of His saints” (Proverbs 2:8). I can trust that He is guarding and watching my paths because He loves me and I am His.
How about you?
Lord, help us to seek You and Your Wisdom like we chase worldly riches — more than that, Lord, like we would a priceless treasure. Thank You that we know we can find you and receive Your Wisdom — that we can ask that of You and You have already promised it! Help us to know what it is to GET to fear You and help us to know You more. Amen.
For the month of October, we are answering the challenge John Goldwater, pastor of Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS, laid out — the #DailyWisdomChallenge. Each day, we are going to read through a chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month.
This fits with what we have studied in Colossians, specifically Colossians 3:1-2, namely that we should seek “the things that are above, where Christ is” and set our minds like a thermostat “on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. Imagine what a month meditating on God’s Word daily can do for us.
Won’t you join us on this #DailyWisdomChallenge and set your minds on Christ?
As we endeavor to seek the Lord in His Word, Proverb 1:23 is good guidance, especially for the wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. We all sin, and we all need “reproof” — we all need correction. The problem is that we do not always receive correction well.
I guess this really begs the question: why do I read God’s Word?
The answer to that question really drives how we respond to correction, because if we are reading it to check off some religious checklist, there are passages that may let us feel good about ourselves or feel righteous. That definitely won’t let us read the whole Bible, though. What if you decided to read it to grow closer to the Lord and to see Jesus impact your every day life by His Spirit. In that case, you would need to open yourself up to reproof.
That’s what this verse is talking about. In Proverbs 1:20-22, Wisdom personified is preaching in the streets and crying out over the noise of earthly wisdom and teaching asking whether we will choose to be willfully ignorant of the things of God and whether or not we will scoff at God’s Wisdom like the rest or the world, being fools who hate knowledge.
Proverbs 1:23 gives a picture of what responding to the Lord and receiving His Wisdom looks like: turning (repenting) at His reproof. He corrects; we repent. He leads; we follow. Turning from foolishness toward wisdom sees one filled with the Spirit of God and receiving His Word. It makes a difference in everyday life.
In Proverbs 1:24-33, however, we see the contrast of the person who receives correction well by getting a picture of the one who refuses to listen to correction. These elevate themselves to a position that they think is over God and decides to have none of His reproof or correction. They think they know better and that they can set their own path. The Bible tells us that rather than receiving God’s Word and His Spirit, these who refuse to turn and repent will reap calamity and terror. They want their own way bad enough, and they will keep it when they get their just comeuppance.
What about you?
Will you hear the Word of the Lord and turn? Or do you want to forge your own path based on your own understanding?
I can tell you from experience that I never knew as much as I thought I did in those situations. God’s ways are higher. He knows what I need.
Lord, grant us repentance and give us a yearning and desire to follow You in the paths you have laid out rather than get carried away by the sinful currents of this world. Amen.
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. —
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. 4:1Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.[1]
📖 Revelation 3:7–13We’re back!After a few months off, The King is Coming returns in 2026 with one of the most encouraging letters in Revelation — Jesus’s message to the faithful church in Philadelphia. In a world filled with opposition and weakness, Jesus opens a door no one can shut.In this episode, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison explore:✔️ Jesus’s identity as the Holy One, the True One — God Himself✔️ What the “key of David” means and how Jesus alone opens and shuts✔️ The debated phrase “I will keep you from the hour of trial” — and how to read it biblically✔️ Why “little power” doesn’t disqualify faithfulness✔️ How being kept through the trial glorifies Christ’s strength in us✔️ What it means to be a pillar in God’s presence foreverThis church had no rebuke — only encouragement. And Jesus’s call still stands today: “Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.” (Revelation 3:11, ESV)🔗 Missed earlier episodes in the series? You can click here to catch up and listen from the beginning.✍️ If you’d like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.
Today’s Bible study has put me through the wringer. As I have said many times over, these Bible studies are not just for you but that they work on me first. It hit me as I type this final version that there is a great irony to how it has taken me so long to finish this Bible study. This Bible study is on what it means to be adorned with Christ in our vocations, and one of my vocations being an English teacher, one would think that the irony of me being unable to find the time to serve the Lord in writing this Bible study is because I have been working much more than usual. More than realizing the irony, though, is me sitting here and pondering whether my hard work of the last month or so has been “as for the Lord” or “for men” (Colossians 3:23).
For me, work has always been an easy idol. I like to work. I thrive when I get to multitask (with a reasonable number of tasks). I like the feeling of accomplishment I get when a task is complete, or a project goes well. Both of my vocations stem from God’s calling on my life and involve helping people in various capacities. Getting to see people receive needed help, whether it be the lightbulb clicking on when a student learns something or helping someone seek Christ, gives me an indescribable feeling. But, if I am not careful, I will take on more and more and more until I lose myself in the work.
I need accountability in this area, and I have people who are committed to helping me strike a correct balance in this area of my life so that I do not overindulge. I know I am a workaholic. I must be careful because I am a teetotaler and will add and add and add until I burn myself out. I know this because I have been there, having burned out and swapped careers just before my 30th birthday. It is part of the reason that I believe the Lord has allowed me to slowly ease back into pastoral ministry. I had to divorce my identity from my work and let Him define me in light of who He has made, is making, and will make me to be.
So, to answer my earlier question – and unfortunately confess to y’all, dear Sojourners: I have leaned more toward working for man than God as of late. Knowing that is, as they say, half the battle. Now, is the time for repentance.
Lest you think I am exaggerating because work is a good thing invented by God, too much of it or having it out of the balance of rest that exhibits faith in Jesus’s strength over my own reveals that I am not bearing fruit accordingly, namely the self-control that comes from being in Christ (Galatians 5:22-23). Look at a few passages of Scripture that illustrate this:
Proverb 25:16 – If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit.
1 Corinthians 9:25 – Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
Titus 2:11-12 – For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.
We will revisit these later on as we seek to apply our passage today, but it should be clear here that too much of a good thing can be bad – and yes, God invented work, so it is (or at least it was meant to be) good when done according to His Word and will.
In Genesis 2:15, we see that God put Adam into “the garden of Eden to work it and keep it”. This is not so much a mandate as it is a role or calling for Adam, and as his descendants, we have roles and callings as well. Initially, this work was easy for Adam as he was tasked with naming the animals in Eden and later his wife. God gave Adam the task of being “fruitful” and multiplying in order that the earth would be filled in Genesis 1:28, which the Bible describes as a part of God blessing them. These tasks were good and enjoyable – and probably much less of the toil we associate with work because, at the time, there was no sin in the world, no death (Genesis 1:31, Romans 5:12). Once the Fall occurred when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:6), death and sin began to reign in the earth (Romans 5:17), and God cursed the ground, the very same ground that Adam had been tasked to keep and work (Genesis 3:17-19). Adam’s sin took that good and fruitful work and turned it to toil with the addition of pain and thorns and thistles and sweat and dust (Genesis 3:17-19). Work went from something that was good and revolved around the role God assigned and calling He gave as a blessing and introduced the toil and fruitless labor that we know all too well.
This is why we need Colossians 3:22-4:1. Because of the Fall, the image of God in us has been marred by sin, but God, when He saves us, begins conforming us to the image of His Son Jesus rather than the world around us (Romans 8:29, 12:1-2). We saw this earlier in Colossians 3:9-10 when Paul told the Colossian church (and us) that we are to be putting “off the old self with its practices” and putting “on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator”. We need Colossians 3:22-4:1 to see what we need to take off and what we need to put on. We need to understand that God has placed us in our vocations as His ambassadors and missionaries (2 Corinthians 5:19-20) and ask the Lord to let our work be adorned with Christ rather than conformed to this fallen world.
Bondservants, Obey in Everything Those Who are Your Earthly Masters (vv. 3:22-25)
On the surface, this passage is about slaves obeying their masters. That is what it is about.
What This Does NOT Mean
As we covered in our study of Philemon, the God of the Bible is not associated with the slavery that comes to mind from colonial America or present-day human trafficking. You can look back at the Appendices from that Bible study and see God’s stance on the treatment of slaves and on the ungodly horrors visited on people in chattel slavery and around the world today; He is against such things. When the Holy Spirit breathed this out and had Paul to write it down, He was not condoning chattel slavery or human trafficking – plain and simple (see Appendix III — Bible Passages Condemning Practices Related to Chattel Slavery and Modern-Day Slavery/Human Trafficking). So, operating under the presupposition that what Paul is talking about here is not that[2], let’s dive in and see what He does mean here.
What Does It Mean, Then?
The word translated “bondservant” in the ESV is the Greek word doulos. It can – and probably should – be simply translated as slave, but there is a connotation[3] in the present that is wrapped up in the sinful atrocities of chattel slavery as well as in the continued sinful treatment of African Americans in the century plus following the Civil War in the Deep South. Bondservant does not really have a connotation and allows for the denotation, or definition, of what God has for us here. That word doulos refered to a slave, “one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another” where their will is “altogether consumed in the will of the other”, and it references one being “bound to serve”.[4] It is closer to the modern understanding of an indentured servant than it is to modern understanding of slavery.
It would be a cop-out and over-generalization to say that this is all that there was, especially throughout the Roman empire and around the world at that time. There were wicked masters, and when they were bad, they were terrible. Some slaves were severely mistreated. But there were those who served out their debt and returned to regular life. There were even some who would seek to remain in the service of their master after their debt was paid. Roman slavery was associated with vocation. These bondservants could be teachers or builders or whatever skills they had that could generate enough revenue to pay off their debt. In some cases, it was quite like work releases for people who are incarcerated today – or even in the way trustees are given responsibility or management oversight.
The emphasis here is less about the way they were taught and more about how those who found themselves bonded to a master and have confessed Jesus as Lord will serve. The emphasis is on their service rather than the quality of their master. Their service is to be marked by obedience “in everything” (Colossians 3:22). Their service is to flow out of sincere hearts and their fear of the Lord rather than “by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers” (Colossians 3:22). Whatever was required of them was a call to “work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” because they were “serving the Lord Christ” and receiving the only reward that mattered from Him (Colossians 3:23-24). Those who are saved have submitted themselves to Jesus as Lord – as kurios, the Greek word for the master of a doulos. And this is what their heavenly Lord and Master required of them – what He requires of us.
Now, did this mean that they refused to be paid or for their debt to be worked off? Absolutely not. What it meant was, if they were in Christ, the fruit borne by their lives reflected an inheritance greater than any paycheck and that their redemption by the blood of Jesus meant more than being redeemed from earthly servitude. This also does not mean that they are above punishment if they did wrong because, with God, “there is no partiality” and “the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done” (Colossians 3:25). This would also cover if an earthly master required a sinful act from their slave or bondservant. Just like we looked at in the relationships of fathers to children and husbands to wives, being in service to God above all means that we refuse to bow to the call of the world and sin even and especially if it means punishment or persecution (1 Peter 2:20-23). To clarify, this would not include the way a wicked master would punish but is meant to help us understand that, even for saved people, there are consequences for sin.
To be adorned in Christ as one works and serves means that they are serving the Lord above all, no matter their vocation. It means that Jesus has a plan for your vocation that goes beyond what you can see (Ephesians 2:10)! It means your quality of work matters, not because of your earthly masters or bosses but because you belong to Jesus and He has set you apart to shine His “marvelous light” in your workplace and find opportunity to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness” (1 Peter 2:9).
Masters, Treat Your Bondservants Justly and Fairly (v. 4:1)
Since slavery was an integrated part of the Roman Empire and the Colossian church clearly had masters in her members, like Philemon, it is important for God to set a standard for how those masters would operate. This extends to those in both vocational authority and other areas of oversight or administration.
What Does It Mean, Then, to Be a Master Who is Just and Fair?
The way that Paul wrote it here is pretty clear who is in charge: “knowing you also have a Master in heaven” (Colossians 4:1). Earthly masters who are saved imitate their heavenly Master, their Lord Jesus Christ. I do not want to oversimplify this, but it means you are going to be different than most masters, the vast majority of bosses.
In the case of Roman slavery, it could have been a call for them to lose revenue by not having debts paid back because their Lord was calling them to free slaves – completely contrary to the culture around them (see Appendix II — Bible Passages Discussing the Release of Slaves). In the case of vocational authority today – being a boss or having oversight/authority over people, it means that you are called to bear fruit of God’s Spirit being in you. Earthly leaders and bosses like to lead with intimidation, but Jesus was a servant leader. He did not hesitate to humble Himself and wash His disciples feet. Saved bosses can lead by serving and humility as well. Earthly bosses can threaten and demoralize, but Jesus lifts up the lowly. Saved bosses can do the same.
Now, does this mean that a boss or leader who is saved is a pushover and allows their employees to run rough-shod over them? Absolutely not! Jesus holds people accountable for their actions. Jesus is a Master who has expectations for His people, but Jesus is consistent with who He is as He disciplines and corrects. So, if you are an earthly boss and Jesus is Lord, you do not conform to the ways of this world for material or vocational gain; no, you allow who His Spirit has transformed and is transforming you into – how He is conforming you back to the image of God in Christ – set the course for how you deal with people.
In a sense, those bosses who are saved and adorned in Christ function in regard to Christ as Paul describes a bondservant to serve. Saved bosses have a “sincerity of heart” stemming from their fear of the Lord (Colossians 3:22). They “work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord [they] will receive the inheritance as [their] reward (Colossians 3:23). They serve the “Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:24).
The remainder of Colossians 4:1 highlights what that looks like as Paul tells the masters that they should treat their bondservants “justly and fairly”. This is where the tough part of leadership comes in. If an employee has committed some sort of infraction that necessitates firing them, a godly master fires them. If there is a process that is to be followed to do so, the process is followed. This would prohibit office politics and replace it with a yearning to be just and fair as Jesus has been just and fair with them. In some cases, where grace and mercy can be shown, this calls for that, too – all in balance with how the Word teaches us and the Spirit of God leads, and all contrary to the way that this fallen world operates.
Wrapping Up
So, what does that look like? If you are like me, you look at some of this and it seems like this is a good way to get taken advantage of or to sign up to get a lot of extra junk to put up with at work. It is important to remember that our work is not our identity. Jesus gives us an identity in Him by redeeming us from the power of sin and death, rescuing us from the wrath of God, and eternally adopting us into His family. And we get to be adorned with Him and bear His family name into whatever vocation He has for us.
Here are some principles to consider:
Do everything for the Lord (v. 3:17). Whatever your job and whatever your task, work as if Jesus Himself had tasked you with it. This gives work meaning and views it in light of the Kingdom of God and not in whatever earthly kingdom you are employed at.
Work with sincerity and integrity (v. 3:22). Employees should not work merely for status and approval but should consistently act with the understanding that their ultimate accountability is to God.
Work heartily and diligently (v. 3:23). Workers should put their best effort into their work, recognizing that this is part of the calling of their Lord Jesus Christ. This calls for a strong work ethic – not a calling for workaholism – because the work is as to the Lord not men.
Focus on eternal rewards rather than temporal ones (v. 3:24). Earthly compensation matters. It does. It is a big reason why we have and need jobs. The Bible is not against us earning wages and even says if you do not work, you do not eat. But there is more to working than a paycheck. There is an inheritance from the Father for those who serve Him. This mindset helps maintain perspective, especially if your work environment is challenging or worse. If you work for a paycheck or merely for retirement, there are limits to your service. If you work for the One who has made a place for you in heaven (and based on His merit, not yours), your perspective changes.
Be accountable for what you do wrong (v. 3:25). Remember, God is a just God and is pro-discipline. An earmark of being in Christ is repentance. One of the best ways you can exhibit what Jesus has done in you through His salvation is by repenting when you have messed up. This is not a popular viewpoint, but even if your wrongdoing costs you your job, your standing with Jesus is based on His righteousness not your own — which is good news: God is pro-grace!
If you have authority over employees, treat them justly and fairly(v. 4:1). Treat employees as Jesus treats you. It really is that simple. No amount of earthly success or status is worth conforming to the world when Jesus has transformed you into something better.
Realize you are accountable to God (v. 4:1). This is true for believers whether you are a boss or an employee. If you have confessed Jesus as Lord, He is your master. He calls the shots. What He says goes. And serving Him even at the expense of losing a job is worth it. He will still be here when all of this passes away.
Do not let work become an idol (Proverb 25:16, 1 Corinthians 9:25, Titus 2:11-12). It is easy to get into the mindset that because you work as unto the Lord that you cannot quit or stop. The God who ordained work also ordained rest. He did not bring us from death to life in Him for our lives to be wrapped up in our vocations. Jesus gives us wisdom and self-control. While He may call some people to a single vocation and calling for their whole lives, He does not do that with everyone. Follow Him and be willing to change or quit if that is what He has for you. At the same token, be willing to dig in where you are if that is what He has for you.
This has not been my favorite Bible study. I have had to take a step back and realize that I am susceptible to getting my work life out of whack, even when I thought I had it all worked out. The good news is Jesus is the God who saves and a Lord who is active in the lives of His servants. No matter how many times I mess up, I can approach His throne and receive grace and mercy, which He has in an inexhaustible supply.
What about you? I do not mean to meddle, but I exhort you, dear Sojourner, to look at your life and your work and test it according to the Word of God. How can you apply this and shine more brightly His marvelous light rather than working in such a way that you hide the light of Christ.
Know this: I am praying for you and asking God to work in and through your work.
Tomorrow morning, our sister church — The Foundry in Winona — is beginning revival services, and we are, too, by proxy. This is a good thing.
Revival services do not bring revival because revival can only come from the Lord. There is nothing magical about them. No, these services are us seeking the Lord and asking Him to bring revival — asking Him to wake us up and renew us — asking Him to revive the Life He put in us and fan the flames of His Spirit within us.
In light of this, especially in thinking about revival, I am reminded of Isaiah 57:15:
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
In this passage, we see God Himself, Him whose “name is Holy”, talk about what it is to be revived. This is a big deal and a challenge to us for how we need to proceed in seeking the God of revival to revive us. God is holy and above us. He is perfect. He is all-powerful. He is wholly something else, nothing like us or this world. Yet He has decided to be with those who are “contrite” and “lowly”.
The word “contrite” here is like humble, but it is more in the past tense. It means to be humbled—brought low by the reality of our sin and pursuing the God who saves, forgives, and redeems (Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 57:15). This is why we are “lowly”; we understand our position in relation to God. He deservedly is “high and lifted up” (Isaiah 6:1; Psalm 99:2). In fact, He is God Most High—the Almighty (Genesis 14:18-20; Psalm 91:1). This is the position of seeking revival: we know that He has given us new life in Him (Ephesians 2:4-5); we know that we need to continually repent and seek Him because our hearts and desires are sinful (Jeremiah 17:9; James 4:8-10); and we pursue Him, seeking His face and His Spirit’s strength and guidance to live the life He has given us (Psalm 51:10; Galatians 5:16).
So, I challenge you, Christ Community and Foundry faith families. Humble yourself before the Lord (James 4:10). Repent of the sin that we so foolishly cling to and run to the Savior (Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 John 1:9). Ask Him to give you His strength and empower you to serve Him (Isaiah 40:29-31; Philippians 4:13). Ask Him to revive you—to renew your spirit (Psalm 51:10) and to plug you into His Kingdom work (Matthew 6:33; Ephesians 2:10).
Tomorrow is Sunday. I’m excited. But I need more than a church service. I need God Most High to revive me and meet with me. I need Him to wake me up and grant repentance. I need His strength to live this life He has given me.
I need Him.
Won’t you pray with me?
Tomorrow, Bro. Wayne Hudson is going to open God’s Word and challenge us to turn to and trust the Lord. Our pastor, John Goldwater, has been proclaiming the Word to us and challenging us in preparation for this. Our praise teams are going to lead us in reading and singing the Word.
Won’t you gather with us and seek the Lord?
Everyone is welcome! Come and gather with us as we seek the Lord — and seek Him yourself!
11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. 15Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
11Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Those God has saved have a wonderful privilege and opportunity. We GET to gather and worship Him. We GET to serve Him. We GET to tell others about Him and all He has done. And with all we GET to do, there is great opportunity to point people to Him!
I am reminded of Paul in Philippians 3. He lists all of the reasons he has “for confidence in the flesh” in vv. 3-6. He was one of God’s chosen people. He bore the sign of the old covenant in circumcision. He could trace his heritage all the way back — “tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews”. And on top of all of that, he had been a zealous Pharisee to the point of persecuting the Church and fully righteous based on man’s understanding of the law.
On paper, he had everything.
In the eyes of religious men, he was perfect.
But what matters is his (and our) standing before God.
Look at how Paul shows us that he thinks on his former lofty status:
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God that depends on faith….” (vv. 7-9)
He willingly lost — set aside, trashed, cast away — all of that worldly standing because of “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ [as] Lord”! All of those things that took all of his life to attain were cast aside in a moment when he found something — someONE — better!
What about you?
Once Paul met Jesus, all of the good he thought he had was like filthy garbage or fecal matter (look up that word for “rubbish” in the Greek if you don’t believe me). If you claim Christ, are you carrying His gospel and proclaiming Him or are you walking around carrying garbage or worse?
Here’s a challenge, Christ Community fam: think of one person you know that you are not sure (or maybe you are sure) whether they know Christ as Lord; pray for them, asking God to give you courage and opportunity to share Him and invite them to come with you Sunday; and do it — invite them!
Bringing folks to church is not sharing the gospel, but it is a sweet thing to point people to the One who saved you. It is a good way to tell folks that you don’t have it all together and that, because of the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ”, you put your faith in Him, believed in Him and confessed Him as Lord (Romans 10:9-10)!
John will be preaching from the Word. We will be reading from the Word together and singing about and to Jesus according to the Word.
16For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. 18Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because He has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people love the darkness rather than the light because their works are evil. 20For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
5And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that He can open the scroll and its seven seals.” 6And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7And He went and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne. 8And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood, You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10and You have made them a Kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”
Do you ever feel like you are living in between two realities — like there’s a tension in where you are and where you want to be?
In a sense, all of us are, especially if you are saved. There is the reality of what Jesus has done in dying for our sins and raising again (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). There’s the reality of when His Spirit convicted us of our sin and we turned — repented — from our sin and put our faith and trust in Jesus (John 16:8, Acts 2:38)….
Those who are saved know and understand that reality. They understand that confessing Jesus as Lord and believing He is risen is an eternal-life altering moment (Romans 10:9-10). And with that comes the assurance that Jesus is alive and reigning despite the way this world is going (Ephesians 1:20-21, Colossians 1:17-18). There is assurance that Jesus cannot be defeated. There is assurance that Jesus has promised to return for His Bride, the Church, in victory and bring her to be with Him forever and ever (John 14:3, Revelation 19:7-9). There is assurance that He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).
But living in between those bookends is tough. Salvation is already and, at the same time, not yet. There is a tension because we struggle with sin inside us and without us (Romans 7:21-25). There is a spiritual battle being waged (Ephesians 6:12), and with it comes pain and struggle and sorrow and danger and mourning and threat and…well, that list can go on and on, can’t it?
I’ve been thinking about that tension a lot this week, and, thankfully, the tension drove me to Jesus in His Word. Let’s look at the bookends of Romans 8 to see just how faithful and powerful our God is!
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
God tells us here that, for those who are in Christ, there is NOW “no condemnation”. If Jesus has saved you, you are saved. He has paid the death penalty for your sin and given you His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Before He saves us, we are captives of our own sin yet we have no idea. We had a sort of sad Stockholm syndrome with our sin and could not see that our captor — the sin that we so enjoyed and pursued — was actively trying to kill us. But Jesus comes in as a powerful warrior King and rescues us from our captivity. He rides in and paid the price to free us. As the old hymn says, He sought us and bought us with His redeeming blood. Death and sin no longer own those He saves. He bore our sin and paid our price by His death to set us free and give us His life.
This is a powerful bookend — a significant beginning where our lifeless corpse, killed by the wages of our sin, is filled with life better than anything we could even hope for. But the life we have is still in a world where death and sin is rampant. The Fall is everywhere and still falling. There are temporal dangers that bring fear and reminders of captivity. They breathe threats that we still deserve condemnation. And our physical bodies, despite our eternal life, are decaying and dying.
Here in the middle is a scary place to be sometimes.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ is the One who died — more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or danger, or sword?
These rhetorical questions are helpful here in the tension of living eternal life in this fallen world.
The accuser can throw our sin in our faces all he wants to. Our past can testify against us as vehemently as it wants to. If God is for us, none can stand against us. He gave His Son to save us and will not withhold His grace. There is no condemnation because Jesus justifies those He saves — justifies in the present-tense because Jesus is alive and seated at the right-hand of His Father and actively interceding for us!
So, in the midst of fear — in the midst of those frightening things Paul listed in v. 36: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, danger, death by the sword — the answer to the question of “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” is a clear and definite NO ONE!
If Jesus has saved you, the world can throw its worst at you, and its greatest threat — death — is your greatest reward. Death brings those who are in Christ TO Christ (Philippians 1:21-23). I don’t know about you, but that comforts me. I don’t have to survive to thrive. Jesus has saved me, so I thrive in Him and eternally no matter what happens here (John 10:28-29, 1 Peter 1:3-5). The greatest threats in the midst of tension are merely part of a testimony of what Jesus is bringing me through, even and especially when I can’t see it right now (Romans 8:28)! I can know that because my Savior lives and reigns and intercedes for me even now (Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:34)!
How about you?
Are you in Christ?
If not, I invite you to call out to Him to save you (Romans 10:13)! He is still that valiant warrior King — the God who saves! He delights in reconciling sinners to Him (Zephaniah 3:17, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19)! He has the power to bring you from dead in sin to alive in Him (Ephesians 2:4-5).
If you are in Him, I invite you to breathe a sigh of relief because God has got you no matter what (John 16:33, Psalm 46:1-2). One way or the other, He is bringing you to Him (2 Corinthians 4:16-18), so let the things of this earth pale in comparison to His light and glory (Colossians 3:1-4)!
I invite you all to gather with us tomorrow at Christ Community as we sing to and about Jesus, all He has done and is doing. John will open the Word and point us to Jesus, the living Word of God (John 1:1, 14).
I can hardly wait.
In the midst of the tension between salvation and eternal life, we are going to remind each other of what He has done and can do — get a glimpse of what it will be to stand around His throne and worship Him — the Lamb who was slain, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ — forever and ever (Revelation 5:5-6, Titus 2:13).
21But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
9But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12saying,
“I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”
13And again,
“I will put my trust in him.”
And again,
“Behold, I and the children God has given me.”
14Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
Just Keith Harris 