Well, please turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians, Ephesians chapter 6. We conclude a particular unit in the book that begins in chapter 5 at verse 22 and ends in chapter 6 at verse 9. I will read the entirety of chapter 6, though, and then our focus will be on verses 5 to 9. So, beginning in verse 1, Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise, that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth. And you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ, not with eye service as men pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill, doing service as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. And you masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with him.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day.

And having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. And for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that in it I may speak boldly as I ought to speak. but that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing.

Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you, whom I have sent to you for this very purpose, that you may know our affairs and that he may comfort your hearts. Peace to the brethren and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

Well, let us pray.

Opening Prayer

Our Father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you that you've not left us without instructions in terms of sanctification. We thank you for justification, for that salvation that Paul so wonderfully explains in chapters one and two in this book. And we thank you as well for chapters four to six, which instruct us as the blood-bought children of God, how we are to live, how we are to relate to one another.

So we pray now that you would guide us by the Holy Spirit We pray that you would forgive us for all of our sin and unrighteousness. We pray that you would be glorified in this glad hour, and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Introduction

Well, we are in the practical section of Paul's letter to the Ephesians, and here specifically in what has been called a household code. something that was not unique to Christianity, but there were philosophers and ethicists who would give instructions to people at that time on how they were to conduct themselves in their various relations. Remember, the broader context goes back to chapter 5 at verses 18 to 21. So we have, I'm sorry, verses 15 to 21. I need my glasses or I can't see those things.

So from 15 to 21, we're exhorted to walk in wisdom. We're told or prohibited from being drunk with wine, in which is dissipation, but to be filled with the Spirit. And filling with the Spirit looks like speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our hearts to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father, and then submitting to one another in the fear of God. So Paul takes that principle in verse 21 and then concretely applies it in the several relationships that he deals with.

First he has wives and husbands, then he has children and parents, and now we come to bondservants and masters here in verses 5 to 9.

Exhortation to Bondservants

So I want to look first at the exhortation to bondservants in verses five to eight, and then secondly, the exhortation of masters in verse nine. Now this is not unique in the New Testament. It's not unique in the Old Testament. The word we have translated as bondservants is literally slaves.

There is a distinction in the Greek words. This is slaves. There's another word for servant. Usually the word deacon is where we are.

The deacon is that particular word. You have deacons that serve in the context of the church. The civil government is referred to as a deacon. And then as well, you have various persons that are servants rather than the church or in other spheres, and they're referred to as deacons.

So this deals with slavery. And it deals with slavery, not just here, but you have it in 1 Corinthians 7, you have it in Colossians 3, which is parallel to Ephesians 6, and then you have 1 Timothy 6, Titus 2, the book of Philemon, and then 1 Peter 2, verses 18 to 25. So it's not a unique situation in the New Testament. It's not a unique situation in the Old Testament.

What really is unique is that we live in a day and age where there isn't slavery. For most of human history there has been, and so when we come to this particular passage, the apostle isn't necessarily endorsing it. He's not as well challenging the civil magistrate to end slavery, but rather he is speaking God's truth to a particular situation that men, redeemed men, redeemed women, would find themselves in. And so when we come, first of all, to this command to our exhortation of bondservants, we ought to notice first the command to obey, and then secondly, the manner of compliance.

So look at the text in verse 5. Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh. Now, with reference to the practice of slavery in Paul's time, there's a famous book, it's a history of early Christianity by a fellow named Everett Ferguson. And he says, it is estimated that one in five of the residents in Rome was a slave.

Again, it was widespread, and the slavery wasn't always what we might be inclined to think. There were slaves that were utilized in terms of civil service. Slaves, I think, could own slaves themselves, and so it was a widespread practice that obtained. So he says, it is estimated that one in five of the residents in Rome was a slave.

A proposal in the Senate that slaves be required to wear a distinctive dress was defeated lest the slaves learn how numerous they were. So there was this recommendation that slaves wear a uniform, but somebody with a bit of wisdom said, wait a minute, if all the slaves recognize themselves, then they might band together and rise up against us. So that was crushed. He goes on to say the legal status of a slave was that of a thing.

So that Paul addresses slaves here, distinguishes Paul from, say, Aristotle. In fact, Aristotle defined a slave as living property in his book on politics. In his book on ethics, he said the slave is a living tool and the tool a lifeless slave. So again, that Paul addresses redeemed slaves shows their dignity and their equal status in terms of nature.

Now there's different status in terms of masters and slaves, but essentially we're the same. And when it comes to redemption, those distinctions are obliterated in terms of a spiritual emphasis. But temporally, they're not suspended, and that's why Paul is writing here. The idea that Christ redeemed a slave doesn't necessarily mean He is now temporarily a free man.

He doesn't get a career as a baseball player. He doesn't get a career as an astronaut. He doesn't get a career in business. He's still a slave, and that's why Paul addresses him.

Some scholars estimate that slaves comprised about one-third of the population of a city like Ephesus. And if we ask the question, how did persons end up in slavery? It wasn't based on ethnicity. It wasn't a racist sort of a thing.

Ferguson, again, says the condition of slavery might result from war, piracy and brigandage, exposure of a child, sale of a child or self to pay off debts, condemnation in the law courts, or birth to a slave mother. And so that Paul addresses slaves, he is doing so in distinction from the ethicists and the persons of his own day. In fact, another fellow says, slaves were not normally addressed in household codes since attention was given to how masters should treat their slaves. Like women and children, Paul treats all groups, including slaves, as ethically responsible and as equal members in the body of Christ.

And then in terms of the necessity of the exhortation, you've got the general struggles of life. I mean, what are we looking at in this particular passage? Verse 21 in chapter 5, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ. And then specific spheres of submission, wives to their husbands, children to their parents.

Why do you think Paul has to address that? because generally we struggle with that. You're not the boss over me. That is something that is in the hearts of all men. We don't want to be governed.

We don't want to be taught. We don't want to be lectured. We don't want to be scolded. We don't want anybody above us.

And so the general problem of that is necessary for the apostle to address. But then specifically the problem of a slave. He's now redeemed in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. He may come to despise his current condition.

I'm a free man in Jesus. I have to be a free man in my pursuit of business. I have to be a free man to be a cowboy or whatever it is that I want to be. But as well, he might despise his master.

You know, his master is holding these things over him when he's free in the Lord Jesus Christ. So the apostle addresses the slaves with the specific counsel or exhortation that they need to hear. Notice the text again. Of course we're to be obedient to our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, but this sort of phrase, according to the flesh, indicates the slave-master relationship in the temporal sphere.

As Matthew Poole says, Christian liberty doth not take away civil servitude. And then John Calvin made the observation, lest they should vainly imagine that carnal freedom had been procured for them by the gospel. In Christ we are new creatures. In Christ, all things have become new.

Spiritually speaking, we're justified freely by grace. We're being sanctified by the power of the Spirit. We're going to glory in terms of our final resting state. But in this present evil age, we're still men, we're still women, we're still workers, we're still employers, we're still in this world.

And so the apostle, in the larger context, go back to Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 1, where he says, I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. In Philippians 1.27, which is a bit of a parallel to that, he says to walk in a manner, let your conduct rather, be worthy of the gospel. So as a conquered by grace slave, you need to do so in a manner that is consistent with Christianity. As a conquered blood-bought master, you're to do so in a manner that is consistent with Christianity.

That's the emphasis that we find here. So, with reference to the admonition, he says, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh. That includes believing masters. Look at verse 9.

And you masters, he's addressing them in the church in Ephesus, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own master also is in heaven and there is no partiality with him. So, of course, the slave will obey his Christian master. But Peter tells us that he's also to obey his non-Christian master. In fact, you can turn to 1 Peter 2, where you see that emphasis.

I mentioned this this morning, that our command to do a particular thing is not conditioned upon that particular thing. In other words, it's not just that a wife has to submit to her believing husband, but Peter tells her she needs to submit even to her unbelieving husband, according to 1 Peter 3.1. With reference to slaves, notice in verse 18 of chapter 2, servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. Probably the good and gentle are believers or at least common grace having men that aren't tyrants, but also to the harsh, most likely the unconverted, most likely the unbeliever, most likely the one that is severe in his treatment of his slaves.

So salvation in Christ does not mitigate the temporal obligations that are upon us. We don't come to the office of our boss and say, I'm redeemed now. You should promote me to vice president of the company. That's not how we're to interpret salvation by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

So the command is very simple, be obedient. Like the other times we see this command, it's qualified insofar as He's not commanding you to sin. If the master commands the slave to engage in criminal enterprise, if the master commands the slave to drive the getaway car while he goes in and robs the bank, the slave must obey God rather than men. He is not duty-bound in that particular instance to render obedience.

He should do it respectfully, to be sure, but he must obey God rather than men. Now, in terms of the manner of compliance, he deals with that at the end of verse five, all the way into verse seven. Notice, he says at the end of verse five, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ, not with eye service as men pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. Now, there's three things that I think he's saying here.

First, the obedience of the slave to the master must be heartfelt. It's not just this external compliance because I have to do it. It must be heartfelt. Secondly, it must be Christ-centered.

Notice the religious obligation involved on the part of the slave as to the Lord, your bondservant of Christ. And then thirdly, it is to be future oriented or eschatological in nature. In other words, his present performance in terms of obedience to the master has a future orientation according to verse eight, knowing that there is a day of judgment, knowing that you will appear before the high king of heaven, knowing that you will give an account of deeds done in the body, whether good or bad. But let's look first at the obedience that is to be heartfelt.

Obedience Must Be Heartfelt

Notice first, with fear and trembling. That doesn't mean the slave always runs from the master and hides in the closet. The fear and trembling there probably means with reverence, with respect, with humility, with an attitude of correctness before the master. In fact, John Gill says, "...with great humility and respect, with reverence of them, and giving honor to them, with carefulness not to offend them, with submission to their reproofs and corrections, and with fear of punishment, but more especially with the fear of God being by that influenced and constrained to obedience." So it is to be heartfelt relative or specifically with reference to this fear and trembling.

Again, this is not just the slave that is addressed this way. The apostle tells Christians in general they must do this in 1 Corinthians 7. But then notice he says under this heading of heartfelt, he says it with sincerity. at the end of verse five, in sincerity of heart as to Christ. And he's gonna flesh out those details specifically in verse six, but the attitude or the idea is just that, you need to be sincere.

In other words, you're not just going through the motions because you have to do it. You're blood-bought now. You're justified freely by God's grace. How then are you supposed to conduct yourself?

You're not supposed to be the mopey, broody slave that just whines incessantly. No, you're to render service under your slave, or under your master rather, knowing that it's the Lord Christ whom you serve, ultimately. So there needs to be sincerity. And again, he fleshes that out now, specifically in verse six.

He says, not with eye service as men pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. I think the idea is clear. Ecclesiastes 9.10, whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might. In the parallel passage in 1 Timothy chapter six, the apostle says that the slave's conduct has direct bearing on the word of God. 1 Timothy 6, verse 1, "...let as many bond-servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor." And then the purpose clause is simple, "...so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed." In other words, if the slave is contrary, if the slave professes faith in Jesus but he's lazy, he's insincere, He only works when the boss is watching.

That boss is gonna conclude this Christianity, this religion that my slave got really doesn't matter. It really doesn't measure up. It really doesn't produce any practical effect or yield any net effect. So when it comes to this, the emphasis is very clear.

Obedience Must Be Christ-Centered

But then notice the obedience is to be Christocentric. So verse six. That word is wonderful. Not with eye service.

Just going to define that from BDAG. Service that is performed only to make an impression in the owner's presence. Eye service. Pretty dazzling, huh?

It's that thought of, hey, the boss is coming. Look busy. The boss is coming. Pick up the broom.

The boss is coming. Start making widgets. Now, the apostle condemns that. That's not sincere.

That's insincere. When you're only seeking to be viewed by men, and you're not thinking in terms of God, who's over all, you're not functioning as a Christian slave ought. And then notice, not with eye service, as men pleasers. Paradoxically, when you shoot to only please men, you are ultimately going to disappoint them.

But as a Christian believer, when your aim is the glory of God, guess who benefits from that? Men, your wife benefits if you're a Christian believer, your husband benefits if you're a Christian believer, your children benefit, your employer benefits, your body politic benefits, even your cat benefits, as Lloyd-Jones said. You don't come home drunk at night and kick the cat across the living room. You're now a redeemed, blood-bought child of God.

You've read the Proverbs, and you see that a righteous man has regard for his beast. That prohibits kicking the cat across the living room. So when it comes to men-pleasing, paradoxically, it doesn't deliver the goods. Sincerity of heart means not with eye service as men pleasers, but then notice what he goes on to say in terms of that Christ-centered reference.

He says, but as bondservants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with goodwill doing service as to the Lord and not to men. The slave of an earthly master is a slave to the Lord Jesus Christ. That's very clear in this passage. The slave that obeys, not actually, the slave that is a slave to the Lord Jesus Christ may be a slave to the earthly master.

The slave that obeys the master is doing the will of God from the heart. Now, brethren, I'm not sure what all slaves did in this particular context, but let's just say, for instance, they made widgets for the slave. That's just a little object that is manufactured, and then you take it to market and sell it. Probably the slave making widgets didn't think, I'm doing service as unto the Lord.

I'm doing service unto God himself. You see, that's the glory of the Christian gospel. It dignifies those things that we set our hands to. As long as it's not criminal, as long as it's not prohibited, there's dignity in every form of work.

Remember years ago, we used to go to Union Gospel Mission in Vancouver to preach on Tuesday nights, and there would be a whole lot of people that would come in there, and they were, you know, looking for a free meal. They'd have to sit through a sermon or two. but they'd get their free meal, and then we'd typically hit them with gospel tracts, or give out Bibles, or that sort of thing. Once in a while, you'd meet a fellow who said, I just want to work, not just for money, but for the dignity that's involved with working. That's right.

We've lost something of that in this present generation. It's hard to find employees. It's hard to hire people. It's hard to get them to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time.

There is that sort of approach to work or labor now that it's bad or it's something beneath us or it's below us. No, it's what God made us to do. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. So the slave manufacturing for his master was engaged in doing the will of God from the heart.

The slave that obeys the master is doing so with goodwill. He wishes his master prosperity. He wants him to profit. He wants him to benefit from his slavery or his servants.

And the slave that obeys the master is doing so in a Christian context. Again, look at the context. Verse 5, as to Christ. Verse 6a, as bondservants of Christ.

Verse 6b, doing the will of God from the heart. And then verse 7, as to the Lord. What's Paul's point? Paul's point is that the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, has washed you from all sin.

The glories of Ephesians 1, 3-14, where God predestined you unto adoption as sons. The glory of Ephesians 2, 1-10, by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. All that's true with reference to the slave. But it doesn't free him, it doesn't emancipate him from his earthly bondage.

And so in that earthly bondage, he has to conduct himself in a particularly Christian way. He is to evidence and manifest the grace of God in his own life by putting in a good day of work, doing goodwill for his master, and seeking the man's prosperity and not his destruction.

Obedience Must Be Eschatological

And then thirdly and finally under this head, the obedience is to be future oriented or eschatological. Eschatology simply means a study of or doctrine of end things, end times or last things. Notice that in verse eight. Why does the slave do this?

Because he's got an eye on the future, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. The believing slave, slave lives in light of the Day of Judgment. Now, he doesn't do this service in order to be pronounced innocent on the Day of Judgment. The slave doesn't think, well, by making widgets, by promoting my master's good, by earning him profit, by making sure that he doesn't falter, then I'm going to earn my way into heaven.

No, the rest of the epistle mitigates against that idea. We're not saved by our works. We're not saved by our efforts. We're not saved by our doing.

We're saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The consequence of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ means that we live in a particular manner. We walk in a manner that is consistent with our high calling. We do what Paul says in Ephesians 4.1.

We do what Paul says in Ephesians 5.21, and we see that spelled out in our interpersonal relationships in 522 to 619. The blood-bought child of God must live consistently with that gospel. And that's precisely what he's thinking here. He knows that whatever good he does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

The believer functions in sanctification the way that he does because of the doctrine of justification. He has been saved by grace. The works simply manifest or demonstrate, rather, the reality of saving faith in his heart. That's the way Matthew 25, 31 to 46 reads.

When the Lord Jesus talks about that separation between the sheep and the goats, The sheep are already sheep, brethren. They don't get sheep status at the Day of Judgment. They are sheep, and their sheep status is vindicated or demonstrated by what they had done in this present evil age. And so this particular slave is called to reflect upon the reality that he'll stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and give an account of deeds done in the body, whether good or ill.

And he's also certain of a comprehensive judgment. Notice, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. Again, the apostle dignifies slavery. The apostle says that you have equal status in terms of free man, and you will stand before the Lord God Most High on the Day of Judgment.

This isn't a living tool. This isn't some inner object. This isn't some, you know, animal that can happen to walk without dragging his knuckles. This is a human being.

He is created in the image of God. He is renewed because of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, he has dignity. He has status with God.

And so this is a great encouragement. The Lord doesn't say, well, you know, the master's over here, but you slaves, you're second tier. No, they're all going to stand before that judgment seat of our blessed God. So slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh.

Exhortation to Masters

Notice secondly, the exhortation of masters in verse nine. The statement is simple. You masters do the same things to them. That does not mean that the master is to be obedient to the slave.

That's not, can't be what it means. You don't be a master with slaves and say, I'm going to serve you slave. That's just counter, not just cultural, that's just not the way it's supposed to be read. The master is under the sovereign authority of Christ, and as such he must conduct himself in a manner that is worthy of the gospel.

He's got the same connection to Ephesians 4.1, and to Philippians 1.27, as does the slave. The master is to do the same things, not obedience, but sincerity of heart, kindness and affection and love, a desire for the welfare of the slave, a desire for the prosperity of the slave, a desire such that the slave has a good slave life. That's indicative of a Christian master. Remember last week I read Westminster Larger Catechism with reference to superiors and inferiors.

What is required of superiors toward their inferiors? In the context, husbands are superiors. Again, not a comment on essential nature, not a comment that men are somehow more image-bearer than women. No, men and women are the same essentially, but in terms of function, in terms of role distinction, husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church, wives submit to your own husbands as unto the Lord.

Children are not inferior at the level of essence. They're not, you know, 70% people. That's just not the case. They're 100% people, but they're inferior with reference to the superior, namely their parents.

And in this context, obviously the superior is the master. What is required of superiors toward their inferiors? Answer. It is required of superiors, according to that power they receive from God, and that relation wherein they stand, to love, pray for, and bless their inferiors, to instruct, counsel, and admonish them, countenancing, commending, and rewarding such as do well, and discountenancing, reproving, and chastising such as do ill, protecting and providing for them all things necessary for soul and body, and by grave, wise, holy, and exemplary carriage, to procure glory to God, honor to themselves, and so to preserve that authority which God has put upon them.

So there is responsibility and the apostle addresses that. He doesn't say slaves knuckle under. Masters, you get to do whatever it is you want. No, a redeemed master has obligation relative to the way that he functions as a master.

He cannot be a despot. He cannot be a tyrant. He cannot give the whip. He cannot do those things that are not righteous and given by God.

So the same things does not mean obedience on the part of the master toward the slave. The same things refers to the heart disposition of believing masters toward their slaves. And again, saved and unsaved. The slaves is saved, a slave being a happier situation for the master.

But if the slave is unsaved, he still has to treat him with love, respect, and dignity. He can't say, well, you're the unsaved slave. So you go eat gruel. and I'm going to give, you know, hamburger helper to the to the same slave. That's not what he does.

He has that dignity with reference to both of them. Gill says, this does not refer to service and obedience, but to singleness of heart, benevolence, humanity, and a regard to Christ and the will of God and to the doing of good things and to the performance of their duty as they would have their servants to do theirs. And then he gets specific with the manner of compliance here. Notice in verse 9, the second part of verse 9, so you masters do the same things to them, giving up threatening.

Well, why do you think Paul says that? I've never been a master to slaves, but I'm guessing that the threat would probably be utilized in many instances to get the slave to perform. There's a bit of an analogy in terms of parenting as well. Parents, have you ever threatened your children with, you know, certain chastisement or discipline in order to get them to comply?

Don't look at me puzzled. You know you have. The Apostle Paul deals with real life, real world situations, giving up threatening. If prior to your conversion to Jesus Christ, you exercise that kind of despotism over your slave, where you crack the whip, where you threatened him with deprivation, where you threatened him to go out and sleep in a shack.

If you have that propensity, give it up. That is not consistent Christian behavior. You're not supposed to rule by force. You're supposed to rule with love.

You're supposed to engage in a manner that is consistent with the calling of God upon your life. And then the encouragement goes in the same direction that the slaves had in verse 8. Notice, knowing, so the slave knows something according to verse 8, but the master knows something according to verse 9. Knowing that your own master also is in heaven and there is no partiality with him.

So that indicates the accountability of the master. He's not a law unto himself. He doesn't have absolute authority over this person. He is not a tyrant.

He is not a king. He's not a lord. Rather, he is one under the master, the Lord Jesus Christ, and as a result of that sovereign rule, he must comply with his sovereign's directions. As well, this eschatology again, or future orientation.

Notice the text, knowing that your own master also is in heaven and there is no partiality with him. When we see that clause, there is no partiality with him, we think Deuteronomy 10, 2 Chronicles 19, Acts 10, Romans 2, Galatians 2, Colossians 3, 1 Peter 1, where it's rehearsed over and over again that there's no partiality with God. What does that statement refer to? Well, it refers to a context of judgment.

God does not judge based on ethnicity. Does it judge based on economic status? Oh, you're poor. Off you go into the pit of fire.

No, there's no partiality with him. He's no respecter of persons. It kind of points toward that eschatological future. So the master understands his role under the master.

The master understands that eventually he's going to stand before the one in whom there is no partiality. So there is accountability, there is eschatology, but as well there's imitation. If there's no partiality with God in the way that he treats his people, there ought not to be partiality with a master in the way that he treats his slaves. So the apostle not only exhorts slaves and masters, but he specifies the means of compliance for both groups.

Application to Modern Employment

Now, in conclusion, just a couple of thoughts. First, the place of slavery in the first century. The apostle addressed slaves. Again, that underscores their dignity.

He treated them as Christians, not as property or as a living tool. Secondly, he exhorted masters. By commanding them, specifically how they were to engage in their duties, he showed their accountability. He showed that they had gospel orientation that necessitated a particular life and manner in which they conducted themselves.

Thirdly, the apostle regulated the relationship between slaves and masters according to God's will. Again, brethren, Paul's not endorsing it. Oh, slavery is the best possible conception of things there is. He's not challenging it at the level of the Roman Empire.

Did he go to Nero's house? Did he go to Caesar's? Did he hold up a sign outside? No more slavery.

It doesn't say that. I mean, maybe he did. I kind of don't think he did because he was busy traversing thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of miles preaching Christ and Him crucified. You don't get this sense that he picketed outside of Nero's residence.

But with reference to the institution of slavery, I would suggest, fourthly, the apostle recognizes the benefit of freedom. In 1 Corinthians 7.21, were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it, but if you can be made free, rather use it. One of the interesting things we've seen in our studies in the book of Leviticus is in Leviticus 25, God is pro-liberty.

Now, slavery exists. Slavery is a reality, but all things being equal, prior to the fall of Adam and Eve, there would be no slavery, right? Prior to the fall of Adam and Eve, there was no divorce. Prior to the fall of Adam and Eve, there was no abortion.

There was no infanticide. There was no, you know, maid. None of that obtained. But in a post-fallen world, there's all kinds of stuff that happens now.

And in God's law, he addresses those things in order to protect the innocent parties. So you get legislation concerning polygamy, for instance. You get legislation concerning divorce. You get legislation concerning slavery.

Again, that's not an endorsement, but that's because of the hardness of your heart. God has spoken additional things in order to regulate the conduct of parties involved in that stuff. But as far as Paul is concerned, liberty is the way to go. As far as God is concerned, Leviticus 25.

I'd love to give a quiz to anybody who was there a couple of weeks ago. What was Leviticus 25? The year of jubilee. What was that?

It was that time when there was an emancipation of slaves, when there was a cancellation of debts. So we've learned in the book of Leviticus, God is pro-liberty. God's pro-prosperity, not weird Benny Hinn prosperity, but hard work prosperity. That's what we see in the blessings and curses in Leviticus chapter 26.

Go into the land, do what you're supposed to do, And guess what? You'll have stuff. You'll have food. You'll have shelter.

You'll have good benefits from the land. This idea that God wants everybody miserable, that's not biblical. That's communism. God is okay, perfectly content with pro-liberty and pro-prosperity.

And the apostle Paul is the same way. But if in 1 Corinthians 7, if you can't achieve your free status, you still have obligations as a slave to function in a distinctly Christian capacity. Now, secondly, I want to just end with the modern parallel in the 21st century. But it's not an exact parallel.

I'm speaking about the employer-employee relationship. It's not an exact equivalent. No matter how bad your job is, no matter how miserable you are, you can quit. the slave couldn't quit, right? So it's not an exact parallel.

The closest parallel today to this particular situation would be military. You, I mean, they're making the military so weird nowadays. Probably you can, but it used to be you couldn't quit. You know, chief, I'm done.

Captain, yeah, it's just not for me. I don't like the uniforms. I don't like you guys yelling at me. I don't like getting up early.

The chow hall food's not good. I'm just done. You don't do that. You obey.

You carry out what they call you to do, and you do it. So the closest parallel would be military service in our own context. So it's not exact. The employer-employee relationship.

You can always quit. You can always find another job. You can go elsewhere. You can move.

You can move to another country. You can open businesses. There's limitless opportunity for you. So you're not a slave.

I'm not a slave. We're not masters. You're not masters. So, this is not an exact parallel, but there's obviously some overlap.

There's obviously a few things that I'd like to comment on and I think we'll summarize the entirety of the section.

Four Principles for Workers

First, with reference to the employee-employer relationship, I've got four C's, and I'm not going to keep us long, but I think I want to get them out there at least. First, the condemnation of laziness, the commendation of diligence, the consideration of Christ in all things, and then the cultivation of self-control. Now, that sounds like a whole other sermon to me, but instead of carrying it over to next Sunday night, I'm going to try to pack it into about five or seven minutes. You're probably going, right, sure.

Condemnation of Laziness

The condemnation of laziness. We won't go through all the texts, I'll just give you the heads. First, the exhortation to the sluggard in Proverbs chapter six, verses nine to 11. As well, the example of the man who is afraid of lions in Proverbs chapter 26, 13 to 16.

He's not really afraid of lions. I mean, he might be if he met one at his front door. He's afraid of hard work. Dad says, but there's a lion in the street.

I can't get up and go to work. There's lions out there. Brethren, there were no more lions out there in civilized Israelite society than there are on the streets of Chilliwack. It's just not the case.

In fact, that was a blessing of God. When they went into the land, the beasts were already gone because of the presence of the Canaanites. He said, you're not going to drive out the Canaanites to the point where it's going to be so fast the beasts come back in. It's going to be a gradual thing so that the beasts don't come back in.

So the guy whining about the lion in the street, His problem isn't lions. His problem is work. He's an excuse-making lover of sleep, too lazy for simple tasks. Remember, he buries his hand in the bowl, but he can't bring it back to his own mouth, and he's full of pride.

As well, with reference to the lazy man, he frustrates others. Proverbs 10, 26. He frustrates others. The way that smoke is in your eyes or vinegar on your teeth, those are irritating things, aren't they?

So is a lazy man in your employ. So is a lazy man that is supposed to be helping you in your job. He as well lacks understanding, Proverbs 12, 11. He has unmet desires, Proverbs 13, 4.

He's always got something else that he's aspiring for, but he doesn't make it. He is a destroyer, Proverbs 18, 9, and he will most certainly suffer hunger. Proverbs 19, 15, 19, 24, 24, 24, 20, 13, 21, five, and 25, 21, 25, and 26. So this condemnation of laziness is replete in scripture.

What does Paul say in 2 Thessalonians 3? If a man doesn't work, what do you do? Just give him an abundance of food. Just, you know, fill his gut.

Give him, you know, steaks and lobsters and shrimps and whatever it is that he wants. No! If a man doesn't work, neither shall he eat. And in Thessalonica, that was a reality.

Why? Because they had this idea that Christ was going to return at any time. So instead of going out to work, they'd sit around and wait for Jesus' return. How does Paul meet that?

Go out to work. If you don't go out to work, you're not supposed to eat. It's just kind of the law of nature. You don't labor, you don't pick, you don't grow, you don't make money to buy.

You're not gonna eat. That's the simple facts of things. And the church shouldn't countenance that kind of behavior. So the condemnation of the lazy man is not once in the Bible.

Commendation of Diligence

Secondly, the commendation of the diligent. You have the example of the ant. Go to the ant! You sluggard!

Get out of your bed! The little ant is out there gathering up her food because in the wintertime she will starve if she doesn't have a garner. As well, you've got the expectation of the diligent. There's this emphasis on hard work.

There's this, do you see a man who excels in his work? He shall stand before kings. Brethren, that ought to be the aspiration in the hearts of God's people, to work in such a way that they get promoted. I'm not saying be greedy.

I'm not saying be, you know, miserly. I'm not saying, you know, do this to neglect of your wife, your kids, just be driven only and solely for money. Now, I'm not saying that, but I am suggesting that hard work pays off. That's just, again, a light of nature principle that we see enshrouded in Holy Scripture.

And then, of course, the exhortation of the diligent in Proverbs 27. Get your act together. It's your house in order. Make sure you've got sheep.

Make sure you've got land. Make sure you're able to feed that wife of yours and those kids. They're addicted to food. It's a crazy thing.

They need nutrients. They need protein. Go out and grow them some protein. Make sure you fill that.

The diligent will be blessed. Not always. Sometimes things happen.

Consideration of Christ in All Things

Thirdly, the consideration of Christ in all things. Just a quick turn to the parallel in Colossians 3. Colossians 3, similar household code, beginning in verse 18, continuing to chapter 4, verse 1. But prior to that, notice 3.1, if then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ is sitting, or where Christ is rather, sitting at the right hand of God, set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth.

For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. So notice again, verse two, set your mind on things above, not on things in the earth. That does not mean that you check out from society.

You build a hut on top of Mount Shem, and all you do is contemplate Christ. That's not what he's saying, brethren. He's saying, keep an eye on Christ while you're engaged in your earthly chores. Keep an eye on the Savior as you're engaged in slavery or masterhood.

Keep an eye on the Savior while you're an employer or an employee. We know that because notice in verse 5, "...therefore put to death your members which are on the earth, fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." Dropping all the way down to that household code in verse 18 all the way to 4.1. Focusing on Jesus is the best way to do well in this present evil age.

Cultivation of Self-Control

And then finally, the cultivation of self-control. I think this is undergirding all of these relationships between the husband and the wife, between the parent and the child, and between the slave and the master. Self-control. I listened to a podcaster, and he's a political guy, and he sometimes makes the observation He professes faith in Christ, I have no reason to doubt that, but this observation, I'm not sure if he ever has specified it's from the Bible or it's my biblical worldview, but when he sort of surveys the political landscape in the U.S., he says, we have a people problem.

Oh, if we just get a new president, we just get a new vice president, we get a new prime minister, okay, we've still got a people problem. We have put up with abortion, we have put up with MAID, we have put up with drug abuse on our streets, we have put up with an open border, we have a people problem. And that speaks specifically to another emphasis that you find throughout Solomon, self-control. Federal government, provincial government, familial government, and ecclesiastical government is only as good as self-government.

In other words, if the people are a mess as individuals, guess what else is gonna be a mess? Church, family, society. See, we need to get back to this idea where we're not dependent upon the nanny state, but we're dependent on our own hard work. We're dependent on our own efforts.

We're dependent upon our own sort of pushing through the muck and mire of this present evil age and seeking to do the best that we possibly can. So this time we will survey a few of these Proverbs. Go back to the book of Proverbs. Remember, this isn't just a collection of wise sayings from Solomon.

It's Christ speaking through the Spirit in this particular book. We have an emphasis several times over, and I'll go quick, Proverbs 4, 23. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Keep your heart, not keep your brother's heart, not keep your neighbor's heart, not keep your government's heart, but keep your heart.

It's full-time job, 24-7. You keep your own heart, you got enough to do. That doesn't mean we don't help our brother, doesn't mean we don't help our neighbor, doesn't mean we're not there for our wives or our husbands or our children, our parents. That doesn't mean that.

But your primary orientation is keep your heart. Imagine if everybody just kept their heart. Be a good place to live, wouldn't it? That's the problem.

We don't keep our hearts. But then notice how practically he gets in verses 24 to 27. Keep your heart, and what happens when you keep your heart? It helps you to keep your members.

It helps you to guard the eyes. It helps you to guard the hands. It helps you to guard the feet. In other words, self-control.

Proverbs 14 and verse 17. Proverbs 14 and verse 17. A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated. Guess what?

You're not supposed to do that. I'm not supposed to do that. Do we ever do that? Yeah, we do, but it's not commended in the Bible.

A quick-tempered man, 1518. A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger, look at what he does. He allays contention. How about Proverbs 16 and verse 32?

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. See, basically saying any fool, any army could take a city, but it's the wise man who can control himself. It's the wise man who can govern his own heart. It's the wise man who can keep it with all diligence.

Notice in 1916, 1916, he who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die. Proverbs 20, verse one, wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. I mentioned that in Ephesians 5. Paul's not forbidding, prohibiting, or condemning the use of alcohol.

He is forbidding, condemning, and prohibiting the sinful use of alcohol and immoderate use of alcohol. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, but look it, whoever is led astray by it is not wise. So if a man's not led astray by it and has a glass of wine with his dinner, He's not the target audience here in Proverbs 20, verse 1. It's self-government.

Proverbs 21, 17. He who loves pleasure will be a poor man. He who loves wine and oil will not be rich. Again, this is not, wow, I can't believe how revolutionary This wisdom is.

Proverbs 23, 1 and 2. When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you. Put a knife to your throat if you're a man given to appetite. Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food.

Self-control. Look at verses 4 and 5. And I mentioned this earlier. It's not wrong. to labor hard, to be promoted.

But if that is the overarching concern of your life, instead of seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then there's a problem. Do not overwork to be rich. You may be called upon by your boss to overwork. That's a different story.

You've got a job as an employee, and typically this is true of younger men. The older you get, the wiser you get. No, the younger you are, that's when you've got to put in a lot of effort. You've got to put in a lot of labor.

You've got to make your way. But here it's do not overwork to be what? To be rich. Honey, I'm not going to see you for five weeks because I'm going out to make money.

Now, again, there might be that temporary necessity that there's always qualifications, no hard and fast rule here, but look at the prohibition. Do not overwork to be rich, because of your own understanding, cease. Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings.

They fly away like an eagle toward heaven. Look at 2410. 2410, if you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. And we should be mindful of the fact that doesn't mean there's grace, you have no grace in your heart. There are those seasons, there are those times where we may just have the ministers or the regular persons fainting fits.

Notice 2516. 2516, have you found honey? Eat as much as you can. Shut it down your gullet faster than anything. I mean, just take it in.

Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, lest you be filled with it and vomit. Notice as well, 2527. 2527, a lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, and a flattering mouth works ruin. Exercise self-control.

I'm sorry, 2528. That's the one. I missed that. But 2628 certainly is germane.

But notice 28 in chapter 25. Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down without walls. You know what a city? broken down without walls in this context was, was easy pickings for anybody. I mean, if you didn't have walls, if you didn't defend yourself, you didn't have armament, you didn't have, you know, gun nests for enemy invaders, you didn't long have food, you didn't long have water, you didn't long have freedom, you didn't long have your families.

And then 2911. 2911, the rich man is wise in his own eyes. I'm sorry, 2911, the fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back. And then 2922, an angry man stirs up strife and a furious man abounds in transgression. And then one final passage, and then we close.

Galatians chapter five. Galatians chapter five. The argument here is simple. Self-government, self-control, rule over one's own sort of kingdom, castle, is absolutely crucial for the various relationships that Paul mentions here.

The master can't just threaten his slaves and whip them. He has to exercise self-control. The slave can't wish his master dead and not do his job. He's got to have self-control.

The wife can't throw things, coffee cups, at her husband's head because he came home late or he didn't do such and such. No, she has to exercise self-control. The husband doesn't tyrannize his wife or be a despot to her. No, he exercises self-control.

You see how I think Jesse Kelly's right. We have a people problem. We got big problems. We expect everybody else to do everything else, but God's Word doesn't say that.

You're always the ward of the state. They will take care of you from the cradle to the grave. You'll never have an issue. You'll never have a problem.

The benevolent state is there to care for you. If you believe that, may The Lord God most high, open your eyes to the truth that what we find here is an emphasis on self-government and self-control. Notice in Galatians 5, a very familiar passage of scripture, but a thing I think we overlook. But the fruit of the spirit, verse 22, is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness.

Look at that next phrase, self-control. Huh? A fruit of the Holy Spirit is self-control? Shouldn't it be spirit control?

A fruit of the Holy Spirit is self-control, self-government, self-discipline. You want to relate effectively as husbands and wives? You want to relate effectively as children and parents? You want to relate effectively as servants and and masters exercise self-control.

And the way to get that is ultimately at the cross by God's grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. There's no fruit of the Spirit without the Spirit present in your life. And the way that you have the Spirit present in your life is by God's free grace. justification by faith alone in Christ alone. You receive the Holy Spirit.

You're able to comply. You're able to engage in this self-control and have relationships that are marked here in Ephesians chapter six. Well, let us pray. Our Father in Heaven, we thank You for Your Word.

We thank You for the clarity of the Apostles' instructions in each of these social spheres, each of these relationships. Give us grace and the presence and the power of the Spirit that we may comply, that we may be faithful as individuals, as families, as a church, And may you indeed save more people and affect this nation in a positive way for your glory. For Solomon says, righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. And certainly we see evidence of this each and every day.

So God, we pray to you in your wrath, you would remember mercy, bless the preaching of the gospel throughout this land, and may many come to a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we pray in his most blessed name. Amen. close with a brief time of meditation.

Scripture References

• Leviticus 25; 26
• Deuteronomy 10
• 2 Chronicles 19
• Proverbs 4:23-27; 6:9-11; 10:26; 12:11; 13:4; 14:17; 15:18; 16:32; 18:9; 19:15-16; 19:24; 20:1; 20:13; 21:5; 21:17; 23:1-2; 23:4-5; 24:10; 24:20; 25:16; 25:21-28; 26:13-16; 26:28; 29:11; 29:22
• Ecclesiastes 9:10
• Matthew 25:31-46
• Acts 10
• Romans 2
• 1 Corinthians 7; 7:21
• Galatians 2; 5:22-23
• Ephesians 1:3-14; 2:1-10; 4:1; 5:15-21; 5:22; 6:1-9
• Philippians 1:27
• Colossians 3:1-2; 3:5; 3:18-4:1
• 2 Thessalonians 3
• 1 Timothy 6:1
• Titus 2
• 1 Peter 1; 2:18-25; 3:1