October 30, 2022
Morning Service

2Co 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

            We continue our study in Paul’s letter to the Colossians with the third message answering the question; What does this “New You” look like and what changes should we expect in our lives.  In the first message, Paul revealed to us the new perspective we are given.  “Set you mind on things above, not on things of the earth.  For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”  Our thoughts and goals now are dominated by spiritual things rather than ones about this world.  Paul also revealed to us a list of worldly attributes that we are to “put to death” in our lives.  Paul called those attributes “works of flesh” in the Galatian letter, but we can simply refer to them as sin.  In the second message it was revealed to us that we are chosen by God to follow Him.  He does not need us to complete His ministry, but wants us to be part of it.  We also learned that our love for Jesus will create within us a new set of values and attributes that Paul calls “works of the Spirit” in Galatians.  Tender mercy, kindness, humility, meekness and longsuffering will be on display in the life of the “New You.”  It is a process in which, through the Word, we identify the things that we need to remove from the “old me” and the things we need to add into our lives as the “new you.”  It is a journey that we are on together as we seek to be more like Jesus.  He then truly challenged us with this as we ended last week.

 

Col 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

            Paul asks us to make every word we say and every act we perform all about Jesus, being thankful to God for choosing us to follow.  I don’t know about you, but I still have some work to do here.  I still have my moments in which I get caught up in the moment and lose sight of my goal of following Jesus.  Today, we are going inside the walls of your home to see how the “new you” should look there and set in order how God desires the family to function. 

 

Col 3:18-19 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.  (19)  Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.  

            Paul here reveals to us the plan God has for the family.  He uses more details in his letter to the Ephesians so let’s jump back there and begin with the role of the wife.

 

Eph. 5:22-24 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.  (23)  For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.  (24)  Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

            In God’s wonderful creation, we find many things that we can easily understand that can be used to aid us in our understanding of spiritual truths.  One would be the planting of a seed.  A seed must be buried and die to then be resurrected to create much fruit.  This mirrors exactly the DBR of Jesus for us and what we go thorough in the waters of baptism.  We must die to really live.  Marriage is like that as it mirrors the relationship of Christ and His church.  Often we would compare our natural knowledge of marriage to help us understand the church, but today I hope to use the church to help us understand marriage.  The wife is to be in submission to her husband just as the church is subject to Christ. Wives do your actions at home in relation to your husband mirror how the church relates to Christ?  As the church we long for and anticipate doing whatever Jesus asks us to do.  It is never a burden, but a joy to serve our Lord.  In following Christ, it is much easier because He is perfect and does not make mistakes or make bad decisions.  In following us husbands that is not always true.  Notice there is however no footnote there that says; “submit only when you feel he is right.”  You are called to be in submission in everything.  Peter even commands women who are married to nonbelievers to continue with them in an attempt to win them over by displaying the attributes of the “new you.” This submission does not make you a doormat to be walked on and taken advantage of and certainly you are not called to live in an abusive environment.  You can suggest, encourage, and discuss issues with him but in the end it is his decision and you must submit and support him.  Pray for your husband to lead your family well and be quick to encourage him when he does.  We tend to be better at highlighting the things that are wrong rather than the things that are right and it should be the opposite.  You are called to love and submit to your husband just as the church submits to Christ and that is crystal clear in this scripture.  The “new you” will do her best to line up with that command realizing it affects your entire family.  Your actions can make your husband a better man through your support and encouragement.  You can choose to be the wind in his sails, or a ball and chain upon his life.  Which do you think the church desires to be to Christ? Christ delights in words of praise from His church, so does a husband delight in words of praise from his wife.  Now for the husbands.

 

Eph. 5:25-28 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, (26) that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, (27) that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.  (28)  So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

            If we only read verse 22, “wives submit to your husbands,” it sounds great from the husband’s view and we can envision our home as our castle in which we reign supreme as the king.  This verse has often been misunderstood in that way taken by itself, but it all changes when we continue reading and come to these verses.  Husbands we are to “love our wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her.”  This paints a drastically different picture than being the king doesn’t it?  Jesus gave His life that the church might be all that she could be; “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”  His focus was always doing what was best for His church even when it meant great effort and sacrifice on His part.  Husbands does this mirror your commitment to your wife?  Though Christ is the leader of our church, He is the one giving up everything for her success and well-being.  He leads by example and He leads us though sacrifice and servanthood. Husbands is that your mindset as you make decisions that affect your entire family or does it seem the world revolves only around what is good for you?  Leadership can be a very lonely task and one that can weigh you down especially if it comes hard for you to do.  Know this God has called you to lead your family.  The buck stops with you.  When you step back and don’t take ownership of this leadership then your entire family will suffer.  Look at the example in the Garden when Adam and Eve both had sinned, Adam just sat back and was silent as Eve first sinned then he followed suit. When God arrived, He called out Adam, to account for what happened.  This leadership can be an overwhelming task, but that is how it is meant to be.  When we see that we can’t do it and need help, that is when the Lord reminds you; “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  It becomes easier as we lead as we are being led by Jesus.  The closer you are to Christ, the better leader you become.  Paul sums this all up at the end of Eph. 5.

 

Eph. 5:29-33 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.  (30)  For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.  (31)  "FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH."  (32)  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.

            Today we have received an example of how to “set our minds on things above” concerning our marriage relationship. Just as we as the church are one with Christ, so is the man and wife one in marriage.  The church seeks to please Christ, as He leads them along a journey that they become all that they can be.  The wife seeks to please her husband by submission but also notice by “respecting her husband.”  The husband is called to lead, love, care for, and protect his wife and family as he does his own flesh.  Our marriage relationship is to mirror the relationship of Christ and His church.  The “new you” will have a desire to make that a priority.  Know that you are under attack from our enemy as he tries to destroy this institution and pervert it even to skew our view of the church.  His attack will let you know you are on the right track.  Paul encourages us to be ready:

 

1Co 16:13-14 Be on guard, stand true to what you believe, be courageous, be strong.  (14)  Let all that you do be done with love.

 

Heavenly Father thank You for revealing to us what our homes should be like and grant us the courage and desire to line up with Your Word and be found faithful.