Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct
Colossians 3:18–25 (NASB 2020)
"Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives and do not become bitter against them.
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.
Fathers, do not antagonize your children, so that they will not become discouraged.
Slaves, obey those who are your human masters in everything, not with eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
For the one who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality."
It's important to remember what Paul is doing in this letter. In Colossians 2:2 he says that he desires "that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and that they would attain to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself." (NASB 2020) He goes on to point out that they [we] are free from religious duties and obligations like what to eat or not to eat, the observance of special rituals or days, and so on.
So, what he is doing here is helping us see the sort of conduct that best fits us as children of God. He's telling us what kind of behavior will result in the best outcomes for us.
Clearly, whether we are saved or not, certain kinds of behavior are healthier and more beneficial than others. There are temporal consequences for poor behavioral choices, and there are temporal benefits for good choices. More than that, as we live in the way God designed us to live, we enjoy a more abundant and fulfilling life, a life characterized more by peace than strife, joy than heartache.
Some will point out that "wives submit to your husbands" has been misused in ways that are hurtful and abusive. Whole cults have been built around such nonsense. Paul says this in Ephesians too, but there he also tells us to submit to one another. In both cases he tells husbands to love their wives. The word he uses is agape' and this kind of love can come only from God. God is agape' according to 1 John.
These instructions illustrate on a far more practical level what Jesus meant when He said in John 13:14, "So if I, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet." (NASB 2020) This is a sacrificial act. It is servile. It is selfless. That is the message behind all these examples of godly conduct. We are to agape' one another, and in this way the law is fulfilled in us. (see Galatians 5:14 and Romans 13:10)
Such conduct benefits us, but even better, it benefits others. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that Father prepared in advance that good works should characterize our lives. Of course He did! He knew that He would give us Himself as our Life, righteousness, and empowerment. In truth, Paul is doing nothing more in this passage in Colossians than showing us the traits that we've inherited from our heavenly Father.
Notice though, that he lumps women, men, children, and slaves all in together telling them all that it's really Christ they are serving when they behave in these ways. Likewise, he encourages them to remember that it is from Christ that their inheritance comes. He's speaking to everyone here because he knows that while living in this world, many of us will be taken advantage of, abused, even persecuted, for behaving in these ways.
That's why in verse 25 he says that the one who has done wrong will receive the consequences of their bad behavior. He's reassuring us that people who take advantage of our meekness, gentleness, and kindness, will face the consequences of their actions. Our Father is jealous for us and He will not let evil go unpunished.
Knowing this, we can courageously live as the servants of others showing gentle kindness and self-giving love, even in the face of mistreatment, because we know that our future is secure. We can live upright and godly lives in this world (see Titus 2:11-12) because we know that our worth is unassailable (we were worth the Life of Jesus), and that we are loved and accepted fully by God.
