“The Just Shall Live By Faith”
New King James Version Written by: David Hicks
Romans 1:17 “ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
Galatians 3:11 “But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith."
Hebrews 10:38 “Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."
“Articles of Faith”
The Church of Christ
(A Study in Ephesians)
Lesson 23 - Parents, Children, Servants, and Masters:
Ephesians 5:21 “submitting to one another in the fear of God.”
Our God is a God of order! Designed and controlled order. For this order to reign in our lives and the church without incident, the child of God must learn to both appreciate this order and have the willingness to submit !
The Apostle to the Gentiles began this lesson of submission in a comparison. The wives submission and reverence for her husband as an example of the church as the bride of Christ in submission and reverence to Him, and Christ's love for His bride as an example of the husbands need to truly love his wife as himself.
Ephesians 5:32-33 “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
Even though the primary point is that those who make up the body of Christ are to submit to Him and to one another in the system of order He has established within the body ( Chapter 4:11 ), “nevertheless” , indicates that the teaching concerning the husband and wife relationship has great value and should likewise be followed.
This also shows that the concept of submission permeates within everything that we do in this life.
Psalm 24:1 A Psalm of David.
“The earth is the Lord's , and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all . 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.”
Since we are the Lord's and our purpose in this life is to reverence and adhere to His commands, it is a natural position then to want to maintain the purpose and wisdom He has revealed in all elements of our lives (church, or material). We began this look into His purpose in the church and the marriage relationship in our last lesson. We now want to continue this line of thought into the last portion of Paul's teaching in respect to God's order.
Text:
Ephesians 6:1-4 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: 3 "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." 4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”
Obey: Children are to obey their parent's period! In the Lord, here denotes that this command is in harmony with the will of the Lord. Paul would give the church at Colossi virtually the same command, note: Colossians 3:20 “Children, obey your parents in all things , for this is well pleasing to the Lord.”
Remember that this is written to Christians. These parents are first and foremost motivated to direct their children in a safe and sound path in both spiritual and physical issues. There should never be a reason for a child to disobey this direction.
Honor: to honor your parents, is to bring credit to them through your behavior and attentive nature towards their words. Dissipation, insubordination, or insurrection are contrary behaviors in the effort to honor your parents.
Promise: In the 5th chapter of Deuteronomy , Moses once again relates the ten commandments to the children of Israel just prior to their taking possession of the promised land, both here and the earlier account ( Exodus 20:12 ) show that this command has a promise to the keeper ( “That your days may be long, and that it may be well with you” ), and is the first and only command with such a promise.
My son would describe this promise better than I can. While in a Bible class, my father (a gospel preacher) asked what this promise of long life meant? My son's hand shot up and almost before my father could call on him, he said, “ as long as I do this my dad will let me live !” Well, he is grown and married, so I guess that the promise is true!
All humor aside, the child who obeys and honors their parents will be directed by years of life protecting wisdom and teaching. This cannot but abode them a better chance of longer and better days here.
Provoke: This comes from the Greek, ‘ parorgizo ', which means, to exasperate, vex bitterly, or antagonize hatefully. This was a worldly concept that established the father over the son by brutal treatment. Paul forbids such behavior by these Christian fathers. Remember that the primary focus of submission is to have the interests of others at heart.
Fathers: The father is responsible for the whole training and education of the children. The father must provide the necessary chastisement, and instruction based on the desire to nurture or grow a strong plant. In addition, he is to train the child to give earnest heed to the correction administered based on the good he derives from it. As Christian fathers, this would include their education in the words of life and obedience to them. “ Of the Lord ”, is possessive and indicates such as belongs to the Lord or proceeds from Him.
Text:
Ephesians 6:5-9 “Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. 9 And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.”
The word “bondservant” here in the New King James (“servant” in the King James), comes from a number of Greek originals. The one in this verse is the most frequently used, and means a slave or servant as we commonly use the term. It is derived from the Greek, ‘ doulos ', and means a slave, bondman, a man of slavish condition.
During the time of Christ and the Apostles, the Roman Empire contained millions of slaves. These were not people of inferior intelligence or abilities, but were simply victims of war or other conditions out of their control that lead to this condition of servitude.
Because there were so many people in these conditions explains why there is so much in reference towards them in the New Testament.
Servants: Here Paul commands servants to obey their masters according to the flesh (in temporal things only). This command was to be obeyed, not with fear of the master, but with the fear that is generated when one distrusts his ability to complete all the requirements given them by the Lord. A faithful servant of Christ will strive to do his duty because it is right, and a slave should be conscientious in serving his master under the same criteria.
Not with eyeservice, as to be obedient only when the master is present, but doing service motivated by the example they set for the Lord and not men.
Masters: Masters were to conduct themselves as the servants were exhorted to do, namely remembering their duty to the Lord first. They were to treat all fairly and dispense punishment or reward with true justice, considering their own Master in heaven who will judge all men regardless of their station in this life.
Submission is not a bad word when one understands that only the humble submissive servant of the Lord walks in the foot steps of the Savior Himself, who is our pattern of submission, note:
Hebrews 5:8-9 “though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered . 9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,”
Philippians 2:5-8 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation , taking the form of a bondservant , and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death , even the death of the cross .”
He stands as a powerful example of what it means to yield to the will of the Father and submit to others having died for them. Self inflated ego and pride cannot exist in the true servant of God, only a love for the truth and that which God has provided to establish His well designed order.
Next: “ Be Strong in the Lord ”