Living for Jesus

(NIV)

Instructions for Christian Households

Colossians 3:18–4:1 NIV

Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged. 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. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism. Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

3:18–4:1pp—

There are two main areas we are to be an example for Christ...

1. Our Relationships At Home.

18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

Colossians 3:18–21 NIV

Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

A. Submission

B. Love

21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

“The most urgent domestic challenge facing the United States at the close of the 20th century is the re-creation of fatherhood as a social role for men.” “A good father does these basic things: provides for his family, protects his family, and gives spiritual and moral guidance.” —David Blankenhorn

Ephesians 5:22–25 NIV

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

Ephesians 5:22-25

“The most urgent domestic challenge facing the United States at the close of the 20th century is the re-creation of fatherhood as a social role for men.” “A good father does these basic things: provides for his family, protects his family, and gives spiritual and moral guidance.”

2. Our Life At Work.

Honesty and Integrity

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.

4 Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

Fairness and Devotion