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You may turn in your Bibles to 
Colossians chapter 3. Colossians chapter 3 as we come 
to the last relationship in the household code. Remember, the 
larger context in chapter 3 is conduct becoming a new man. The new man in Christ Jesus is 
to focus his thoughts, his mind. On the right hand of God, where 
Jesus is, according to chapter three, verses one to four, we 
are to think properly. We are to think biblically. Ideas 
have consequences. We are to saturate our minds 
in sound doctrine concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. The new 
man is to put off vice, according to chapter 3, verses 5 to 11. We're to put off ungodliness 
in the context, specifically sins of the flesh and sins of 
the tongue. The new man is to put on virtue, 
according to verses 12 to 17. Not only putting off the garbage, 
but putting on righteousness. Not only stopping doing bad things, 
but starting to do good things. And then we see that the Christian 
man, the new man in Christ Jesus, is to be subject in his personal 
relationships. That's chapter 3, verses 18 to 
chapter 4, verse 2. We have seen thus far wives and 
husbands, children and parents, and tonight we take up slaves 
and masters. And I'll just read the section 
beginning in chapter 3 at verse 18. Wives, submit to your own 
husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives 
and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in 
all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not 
provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, 
or literally slaves, obey in all things your masters according 
to the flesh. not with eye service as men pleasers, 
but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do 
it heartily as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from 
the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance for 
you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be 
repaid for what he has done. And there is no partiality. Masters, 
give your bond servants what is just and fair, knowing that 
you also have a master in heaven. Amen. Well, this household code 
would be necessary because of what Paul has already said. If 
you look back at chapter three for a moment, he highlights The 
reality that is there is in the gospel. Verse nine, he says, 
Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man 
with his deeds and have put on the new man who is renewed in 
knowledge according to the image of him who created him. Now, 
notice verse 11, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised 
nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but 
Christ is all and in all. So God in the gospel is creating 
a new humanity, but it could be inferred that because these 
things are, we are all leveled in Christ Jesus, that therefore 
all role distinctions and all subordination would be done away 
with. That's not the case. We have 
redemptive solidarity. We have redemptive unity. But 
that does not get rid of role distinctions, for instance, in 
Christian marriage. It doesn't get rid of the distinction 
between a parent and a child. It doesn't get rid of the distinction 
between a slave and a master. So God, in his kindness, God, 
in his mercy, gives us instruction on how to function as new men 
in Christ Jesus in each of these particular spheres. One man has 
said that this whole section shows that to pursue the realm 
above. That's what we are exhorted to 
do in verses one to four. Pursue the realm above with your 
mind and to be preoccupied with its affairs does not promote 
an ascetic other worldliness and ascetic other worldliness 
is that mindset that withdraws from the world, that mindset 
that says, do not touch, do not taste, do not handle. As long 
as I withdraw and I don't affect myself with all of those outside 
influences, then I shall be holy. Well, that's not the apostles 
instruction. The apostle says that heavenly 
mindedness is to promote godly living on the earth. In other 
words, the more we focus upon Jesus Christ, the better we will 
be as husbands, as wives, as children, as parents and as slaves 
and masters. He goes on to say that it does 
not promote an ascetic other worldliness, but rather a wholehearted 
commitment to the daily duties of this world for the sake of 
the Lord. We are to be theologically driven 
in each of these spheres. understanding what we do about 
God, enjoying that salvation that we have in Jesus Christ, 
that is to renew and revive in us and enable us to serve as 
God had originally designed for us. Commenting on this issue 
with reference to slavery, John Calvin says that this passage 
is here, lest they, the slaves and colossi, should vainly imagine 
that carnal freedom had been procured for them by the gospel. A slave couldn't come to the 
master the next day and say, well, I've been saved. Now I 
get to go do whatever I want. No, that's simply not the case. 
And just before we actually start unpacking the passage here, I 
want to look at or just give you some thoughts with reference 
to slavery in the first century, because we read this. We say, 
why doesn't Paul sort of wrap himself in chains and march into 
the Roman Empire and demand that slavery be outlawed? Why does 
Paul deal with it as an existing thing and just seek to exhort 
slaves to be good at what they're supposed to do? Our mindset is 
social action. Our mindset is liberty. Our mindset 
is freedom. Our mindset is to alleviate or 
ameliorate the sufferings in this world. And we read Paul 
and we might scratch our heads and say, why doesn't he address 
or attack the institution of slavery itself? Well, some speculate 
that perhaps one in three people in Colossae were slaves. It gets 
a lot of treatment in this household code. If you notice, there's 
very succinct statements concerning wives, husband, parents, and 
children. But there's a long, detailed section concerning slaves 
and then a briefer section on masters. One in three in Colossae. Perhaps one in five in the Roman 
Empire. There was a time when the Roman 
Senate wanted to vote on whether or not slaves should wear uniforms. They voted against it because 
they didn't want the slaves to know how numerous they were. When they started to see how 
many slaves there were, they would band together and fight 
for their freedom. So it was very common in that 
particular day. Slavery was integral or an integral 
part of the social and economic world of the first century. Freedom and liberation was not 
the obvious good in the first century that it is in the 21st 
century. Many people sold themselves into 
slavery. When a man was given his freedom, 
very often he continued to work for his master. It was very much 
the case that it was a tough, cruel world. And if you had a 
master that was decent towards you, I mean, we get the idea 
of shadow slavery in 18th century, 19th century America and how 
barbaric it was. This wasn't racially driven, 
wasn't racially motivated. It was an agreement, a business 
agreement in many respects. In fact, they said that civil 
service You know, the civil, sir, I don't want to put anyone 
down that happens to work civil service here, but very often 
it was the slaves and a slave could be a very high up in a 
bureaucratic environment as a civil servant. And then as well, we 
need to remember that the first century Christians were a small 
group living within an all powerful authoritarian empire. They simply 
didn't march to the Roman Empire, demand their rights. They simply 
didn't just, you know, have a sit in or a love in or whatever it 
is that we do. They simply function where God 
had called them and they did it for his glory with an eye 
to that heavenly country, with that better country. Now, Paul 
affirms elsewhere that it's good to be free. He says that in first 
Corinthians seven. If you can gain your freedom, 
do it. Why? Because you're more able to serve 
the Lord in that capacity. And then the early Christians 
rejoiced in their identity as the people of God, no matter 
their specific station in life. And quite feasibly, a slave could 
have been converted and grow in the grace and knowledge of 
the Lord Jesus and become a church officer. I mean, they just didn't 
think the same way about these things as perhaps you and I did. 
They didn't have a category of social action. They didn't have 
focus on the family. They didn't have all of these 
organizations that were set up to ameliorate the suffering of 
the downtrodden and poor. Now, I am not suggesting we shouldn't 
try to ameliorate the suffering of the downtrodden and poor. 
I'm just trying to get you to think in a first century context 
so that when I use the word slaves, we don't think of shadow slavery 
where people are treated like a piece of meat or property. 
Paul, in fact, the fact that he addresses slaves shows their 
dignity. Aristotle taught that a slave 
was a living tool. A slave was a living tool. I mean, that was the mindset. 
Now, there were some within the Roman Empire, Seneca, for instance, 
that wanted slaves to have rights and wanted them to be elevated 
and all that sort of thing. But the general idea was not 
the way Paul deals with them here. And so Paul in this is 
dealing graciously and mercifully and kindly again, bringing the 
gospel ethic to bear on this subject of slavery and master. And we'll look at, first of all, 
the duty of slaves set forth in verse twenty two. Secondly, 
the incentive for slaves versus twenty three to twenty four. 
And then the duty of masters. Chapter three, verse twenty five 
to verse one of chapter four. But notice the duty of slaves. 
And it's twofold, really. He speaks to their action and 
he speaks to their attitude. He speaks to their action. He 
says that the slave is to obey. He's not to be insubordinate. 
He's not to be a loafer. He's not to be a whiner. He's 
not to be a grumbler. If he's supposed to be there 
at eight, he'll be there at eight. He obeys. In all things, not 
some things, but in all things, this is very instructive for 
us, because I'll argue at the close that if this was the ethic 
for slaves and masters, how should we as free men function as employers 
and employees? We ought not to be whiners. We 
ought not to be insubordinate. We ought to obey our masters 
in all things. Now, obviously, sin accepting. If a master commanded a slave 
to sin, Acts 529 kicks in. We must obey God rather than 
man. A master cannot commit you or 
command you to disobey the Lord God Most High. Notice as well, 
with reference to their attitude. He says negatively, verse twenty 
two slaves obey and all things your masters, according to the 
flesh, the according to the flesh means their physical or earthly 
masters, not with eye service as men pleasers. Kind of an interesting 
turn of phrase there. I think this is the first time 
I service was ever utilized in Greek by the Apostle Paul. The 
idea is pretty clear and pretty simple. You only work when you're 
being watched. You only do what you're supposed 
to do when the boss is nearby. You hide the rest of the time. You're only doing it to make 
sure you don't get fired. You're only doing it to make 
sure you make money. You only do it not with the interests 
of your master at hand, not with the interests of promoting his 
good and his company and his fortune. But you're only in it 
for yourself. Paul says no. No. And if a first century slave 
is to work, not with my service as a man pleaser. What about 
a 21st century employee? You may disagree with the way 
your employer does stuff. That's OK. Do what you're paid 
to do. Do what you're supposed to do. 
Don't make excuses. Don't play games. Don't be insubordinate. If anything, God calls us and 
saves us to be better workers, to be effective servants, to 
be those who bring blessing to our companies or to our masters. The idea here is that the slave 
works only when the master is watching. He works only to please 
men, kind of just to keep him off his back. You know, the idea 
being the boss is coming, look busy, pick up the broom, pick 
up the mop, pick up the dustpan. The boss is coming. No. That's not the way you're supposed 
to work. You're supposed to work hard, whether the boss is there 
or he isn't there. You're supposed to work hard 
because you're doing it as unto the Lord. Remember, it is theologically 
driven. It is gospel center. It is gospel 
infused with power from on high so that you will be the best 
slave in the master's keep. That's what Paul is calling these 
Colossians slaves to notice. He says positively, this is what 
you're not supposed to do, not with eye service, not as men 
pleasers. But here's what you do positively 
in sincerity of heart. I mean, stop for just a moment 
on Thursday last week, did you do your work in sincerity of 
heart? I think this passage is quite convicting in a 21st century 
context. I mean, it's become almost professional 
today to see how little you can do to get a lot of money. I mean, 
we've got guys making untold millions of dollars to play games. I it's just still doesn't it 
just doesn't I can't entertain the thought. And then they cry 
about it. I don't get enough money. What 
do you mean you get 50 million dollars a year to hit a baseball 
and you're going to complain that you don't get enough? Well, 
it's not just those guys. It's down here as well. What 
do you mean I've got to do this? I remember I signed up for the 
United States Air Force, going to serve my country. Went over 
the station at RAF Fairford in England. First duty assignment. 
No stripes on my sleeve. It's called an Airman Basic, 
an E1, bottom of the bucket. And I was in the military police. 
And I thought, I'm going to go fight crime, do great things, 
wonderful. And oh, yeah, sure. We used to 
have what's called building cleanup. They get the lowest ranking airmen 
to come in and clean up the building. I didn't sign up for this. This 
isn't what I wanted. I wanted to, you know, arrest 
people and solve crime and all that sort of thing. No, you can 
make coffee for the oncoming ship and you can clean toilets. 
That's what you're going to do. Well, Paul says that if that's 
what you're called to do, do it in sincerity of heart. He's 
not telling you a sin. He's not commanding you to do 
wickedness. Why do we think we deserve to be CEOs? Why do we 
think that our ideas are the best? Why do we think that we 
know everything? If a first century slave was 
told to serve his master in sincerity of heart, how much more a 21st 
century employee? And again, here's the theological 
motivation, fearing God. You don't clean that toilet or 
do the menial task in your workplace because you want your master 
to say, great job. You do it because you fear God. You do it because you stand before 
a thrice holy God. You're not going to argue with 
him. You're not going to complain about your station in life. Now, 
that doesn't mean you can't work hard and try to get to a place 
where you're not cleaning toilets. The Bible does not recognize 
or it does recognize a godly ambition. In Proverbs 30, we 
learn certain lessons from four small things, and one of the 
small things is either the lizard or the spider. A little bit of 
a textual variant there. But the idea is, is that the 
lizard or the spider is in the king's palace. What's he mean? He means that lizard or spider 
has some ambition. Not holy ambition, because he's 
a lizard or a spider, but he's got ambition. He's not outside. 
He's in the king's palace. Brother, an ambition is a good 
thing, but when you have a task, do it in sincerity of heart. cheering God that is Paul's instruction 
in Titus two verses nine and ten, a passage that we spent 
some time in in our Wednesday night Bible studies. Titus chapter 
two is how various categories of people are to conduct themselves 
in the Christian life. There are instructions for young 
women, old women, young men, old men, older, sorry, not old, 
but older. Young men, older men, there's 
instructions for each of these categories and bond servants 
as well. And one of the things we noted when we were going through 
Titus two is that for most of us, probably 95 percent of us, 
Christianity is going to be very normal. It's going to be very 
mundane. It's going to be very routine. You're not going to be elevated 
into flights of fantasy. You're not going to have mystical 
experiences around every corner. You're not probably going to 
be called to be a CH Spurgeon and exercise that sort of a ministry. You're probably not going to 
be an Amy Carmichael. I don't mean to bust anyone's 
bubble. You can try, you can labor, you can be diligent, all 
that sort of thing. But for the most part, more normal, 
ordinary, regular guys and gals. And God says that the gospel 
ought to make you as a normal, ordinary, regular guy and gal 
faithful, holy, sincere, and all the while fearing God. That's 
the message that Paul is putting forth in Colossians 3 in Titus 
2, 9 and 10. He says, exhort slaves to be 
obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, 
not just in a sort of grin and bear it and knuckle under and 
serve, but to be to be pleasing to the master. You want your 
master to say, good job, not so he's you know, you're getting 
just his accolades, but you want to promote his well being. You 
want to promote his pocketbook. And then he goes on to say, not 
answering back. We could probably just stop there 
and spend a lot of time not answering back. I mean, I've not ever been 
an employer, but I'm sure you employers out there love those 
employees that don't answer back. No back chat. No 15 reasons why 
they're not going to do it. 20 reasons why they were late. 
No, don't answer back. Do your job. That's Paul's message. Do it. Well, do it for the glory 
of God, not answering back, not pilfering. Don't steal from the 
man. That doesn't mean just going 
behind the scenes and grabbing things and running away from 
it. Pilfering can also be getting paid for eight or 10 hours and 
doing four or five hours of work. Probably a lot of this type of 
pilfering goes on in the United States and in Canada. And then 
again, the theological reasoning here, he says, but showing all 
good fidelity that the purpose clause in Titus two, ten, that 
they may adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior in all things. When you do your work, fearing 
God, whether men say it or not, you are bringing glory to God 
most high through your activity. F.F. Bruce said that if a Christian 
slave had an unbelieving master, which in this context, he doesn't 
say slaves obey your Christian masters. That's not the implication. It's obey your masters, whether 
he's a Christian or he's not. You don't get to say, well, he's 
not a Christian, so I can cheat him. He's not a Christian, so 
I can deceive him. He's not a Christian, so I don't 
have to work that hour. No, he's not a Christian. You 
still honor him and you still work the way Paul called you 
to. This is foreign to much of Western civilization. Do you 
realize that in God's divine plan, he called us to work six 
days? God is about work, brethren. Now, it says on the seventh day 
he rested, not because he was tired, not because he needed 
to put his feet up. He was setting pattern a six 
in one rhythm. Six days, Sinai, Sinai says six 
days, you shall labor and do all your work. Christians ought 
not to fear work. Christians ought not to be the 
worst workers. Christians ought not to be the 
lazy ones. Christians ought to be fervent and earnest. Now, be careful, because the 
Bible says as well, do not overwork to be rich. You may have to overwork 
to feed your family, but if your whole desire is simply to be 
rich, then you need your priorities in check. But what we have here, 
Bruce says, if a Christian slave had an unbelieving master, he 
would serve him more faithfully now because the reputation of 
Christ and Christianity was bound up with the quality of his service. You get that. If your master 
found out you were a Christian, what do you think? Man, Jesus, 
wow, that's bad. That's horrible work. Lousy. 
Worst employee I've got. Hopefully, none of our masters 
would say that. They shouldn't be able to. That's 
Paul's point. They shouldn't be able to. Because 
you are doing this in sincerity of heart, fearing God. The slave is not to obey from 
humanitarian principles or to be the best slave. He doesn't 
just go for the slave of the month plaque on the wall. I wonder if they had that in 
Colossus slave of the month. How does a slave of the month 
look in his picture? You know, you go into a place 
that a slave or servant or employee of the month, they all look polished 
and good. What's the slave of the month look like in Colossus? 
But they didn't do it just for the plaque. They didn't do it 
for tickets to the movies. They did it because they feared 
God. That's the point. There is an evangelistic and 
apologetic nature of such obedience. The work that we render reflects 
on our master that they may adorn the doctrine of our God and Savior. Titus 2 10 says. Now, notice 
the incentives for slaves. Verse 23. He applies a general 
principle to a specific instance. Go back to Colossians 3 17 in 
a context probably of worship. In a context definitely of Christian 
life, Colossians 317 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. Now, a specific concrete application 
of that is to the slave in verse 23. Now, notice this verse 17. We might think whatever I do 
in word or deed. That's only when I do a great 
task. That's when I serve at church. 
That's when I cut the grass at the church building. It can't 
be scrubbing a toilet in my workplace. Yes, if that's what your master 
calls you to do, because verse 23 says, whatever you do, do 
it heartily as to the Lord and not to men. This will change 
your perspective on work when you go to serve. Do it for the 
Lord. Hopefully that'll put some joy 
in your heart, a desire to do a good job, not just to cut corners, 
not just to cheat, not just to make it by not to do the bare 
minimum so that you can still get a check. I mean, there's 
people out there that brag about how little they do for the money 
they make. You kind of want to smack them. That's not right. 
That's wicked. God condemns that. That is to 
pilfer. That is to steal. That is to 
take from somebody what you don't does not belong to you. When 
you do your work, you have a much greater audience than your earthly 
master. God most high looks upon your 
labors and smiles when you engage in things publicly. I don't think 
we believe that. I think we have this idea that 
if I really want to please God, I should fly to Haiti and I should 
pull people out of the rubble and I should preach the gospel 
to them and I should feed them. Certainly, God doesn't look upon 
me tomorrow when I'm wiping my child's rear end or I'm making 
a lunch for him or her so she can have some food at school 
or when I'm loving my husband or I'm loving my wife or I'm 
doing my job. Certainly, God really doesn't 
look upon that. Yes, he does. Yes, he does. Romanism taught a distinction 
between the secular and the sacred. All of life is sacred under God. Everything you do, whatever you 
do, do all to the glory of God. He looks upon it. He is pleased 
by it. That's what Paul's point is. Whatever you do, do it heartily 
as to the Lord and not to man. And notice the promise of future 
inheritance. Verse twenty four, knowing that 
from the Lord you will receive receive the reward of the inheritance. 
A slave in this context could have served and never got a plaque 
on the wall. Imagine that. You ever felt like you haven't 
been recognized at work? Hey, never got a plaque, don't have 
a parking spot, don't have all these good things. In this context, 
the fact that he maybe had food and a place to sleep was all 
he got. He didn't finish a day's work 
and the master said, hey, let me give you a bonus. There's 
a Christmas bonus, here's three grand, here's a free ham, here's 
a free turkey, you know, take your wife out, go enjoy some 
vacation time. That's not what happened. So 
what does God do? He says there is inheritance 
for you. God hasn't forgotten you. As a Christian, you have 
an inheritance laid up for you. Paul's already alluded to this 
in Colossians, chapter one, verse five, because of the hope which 
is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in 
the word of the truth of the gospel as a slave. You participated 
in this Colossians, chapter one, verse twelve, giving thanks to 
the father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance 
of the saints in the light. He doesn't say just the masters 
here, just the elite or just the prestigious ones. Now, if 
you are a slave in Christ, this inheritance is laid up for you. And so as a blessed incentive, 
as Paul is calling these slaves to obey their masters and all 
things, he doesn't say just do it, knuckle under and grit and 
grit and bear it. He says God is watching. God 
is pleased and you will receive an inheritance from this. John 
Gil said, This is said for the encouragement of Christian servants 
who, though they may receive little or nothing from their 
earthly and carnal masters, yet they shall be used and treated 
as children by the Lord and by whom they will be possessed of 
an eternal inheritance after their work and labor is over. By the reward of the inheritance 
is meant the heavenly glory. Call the reward because the apostle 
is speaking to servants and therefore uses language agreeable to them 
and who, though they may have no reward in the world, yet as 
there is a God that judges in the earth, there is barely one 
for them in the world to come. What a blessed statement. What 
a wonderful thing. You may never be employee of 
the month. You may never get a plaque. You may never get a 
free hand. But God most high sees your service, smiles upon 
it, is glorified in it, and will one day bring you into that blessed 
inheritance. That's Paul's incentive. That's 
great, isn't it? I mean, what better way to elevate 
a slave to go to work on Monday than to hear this? He's sitting 
there, first of all, being addressed because in his society that just 
doesn't happen. Not only is he addressed, but 
he is told to serve fearing God. And not only is he told to serve 
fearing God, but he says that God is going to give him a blessed 
inheritance. I bet he got up on Monday morning 
happy and joyful and skipped his way into work for his master. Now, notice thirdly and finally, 
the duty of masters. There's a bit of a question. 
The end of verse twenty four, for you serve the Lord Christ, 
this could be an indicative, as it reads here in the New King 
James, for you serve the Lord Christ, or it could be an imperative. 
That means a command without the word for it could be you 
serve the Lord Christ. Bit of a difficult call, and 
I don't think I can solve it. So you guys figure it out. And 
I actually take it as the indicative as the new King James renders 
it here for you serve the Lord Christ. Now, notice what he says 
in verse twenty five. But he who does wrong will be 
repaid for what he has done. And there is no partiality. Some 
apply that to the slaves. Some apply that to the masters. 
Based on a comparison with Ephesians six, nine, it would go with the 
master. I think it kind of goes both 
ways. It is a general principle, a truth that definitely would 
apply to a slave. If you do wrong, you will be 
repaid for what you have done. The thought that he says there 
is no partiality seems intimate, though, that it goes with the 
master. It's a bit of a difficulty, but I think it goes both ways 
and I think it is given for the slave. Yes, there's a warning, 
but as an encouragement. As an encouragement, how would 
this encourage him? Well, listen, John Calvin said 
he again comfort servants by saying that if they are oppressed 
by the unjust cruelty of their masters, God himself will take 
vengeance. You may have a bad master. You 
may have a boss that really is messed up. God acknowledges that 
he doesn't say, oh, no, you just need to know you might really 
have a difficult situation. God really does know where you're 
at. He knows your trials. He knows your troubles. He knows 
your difficulties, as Calvin says. He again comforts servants 
by saying that if they are oppressed by the unjust cruelty of their 
masters, God himself will take vengeance and will not on the 
ground that they are servants overlook the injuries inflicted 
upon them. You see, God recognizes that 
sometimes slaves are mistreated. God recognizes that sometimes 
as a Christian employee, you do get the short end of the stick. 
God recognizes that at times you've got real challenges in 
your professional life. He isn't just, you know, that's 
just the way things go. Calvin says in as much as there 
is no respect of persons with him for this consideration might 
diminish their courage if they imagine that God had no regard 
for them or no great regard and that their miseries gave him 
no concern. Besides, it often happens that 
servants themselves endeavor to avenge injurious and cruel 
treatment. He obviates accordingly this 
evil by admonishing them to wait patiently the judgment of God. 
If you were a slave, you got a bad master. The Lord will deal 
with it. Do not take vengeance into your 
own hands. The Lord will deal with that. 
He who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done. And God 
is no respecter of persons. And I believe that not only does 
it encourage the slave, but it is a further warning, a further 
encouragement, a further admonition for the masters themselves. The Christian master must regulate 
his conduct according to the word of God, not the prevailing 
attitude of society. Now, see, we move here to masters. 
The Christian master, he might have Christian slaves, he might 
have non-Christian slaves. He doesn't treat the Christian 
slaves up here and beat the non-Christian slaves. He is to deal righteously 
with his employees. He is regulated by the word of 
the living God. As I mentioned before, Aristotle 
thought that the slave is a living tool and the tool, a lifeless 
slave. The Christian master must realize 
that he is dealing with an image bearer of the living God. It's 
not a life, a living tool. It's an image bearer. It's dignity. That's what the Bible teaches 
with reference to men. We all have dignity because we're 
created in the image of God. And so, the master must regulate 
his conduct and do what Paul calls him to in verse one of 
chapter four. Masters, give your slaves what 
is just and fair. Amazing. Give your slaves what 
is just and fair. Notice he doesn't say give your 
give your slaves freedom. Again, he is operating in a context 
where there is an existing situation and he wants the gospel to fragrance 
it with its blessed aroma. He says, Masters, give your servants 
or slaves what is just and fair. Again, John Calvin, I think, 
beautifully comments. But though no royal edict had 
ever been issued for the protection of slaves, God allows to masters 
no power over them beyond what is consistent with the law of 
love. I've mentioned the book before by I forget the name of 
the author, but it's a biography on John Jasper. And I used to 
be in here. Somebody took it. Maybe one day 
it'll show back up. If anybody's listening to this 
and you have it, bring it back. John Jasper was a black slave 
in America in the 19th century, and he worked at a tobacco factory. 
That's what a lot of black slaves did back then. And John Jasper 
had heard the gospel. And while he is tearing apart 
the tobacco, he's thinking through the gospel. He's thinking through 
what he has heard. And God saved him. Beautiful 
story. I mean, it's beautiful. It's 
great book. Hard to read because it's in Ebonics. If you're from 
California, you know what Ebonics is. That's black talk, black 
jive. Not making this up. That's how 
the book is written. At least the part where it's 
narrating John Jasper. He was a southerner and he was 
black and he spoke in a way that was a little bit more difficult. 
But you can work your way through it. He gets converted while he's 
doing the debacle and he starts praising the Lord. He starts 
witnessing to everybody around him. It's an amazing story. And 
so someone finds out and brings him to the to the master. He 
sits down and the master says, what happened to you? And he 
said, the Lord God saved my soul. That's how he thought. And the 
master said, welcome, brother, shakes his hand. He says, so 
what were you doing? He said, I wanted to tell everybody 
about the Lord God. I want to tell everybody about 
my dying savior. And so the master says, go, you 
tell everybody. So he did. He had a 40 year career 
as a preacher. And he never tired of preaching 
Jesus Christ. Absolutely incredible, but you 
see that great level, the master shakes his hand, sends him out 
of there. He's got a better career as a preacher of grace than a 
shucker of tobacco or whatever you do with tobacco. The master 
treated him properly, saw a gift, he saw ability, and God used 
that man to preach the gospel and save a great multitude. On 
a corollary, he was most noted for his philosophy. He's called 
a philosopher, theologian, a philosopher, pastor. I think that's the subtitle 
of the book. His claim to fame, his philosophy 
was that the sun do move. This is all an aside, has nothing 
to do with the sermon. Just in case you ever read this, 
it's quite interesting. He taught what's called geocentricity. He taught that the earth was 
stationary and that the sun rotated around. So he was called a philosopher. People would come to hear him 
because he would preach from Joshua. He preached from other 
passages and he would argue that it's the sun that moves. The 
man who wrote his biography did not believe in geocentricity. 
The man who wrote his biography ministered in the same city, 
the white fellow. And he said, I didn't agree. I don't agree. But when he was 
preaching, I agree. He was so persuasive. I believe 
for a time the sun do move. Beautiful story. John Jasper, 
black creature and philosopher, if you ever pick it up. So the 
master is to love. Another commentator said if a 
Christian owned a slave, the highest duty to which that master 
could be called was not to set the other free, but to love the 
slave with the self giving love of Christ. That's what Paul says. Give your slaves what is just 
and fair. Treat them properly, treat them 
with dignity, treat them as image bearers, treat them as those 
worthy of sound treatment. That's the instruction of the 
master. And then this reminder, verse four, verse one, chapter 
four, knowing that you also have a master in heaven. The master 
in heaven is the master's judge and the slaves judge. Both are 
responsible to him. So whether you are a slave or 
a master, you're an employee or you're an employer, the gospel 
should change radically how you function, how you operate. It 
should change the way that you live. It should change the way 
that you work. It should make it that you are 
not the biggest whiner in the workplace, but you're the best 
and most faithful servant. In conclusion, with reference 
to the apostle and slavery, we already looked at the introduction 
on modern, the modern Christian and slavery, how we look at a 
passage like this and what we need to understand. But the fact 
that the apostle addressed slaves elevated them in this society. 
The fact that Paul addresses children, the fact that Paul 
addresses women. I don't know how often you have 
heard, but sometimes Paul is painted as this great enemy of 
the downtrodden and poor. He is the great enemy of women. 
He is the great chauvinist. Nothing could be further from 
the truth. Paul was the champion of, dare 
I say, human rights. He called men to function the 
way they were supposed to in accordance with God's holy word. The apostle relativizes masters 
by commanding them to give what is just and fair and by reminding 
both who their master really is. The apostle doesn't necessarily 
endorse slavery. He calls for the regulation of 
an existing practice through the power of the gospel. And 
as I mentioned before, in first Corinthians seven twenty one, 
he says, were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned 
about it. But if you can be made free, 
rather use it. You can be free from it and you 
can have more movement within the empire for gospel motive 
than do it. But if you can make more of an 
impact with reference to the gospel as a slave, then stay 
there. See, for Paul, gospel was everything. The more you can advance the 
kingdom of Jesus, whatever your station, that's where you ought 
to be. The employee employer application. If you have not come to grips 
with the doctrine of work in the Bible, I suggest you do so. 
Young men in this room read the Bible. Read the Bible to find 
a doctrine of work, the ethic of work. I'm convinced that if 
our young men show up at work on time and breathe, they'll 
probably do ninety five percent better than everybody else. Just 
imagine if they really do what Paul says, not with eye services, 
men pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God will rule 
the world. Not that I'm saying we ought 
to go out and rule the world. Oh, he says we got to rule the 
world. No, I'm saying work hard. Generally speaking, if you can't 
keep a job in the society today, that is not a reflection upon 
the society today. It is a reflection upon you. 
I mean, the bar has been drastically lowered, brethren. The bar has 
been drastically lower. Show up, work hard, fear God, 
and you will probably end up owning the company before too 
long. The Christian employee and the 
Christian employer ought to be marked by the virtues set forth 
in Colossians 3 and Ephesians 6. The Christian must realize 
that the lordship of Christ applies to every area of his life. And then finally, I know that 
sometimes in our context, the very word slavery is an offense. We don't like it. Again, the 
association of shadow slavery, the association of the barbarism 
that has taken place. We don't like that word, but 
you know, slavery really is an inescapable concept. It's never 
a question of slavery versus no slavery. You may not be a 
slave in terms of your socioeconomic status today, but you are definitely 
a slave in the spiritual realm. Did you know that everybody? You're either a slave of the 
devil or you're a slave of Jesus Christ. You're either a slave 
of sin or you're a slave of Jesus Christ. So you see, slavery in 
and of itself is an inescapable concept. It ought not to be an 
affront. The affront ought to be if you're 
a slave to sin. That's what should scare you. 
That's what should terrify you. Jesus taught this principle very 
clearly in John, chapter eight, verse thirty four. He says, whoever 
commits sin is a slave of sin. That means everybody by nature 
is a slave of sin. Something must happen to translate 
us from that place of slavery to sin onto slavery to Christ. Jesus addresses that a few verses 
earlier in John 8. He said, If you abide in my word, 
you are my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth 
and the truth shall make you free. The University of Southern 
California, the philosophy department, has a big area where they have 
that statement, you shall know the truth and the truth shall 
make you free. People cite that, non-Christians, 
scholars, philosophers, the whole world knows that statement, but 
they divorce it from what precedes. If you abide in my word, that's 
the main point. That's the main issue. That's 
the thrust of our Savior's word. If you abide in my word, then 
you will be free. Then you will know liberty. Jesus goes on in John eight thirty 
six to say, therefore, if the sun makes you free, you shall 
be free indeed. So the question tonight is not, 
am I a slave to my employer at work? The question is, are you 
a slave of sin and the devil or are you a slave of Jesus Christ? And the only way to be translated 
from the one realm to the other is by looking under Christ and 
living. It's a great statement. First 
Thessalonians 2 this morning referenced belief in the truth. is what is most crucial. You 
believe the gospel message and you will be a slave of Christ. Well, let us pray. Father, we 
thank you for your word and we thank you that it speaks to every 
area of our lives and we pray that you would help us to take 
every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. I pray that 
you would help us as men and women in this local church to 
be faithful servants, to be God fearing and upright and to do 
our work as unto the Lord. And I pray for my brothers who 
are in management, that they would treat their employees with 
justice and fairness and seek to honor you, Lord God, in that 
conduct. And I pray that all of us would 
remember that we have one master who is in heaven and we will 
all give an account to him of deeds done in the body, whether 
good or bad. And I pray that each and every 
one here would be looking unto Christ in faith for the forgiveness 
of sins. And we ask through Jesus Christ, 
our Lord. Amen.