A. INTRODUCTION
1. Be ruled by your new experience. “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (3:15).
a. Peace with God (Rom. 5:1), salvation.
b. Peace of God (Phil. 4:7), victorious living.
2. Be grounded by scripture. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (3:16).
a. Wisdom, know the meaning of scripture.
b. Teaching, communicate content.
c. Admonishing, warning.
d. Psalms, music prepares the soul for God.
e. Hymns, the psalms of ascent, i.e., worship.
f. Spiritual songs, or testimony,
g. Singing, ode
h. Making melody from Psalms, i.e., to Psalm.
B. HOW TO WORK OUT YOUR CHRISTIANITY
1. “Wives submit” (3:18). This is internal, not external. The key, “in the Lord.” Ephesians adds, “Submit yourselves one to another in the fear of the Lord” (Eph. 5:12).
2. “Husbands love your wives” (3:19). More than human affection let God give love to them through you.
3. “Children obey your parents in all things” (3:20). Develop the habit of listening and doing, so obedience becomes a way of life.
4. “Fathers provoke not your children to anger” (3:21). “As the twig is bent so it grows, but broken, it will not grow.”
5. “Servants obey in all things your master” (3:22).
a. Paul describes conditions of slavery, nor declares it legal (old South) nor does call for its overthrow (revolutionary evangelism).
b. No matter who’s your boss, work by your inner standard and by God’s standard. (No compulsion but perfection).
C. MOTIVES OF CHRISTIANITY
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” (Col. 3:23).
1. “Do it heartily” (3:23). Literally, with all your heart.
a. Your heart is intellect, emotion, will, self-direction and self-perception.
b. Your heart includes cheerfully, diligently, and exactly.
c. Your heart means your work represents you.
d. Means you are yielded to do what God wants of you.
2. “As to the Lord” (3:23).
a. This is your highest goal.
b. This requires your best.
c. This demands you get God’s help.
3. “Knowing . . .” (3:24). Oida intuitive knowledge. No one has to tell you what will happen.
4. “Receive the reward and the inheritance.” (3:24). What do we get?
a. We get inner satisfaction.
b. We please God.
c. We get the rest promised to us (Heb. 4).
d. We get crowns.
e. We serve the Lord Christ (note these titles).
5. What reward is secondary?
a. Time off.
b. Money.
c. Promotion.
d. We must make the main thing, the main thing.
“So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do’” (Luke 17:10).
6. Punishment: What do the ungodly get? “The one doing wrong will receive what he did wrong” (3:23, ELT).
a. Sloppy people get sloppy rewards.
b. The word retribution means you are punished by the sin with which you rebelled.
c. “My iniquity is more than I can bear” (Gen. 4:13).
d. What you send around comes around.
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
Dr. Towns’ email is eltowns@liberty.edu.
Video presentations of the PBC are available online at trbc.org/pbc
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