Reading: Ephesians 6:1-9
Context: How do these instructions fit into Paul’s broader teaching about Christian living?
Reading about family dynamics and how work relations should go fits in with the character of Christ that Paul refers to the saints constantly. These instructions outline key qualities of submission and obedience, yet they depend on and are determined by the right relationship we have with God. The heart of following these instructions is to have the heart of God in all things. His heart in us will take us from the dark thinking that would be selfish and self-centred to reflecting the light thinking that is keen to make the most of every opportunity to follow the will of God. Following it in practice from a heart wrapped up in the wonder of the immeasurable love of Jesus Christ, our Lord, for the glory of God, our Father.
These instructions flow from Paul’s call in Ephesians 5 to be filled with the Spirit and to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. That is why obedience here is never a one-way demand. Children are told to obey, but fathers are told not to provoke them. Slaves are told to serve wholeheartedly, but masters are told to give up threatening, because they share the same Master in heaven, who shows no favouritism. Everyone in the household stands under Christ’s authority, so everyone is changed by it. Submission becomes a way of serving the Lord himself, whatever our place in the home or the workplace.
Ordinary relationships in daily life are where Christians fight their real battles. Patience with a child, honesty with an employer and fairness towards those who work for us are all places where the old, selfish way of thinking pushes back against the light. Paul asks us to serve “as to the Lord, not to men” (v. 7), so no task is too small or too hidden to matter. Standing firm in Christ begins with how we treat the people closest to us each day.
Content: What are the mutual responsibilities Paul outlines for each relationship?
Children obey their parents in the Lord, while fathers do not treat their children in anger but remain committed to bringing them up in the Lord’s discipline and instruction.
Slaves are to have a reverential attitude to their masters and treat them as they would treat the Lord of their lives. This means having the heart to do everything wholeheartedly in working for their master. Meanwhile, masters are to be aware of how they treat their slaves, knowing that their Master is taking careful note of how they do their job. These instructions for both parties share a thread: God rewards the work of both the free and the slave, reinforcing the attitude of doing everything as though we’re doing it for the Grand Ultimate Master.
It is worth seeing how much weight Paul places on the ones with power. Children are called to honour their parents, rooted in the commandment that carries a promise, but fathers, who held great authority in the ancient household, are told to guard against provoking their children to anger. Masters, who in that world held almost total control, are told to stop threatening and to remember that they too answer to a Master in heaven who shows no favouritism. Paul never presents obedience as a licence for one person to dominate another. Authority is a stewardship from Christ, and that is why these verses were so counter-cultural then and still challenge how we use influence in our homes and workplaces today.
Concept: How does working “as if you were serving the Lord” change your perspective on daily tasks?
This has a radical effect on my perspective on daily tasks. Even as a self-employed freelancer, I know that everything I do is for the Lord. That knowledge makes me more alert to my responsibilities because I want to please the Lord. I am keen to do the best by the abilities He’s given me so that I can give Him glory by diligently completing the tasks that He’s entrusted to me. That sense in which the Lord has ordered everything I do means there’s no complacency or apathetic approach to those tasks. There is no sense in which I can slack off or have a casual approach to the tasks. Then there’s the delight I take in completing the tasks God gives me, because whenever He calls me to do something, He is alongside me as I do it, encouraging, guiding, supporting, and directing me so that it can be completed in the way that brings pleasure to Him.
What lies beneath all of this is the gospel. I do not work to win the Lord’s approval, because Christ has already won it for me at the cross. My diligence is the response of a heart that has been loved, forgiven, and made new. That is why the work brings joy and not anxiety. Even a freelancer with no boss watching has no hidden corners in the week, because every invoice, every deadline, and every unseen detail is done in the presence of the Lord who made me, redeemed me, and rewards faithfulness. His strength matters just as much as His presence, since Jesus said that apart from Him I can do nothing, and I depend on Him for the ability to do even the smallest tasks well. So the hardest day’s work and the quietest are both opportunities to show that He is more satisfying than any pay or praise, and that is how the work brings Him glory.
Conclusions: Which relationship in your life needs the most attention based on these principles?
There are three key relationships outlined in this and the previous sections – marriage, family and work. The priority will always be the marriage. Everything is based on how things go in that one. The work necessary there is to continue to cultivate the heart of Christ to be the husband he calls me to be to my wife, and in exercising those qualities and characteristics, I’m certain it will have the necessary knock-on impact on my fatherhood and work relations. Although, as far as this is concerned, this is hugely dependent on the relationship of most importance, and that’s the one I have with the Father, through the Son by the Spirit. Indeed, this foundational relationship, grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ, helps me excel and endure even when those other relationships have issues.
Next time:
WIWO – Ephesians – Episode Thirteen: Spiritual Warfare
Reading – Ephesians 6:10-17
The wonderful gospel of Jesus Christ makes a difference in how we relate at home and in the workplace. We’re no longer the same; a great change continues to impact how we interact and engage with each other. That is developed as we grow by cherishing the precious gospel and getting God’s Word In so we can live His Word Out.
For His Name’s Sake
C. L. J. Dryden
Shalom
