COLOSSIANS 3:22

The Bible says in Colossians 3:13, “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God.” Most people are servants in one way or another. If you are not independently wealthy, then you are a servant. You work for someone else, and they pay you a salary for your efforts. You have a moral obligation to do the best job that you can, and to do the things that you are asked to do by your master or your employer. If you do not like the situation that you are in, then pray for and look for a better situation. But while you are where you are, do things the right way.

Your work is your service to God, but only if you do it with the right motivation. Some people think that they can only serve God if they are a missionary or a pastor of a church, but that is not true. Notice very carefully that Colossians 3:13 makes it clear that what motivates a person in their work is what determines to what degree they are serving God. God knows. Do not judge others, but judge your own heart. Make sure that in your heart you are dedicating what you do to the Lord. In your heart dedicate each task to the Lord.

Whether at work or elsewhere make sure that each task that you do each day is done for the Lord. It says in Colossians 3:23, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men.” This passage of scripture has made a great emphasis on the need for a believer to dedicate every task and every work that he does to His Lord. Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.” And of course, the verse that we just read in Colossians 3:22 says basically the same thing emphasizing the workplace. It says, “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God.”

We will be judged not only for what we do, but also why we do it. Human beings can see what is done, but only God sees why it is done. Colossians 3:23 says that we should do all things “heartily.” The word that is translated “heartily” comes from the same word as the word for “soul.” Do what you do from deep within your soul. Do your best, and do it from within. Every time that you make this type of genuine effort and do it as unto the Lord, you will find that you will accomplish more than you ever could. This is the key to success in any human endeavor: do your best and dedicate what you do to the Lord. Some people do one; but not both, and therefore they do not accomplish all that they could have.

But it is not just a question of what we accomplish. It is primarily a question of what will the Lord say when we stand before Him to be judged of the things done in our lives. The Bible says in Colossians 3:24, “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” The word that is translated “reward” refers to giving someone a recompense for what they have done. God rewards the right actions. There are rewards involved in the Christian life. Christians can gain rewards or they can lose them. According to Colossians 3:24, there will be rewards based upon how well we put into practice what it says in Colossians 3:23, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men.”

Of course, when we consider that the Lord recompenses us for our actions, that means that we will be recompensed for our wrong behaviors also. The Bible says in Colossians 3:25, “But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.” Jesus is Judge of the whole earth. He is a just Judge. No one will escape the judgment. Believers will be judged, and there is a lot to lose. Just because you are going to heaven does not mean that you will escape your judgment, and it does not mean that you will not lose anything. You can lose your rewards and your loss will be permanent.

It is not a minor thing to lose rewards. Rewards and the gain or loss of them are spoken of many times in the New Testament. When Paul came to the end of his life, he expressed his joy that he knew he would not lose his reward. Paul wrote in Second Timothy 4:6-8, “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

Colossians 3:22 tells servants how to treat their masters, and now Colossians 4:1 tells masters how to treat their servants. It says, “Masters, give unto your servants, that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.” Those in positions of authority will be tempted to use their authority to the detriment of those under them. But if they give in to that temptation, they will give an answer to the One who is Master of all: Jesus Christ. The Bible presents the principles of human fairness and equality. Wherever inequalities exist, God is against them. God treats all people equally in His judgments and in His offers of mercy, and He expects that we will do the same.

The next three verses in the book of Colossians deal with the subject of prayer. It says in Colossians 4:2, “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” Believers are told to “continue” in prayer. There is a possibility that a believer will stop praying or will not pray as much as he should. When we pray, we are relying upon the Lord. When we pray, we are looking to the Lord for solutions and help and answers. If someone does not pray, they are effectively saying, “I can handle this myself.” How mistaken they are. Jesus said, “Without me, ye can do nothing.” It says about Jesus in Luke 18:1, “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”

Notice that Colossians 4:2 uses the word “watch” as a part of prayer. The Bible says in Ezekiel 3:17, “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.” A servant of God is a watchman, on guard against evil in regards to his own life and in regards to the lives of others. The Lord is our Protector. The Lord Jesus is our Guide. The Lord gives us wisdom. The Lord intervenes. But He often only does these things in answer to our prayers. If you cease praying, then you cease watching. If you stop watching, then you have no defense against the evil that will surely come against you. Jesus said in Mark 13:37, “And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch.” Paul said that “watchings” were a part of the toils of the Christian life that he endured. He wrote about his life in Second Corinthians 11:27, “In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.”

Of course, when we speak to the Lord, it is good for us to include more than just requests to Him. It is also good to thank Him for what He has already done. It says in Colossians 4:2, “Watch in the same with thanksgiving.” There is so much to be thankful about, and there is nothing worse than an unthankful person. We can always thank Jesus for coming into the world to die for our sins, and each believer can always be thankful for his salvation. We can thank God for what He is going to do. We can thank God for who He is, and we can thank Him for His many promises. Some of our prayers can be made up entirely of thanksgiving. We are not required to always make requests. The Bible says in Psalms 100:1-5, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”

The Apostle Paul gave his own prayer request in Colossians 4:3-4. He wrote, “Withal praying also for us, that God would open to us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest as I ought to speak.” Paul’s prayer request was in regards to his desire to “speak the mystery of Christ.” It was Paul’s desire, and it was also something that Paul considered a requirement. He said, “as I ought to speak.” Paul was a believer in Jesus. Therefore, Paul had the same obligation that every believer has to spread the gospel and to speak forth the mysteries of Christ. Jesus said in Mark 16:15, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

This prayer request that Paul had was very revealing about his life. It shows that above all else he relied upon God and not upon his own efforts or abilities. He said, “that God would open to us a door of utterance.” The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away that which He has given. The Lord can open a door that no man can close, and the Lord can close a door that no man can open. A true opportunity to speak forth the “mystery of Christ” can only come from God. Man cannot make it happen by organization or effort. “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” God only gives such opportunities for those who are prepared for them. Evidently prayer is an important part of that preparation.

Paul cared about others. Paul loved the souls of men. Who would benefit from the message that Paul would preach? Paul would not benefit, not in this world. Paul said that he was “in bonds” because he did “speak the mystery of Christ.” The emphasis here is on the name of Christ. The name of Christ brings reproach and persecution and hatred, and in Paul’s case the name of Christ also brought imprisonment. Some will not speak the name of Christ because they know it will bring persecution. Paul wanted to speak the name of Christ even knowing that it would bring persecution.

What is the “mystery of Christ?” A clear definition of the “mystery” was given in Colossians 1:27, “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The mystery is “Christ in you.” This is the difference between true Christianity and all other religion: a personal relationship with Christ whereby He abides within the believer. Without this personal relationship with Christ, rituals and ceremonies are meaningless and of no value.

Paul said in Colossians 4:3 that his prayer request was that he would be able to “speak the mystery of Christ.” It says in First Peter 4:11, “If any man speak, let him speak the oracles of God.” The Bible says in Romans 10:13-15, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

Have you heard of the mystery of God, which is Christ in you? Does Christ dwell within you? Jesus said in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

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