Colossians 3:18-25
The family is one of the very first institutions that God ordained. He blessed, provided it with His presence, and gave instructions on how to make it work as He intends it to be. The family far outweighs material blessings, jobs, education, hobbies, success, and any other human relationships. It is through the family, that God gave us values that would shape it accordingly. Family values are very important because it informs how we live before God.
1. Submission that pleases the Lord.
“18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” Col. 3:18.
“18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper as his complement.” Gen. 2:18.
· God created Eve for Adam to be complemented in areas of his weakness.
· God gave Eve to be his helper in achieving greater things for Him.
Limitations:
· Submission is limited when something against the Word of God is demanded. See Deuteronomy 12:32.
· Submission is also limited to the legal laws of the land. See Rom. 13:1.
2. The love initiator who imitates Christ.
“19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.” Col. 3:19.
· The wife finds it a lot easier to submit to her husband if the husband imitates Christ’s love for the church.
· The husband’s pattern for loving the wife is Christ’s love for His church.
“25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. 27 He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless. 28 In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, 30 since we are members of His body.” Eph. 5:25-30.
· Jesus’ love for us is sacrificial in obedience to His Father.
· The husband must be the spiritual leader of the home as Christ is in the church.
· The husband must treat his wife equally because the Bible said, “husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies.”
· Love never takes but gives. See 1 Corinthians 13:4-13.
· We learn to give love because God first loved us. 1 John 4:19.
3. The image of God in fathers.
“21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.” Col. 3:21
· God has placed on our shoulders the responsibility to make our home a place where our loved ones will find God, love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and acceptance.
· The biblical father protects, provides, gathers, leads, and loves.
· Fathers are to raise godly children by bearing His image in words and deeds.
“15 Didn’t the one God make us with a remnant of His life-breath? And what does the One seek? A godly offspring. Malachi 2:15.
4. The children who delights God.
“20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” Col. 3:20
· Parents have great opportunities to shape their children’s life at a very early age.
· Obedience is commanded in the Bible. Exodus 20:12, ”12 Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
· When we obey God, His love remains in us. John 15:10, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”
· Your prayers will be unhindered. “21 Dear friends, if our conscience doesn’t condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and can receive whatever we ask from Him because we keep His commands and do what is pleasing in His sight.
Comentários