There’s No Place Like Home: If Christ Dwells There (Colossians 3:18-4:1).Thursday June 18, 2026
Open:
Not long ago, enlightenment philosophers saw the inner psychological life of the individual in opposition to the demands of the surrounding culture. Some philosophers saw that the best way to break up the family was though breaking the traditions of sexuality.
Seeing the link between immoral sexuality used to break the family unit that held to tradition helps us to see why Paul connects them.
Col 3:5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.
And then… Col 3:18-4:1 the home.
Paul begins with “put to death sexual immorality” and finishes the section with marriage, family, the home.
“The sexual revolution involved a fundamental revision in what sex was understood to be, or what it was deemed to be for … In short, it was no longer something sacred or a unique seal for marking off the marital relationship from all others.” [Trueman, The Desecration of Man]
Col 3:18-4:1 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them. 20 Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.
22 Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. 25 For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.
4:1 Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.
Intro:
God wants the home to be a unified group sharing His love and shining His love.
One writer calls the Christian Home the “masterpiece of the applied Gospel.”
Home is a place to follow the commandments of the Lord. Every role is given an imperative by God suitable to their position.
Home is not for hiding.
The roles in the home done in Christ.
Wives: “Subject” does not mean lesser. It is a recognition of God-appointed leadership.
Husband and wife are absolutely equal in Christ, but from God’s order, the husband is the God appointed leader.
If the headship of the husband is to be effective, it must be sanctified by both parties.
1Pe 3:15 sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts Said right after “if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are
Husbands: Love and not bitterness. The love that is the outer garment that unifies all graces in the heart. The same love of Christ.
And do not be bitter towards them. You cannot effectively lead as one who is irritated.
Leadership, if done right, is sacrificial in the way that it demands giving time and energy.
Children is not limited to early youth. Obey your parents in all respects. The manifest one limitation is the supreme obedience to the eternal Parent and His law of holiness.
It is well pleasing in the Lord to obey your parents.
This shows us that it is good to want praise from the Lord. The desire of praise from people is self-loving. Children love to be praised and we praise them for obedience. To please the Lord is to be praised by Him.
Mat 25:21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave.’”
Fathers (parents) do not provoke (stir up; used in a good sense in 2Co 9:2, here in an evil sense – irritate and discourage).
All children resist. Parents must not over discipline and convey to their children that there is no understanding or compassion. Unwise instruction or inappropriate correction rather than a steady firmness of thoughtful and responsible affection so that they will not lose heart.
Slaves obey [same as the children – in all things] in all respects your human lords.
Not “eyebondage” great word for only doing right when under inspection. Menpleasers, mere candidates for favors where no loving loyalty is felt for the human master or the divine.
But in simplicity (singleness or sincerity) - of heart: a genuine wish to do what is right before the Lord, fearing your Lord.
The Lord is always watching and always has a will. He must be feared which is not torment from Him but reverent devotion due to His exacting holiness.
The overarching truth.
From the man who once was the greatest Pharisee who did all things for himself:
Whatever you do, do it with your whole self (heart or soul - psuche) as unto the Lord and not to men.
We can take “soul” here to mean your whole self.
He is always watching. Every work in your life He has ordained.
Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
God will faithfully measure out in remembrance of every item of loving obedience - the recompense of the inheritance, the inheritance of glory.
The revelation that the Lord is always watching and that He will reward what you do is the definite cure of discouragement.
The flip side: he who does wrong, who breaks the Master’s will by unfaithfulness (parable of the steward) will receive a like punctual recompense of penalty for the wrong he did, from the heavenly Master, in just severity; and there is no partiality with Him.
Masters: provide justice and equity for your bondservants.
Motivation: you too have a Master in heaven. Let God’s sovereignty be your guide. His rulership your own and love, service, and fairness will fill you along with a desire to prosper your subordinates.
Conclusion:
This picture of the Christian home is not only for Colossae (see Ephesians), nor, as is popular to say in today’s self-defining culture, only for the first century.
This was written for all time, for us.
It is a beautiful manifestation of the new life wearing Christ in the everyday.
It is liberation of the greatest kind. A liberation that the enemy has an easy time convincing the world that it is slavery due to the fact the product only comes from submitting to the authority of the Lord.
Your obedience to your life in Christ will manifest itself in your particular role in the home, creating heaven in the simplest unit of common life.
And if you’re living single, you are not exempt. Everything you do, do from your whole person as unto the Lord, knowing that He is watching and His reward is with Him. |