The Blessings of
Christian Relationships
Book of Ephesians
6:1-9
The world may offer
many different solutions to have the right relationships but only
Jehovah God has the right answers!
Remember that Paul
is writing to the Church!
It is hard to have
good relationships outside the family until we have the right
relationships within the family.
One of the greatest
problems we have in America today is with those that are called the
millennials.
Those supposedly of
higher learning have placed this label upon "our young adult
generation".
Who are the
Millennials? (The world describes them as) The millennial generation
is the generation of children born between 1982 and 2002, some 81
million children who have taken over K-12, have already entered
college and the workforce.
Notice in this
definition that they are still considered to be "children"
rather than "young adults".
This is the
beginning of the problem with dealing with this age group!
It reminds me of
"DACA" where these people are still called children when
the average age of them is 40 years who never made an attempt to
become a U.S. citizen. Just like those Millennials they think the
world owes them everything.
The millennials are
those who have reached adulthood at the beginning of the 21st Century
who have not yet grown up or at least the majority of them have not.
This problem came
about because the Word of God is no longer in the government. It is
rejected!
This problem came
about because the Word of God is no longer in the schools. It is
forbidden!
This problem came
about because the Word of God is longer in the homes. This is the
place where the problems with our younger generation could have been
corrected!
The greatest problem
is, we have allowed the government to dictate the needs of our
children and not the parents.
Our generation can
be described as the age of problem children and those evil adults who
prey on their young minds!
Our generation can
be best described as the age of improper parenthood!
We know we live in a
less than perfect world and many things may have to just play out,
but as Christian parents and grandparents we must do our very best to
obey the Word of God in this world and especially in our homes.
Obedience in the
home is the place where we can do the most good!
Ephesians chapter 6
verse 1 says
*****Eph 6:1
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
All children
everywhere are to obey the just commands of their parents!
But we see the root
of the problem right here in this Scripture, most parents are "not
in the Lord".
That word "obey"
means to "submit to".
If we have not
submitted to the Lord, how can we expect our children to submit to
us!
These Scriptures are
written to the Christian family, so as parents, the greatest example
we can be to our children and our grandchildren, is submit to the
Lord and follow in the ways of the Lord.
If we as parents or
even grandparents are not obedient to the Lord, then why should we
demand that respect from our children?
We must correct our
children, but this does not mean physical abuse!
Small children may
require a spanking but there are many forms of discipline for the
older children, but none include physical abuse!
Pro_22:15
Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of
correction shall drive it far from him.
Pro_23:13 Withhold
not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod,
he shall not die.
Pro_29:15 The rod
and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his
mother to shame.
That word "rod"
in these Scriptures means "a method of correction" because
what works for one child may not work for another child.
If our "words"
do not work, then some other method will be required.
We must understand
that most all children will hold onto their wrong doing with great
tenacity! They are born with the same sin nature that we have.
The key to
discipline is to be sure that the child is aware of why he or she is
punished!
The parent must be
aware that the real reason for any punishment, is to prevent the
destruction of that child by this evil world we live in.
One of the greatest
problems with our children is that they are left alone much too often
while both parents or even a single parent tries to provide for them.
We must also
remember our children are never to obey the parents in anything that
goes against the Word of God.
This is another
Scripture that says, God will hold the parent accountable for that
child if we go against the Word of God!
The child has every
right to get away from the ungodly home!
Remember the Lord
Jesus Christ came to this world to free us from ungodly abuse and the
Lord is very serious about these things!
Mar 9:42 And
whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me,
it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and
he were cast into the sea.
God will not
tolerate the abuse of any child!
If those parents are
godly parents, then that child is to obey them!
Col 3:20 Children,
obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the
Lord.
As godly children,
they also need to be familiar with the Word of God and be taught the
Ten Commandments, so they will begin to have an understanding of what
God considers to be sin.
Those commandments
were given to this world, to see how we measure up to the sinless Son
of God, who had no sin in His life!
*****Eph 6:2 Honour
thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
Eph 6:3 That it may
be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
To honor our parents
is to realize the great value of having Christian parents!
We also see in this
passage that God makes very real promises to those children who honor
their Christian parents.
We must know that
when the Lord makes a promise it is a binding declaration!
When we toss out the
promises of God, then how can we say we have "faith"!
To honor our parents
is just the beginning of realizing of a long life that could lead to
an eternal life if they also give their hearts to the Lord!
Exo 20:12 Honour
thy father and thy mother: "that thy days may be long upon the
land which the LORD thy God giveth thee".
There is a second
promise here.
God says, things
will go well for the children who honor their parents!
This means that the
Lord will help those children to live a victorious life again, if
they give their heart to Jesus!
It is the godly
family at home that will also realize the importance of the Church,
where all the family of God will gather together.
To honor means that
those parents or grandparents must be very precious to each of us!
To honor our Lord
Jesus Christ, is to know that He is very precious in this life and
holds the gift of eternal life, because He is life!
Jas_1:12 Blessed is
the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall
receive the crown of life, "which the Lord hath promised to them
that love him".
When we honor
someone, we will do the things that make them happy!
We should also
realize that when this passage talks of children, it does not refer
to any age group because even as we age, we are to honor our
Christian parents as long as they live!
A child who honors
their parents and grandparents will not do any wrong!
God also has many
other promises.
Deu 27:16 "Cursed
be he that setteth light by his father or his mother". And all
the people shall say, Amen.
The parents also
have obligations!
*****Eph 6:4 And,
ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but "bring them
up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord".
As parents we have
this great responsibility!
Children are a
blessing given to us from God Himself!
Gen 33:5 And he
lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who
are those with thee? And he said, "The children which God hath
graciously given thy servant".
As Christian
parents, we are to love our children and remember, love is an action
word and not just words that come out of our mouths.
Tit 2:4 That they
may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, "to
love their children",
As Christian
parents, we are to lead our children to the Lord no matter their age!
Mat 19:14 But Jesus
said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me:
for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
We are to do for our
children, just as the Lord does for each of His children!
Isa 38:19 The
living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: "the
father to the children shall make known thy truth".
We must realize that
family life has its origin in Heaven!
Each family is to be
little world reflection of the family of God!
Each family is to be
a little world reflection of God's church!
God will punish His
own children who show open defiance of His Word and as parents we
must punish our own child who show open defiance to our words, but
our words must be according to the Word of God!
We must not over
control any child. Remember God gives each of us the freedom of
choice, but He also cautions us to know that choices also bring
consequences that we will have to endure. This is a great lesson for
the child to learn early in his or her days! Choices bring
consequences!
There should be a
balance between home life and life outside the doors of that home.
We are to train up
that child in a godly manner and pray that they will use that
training in every decision that they make when they are out in the
world!
If we are over
protective of our children, they will become discouraged and through
this discouragement make bad choices.
The other side of
this this is, if we to over control our children they will take
advantage of us!
This is the biggest
problem in the family today. We pamper our children. We try to give
them anything they want. We give in to their desires without
questioning them.
It is also true that
the parent needs some free time but never at the expense of losing
that child to the world!
We must live our
lives according to the Word of God if we expect our children to live
by our words!
When we tell a child
not to do something and then we turn around and do those things in
their sight, we will certainly cause problems with that child and in
that home!
Jer 9:14 But have
walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim,
"which their fathers taught them":
We are to raise our
children according to our own thought and ways, we are to raise our
children according to the Word of God!
The Word of God is
to be the guide for the entire family and not just the children!
If we have the fruit
of the Holy Spirit, then our children will realize that this is the
way they should be.
And if our children
have given themselves to the Lord, then we need to disciple them as
well as being taught ourselves.
Life is full of
pitfalls and temptations which can destroy the family, and this must
be the thing that we try to avoid the most!
Lam 2:19 Arise, cry
out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine
heart like water before the face of the Lord: "lift up thy hands
toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger
in the top of every street".
As Christians we
must pray that our children will be hungry for the Word of God just
as we must also be.
Col 3:16 Let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and
admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Col 3:17 And
whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
God wrote these
words not just for the adult but also for the children.
All these things
should follow us in every facet of our lives!
*****Eph 6:5
Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the
flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto
Christ;
Eph 6:6 Not with
eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the
will of God from the heart;
Eph 6:7 With good
will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
We must clearly
understand that the problem with this world we live in is not an
economic problem, but it is a spiritual problem and it begins in each
home.
There were millions
of slaves in the Roman Empire in the days of the Apostle Paul. It is
said, that the number could be as high as 60 million slaves.
This leaves us no
doubt that many of these slaves became Christians and the Holy Spirit
caused Paul to address these things.
Most all the things
we learn here in these Scriptures we can carry over into the work
place of today!
The Lord did not
allow the Jews to have slaves and we can understand that this is
still the same for all Christians today, but it cannot be denied that
slavery was a large part of the world of that day and slavery is much
more widespread today than is covered by any news source, or reported
by any governments, including the United Nations!
The New Testament
has a lot to say about slavery!
As we go through
these things lets also consider that slaves of that day had no rights
at all, they were considered nothing more than a piece of
merchandise!
It is not proper to
change anything in the Bible but let’s just think of the word
"employee" in the place of the word "servants" as
we look at this passage.
As employees, we are
to follow the instructions of our employer.
"According to
the flesh" means that these employers are to be obeyed in the
workplace.
The phrase with
"fear and trembling" does not mean to work with the fear of
men but to work with the "fear of God" which really means
to understand what God is teaching in this passage.
As Christians, no
matter our positions in the workplace or any other place, we are
never to bring reproach upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in the
things that we do!
Psa 31:19 Oh how
great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear
thee; which thou hast wrought for them "that trust in thee
before the sons of men"!
No matter who we are
or what we do, when we undertake to serve individuals or even the
public for any sort wage or payment, we must do so according to the
will of God in our lives!
As Christians, if we
receive a payment for some service we are providing, then we are to
work with singleness of heart as if we are providing that service for
Jesus Christ.
We must be devoted
to our work and not just pretending to be a good workman!
1Co 6:20 For ye are
bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your
spirit, which are God's.
We do not quit being
owned of God no matter what we do! We are bought and paid for with
the blood of Jesus Christ!
We are never to do
anything to please men, all our work is to please God!
Whether our boss is
looking at us or not looking at us while we work, we should
accomplish our work as if the Lord is watching "because He is".
We are to work from
our heart that has been changed by the Lord, no matter what we do or
who we do it for!
Exo 23:25 And ye
shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy
water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
We must realize that
it is an honor and a privilege to serve the Lord even while we are
serving others!
We must realize that
the "Grace" of God makes us servants of God even while we
are servants of men!
Grace enables us to
do the business of Heaven, while we are attending to the business of
earth.
This may sound
funny, but we are to come out from the evils of this world, even
while we are still among them!
No matter where we
are, or what we are doing, as long as it is not immoral or unjust
labor, we are to work diligently as if we were working for the Lord!
1Co 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord, "forasmuch as ye know that
your labour is not in vain in the Lord".
The result of such a
diligent work habit will reflect on an equal reward from the Lord!
We will always
receive our rewards based upon effort no matter who we are, because
God is no respecter of persons.
2Co 5:10 For we
must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may
receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done,
whether it be good or bad.
We must also
remember, God is not going to hold these things over our head, God is
truly wanting to bless each and every one of us, but He does expect
us to do right after He has given us the gift of His "Grace"
which came by our "faith".
*****Eph 6:8
Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he
receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
It does not matter
if we are a slave or a CEO of some large company, we are to be
diligent in our workplace!
No matter how hard
our job, no matter how difficult our job, God rewards us for the
effort in doing that job right!
Jesus Christ gave of
Himself in everything He did, even giving His life for all of us!
We must also
remember craving recognition for our service, can become a disease.
Isa 3:11 Woe unto
the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands
shall be given him.
Even today, there
are many Christians who cannot do anything unless the world knows
about it. They will then have lost any reward they could have had!
Pro 11:18 The
wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness
shall be a sure reward.
We should remember
the slave, who would work in hope of a future day of freedom and
release from that bondage.
It should be the
same for the Christian, we should work for the future, that day of
perfection when we will meet the Lord in the air.
Nothing upon this
earth has the importance of that day!
It is the day the
Lord gathers His redeemed! After all, as Christians we know that this
is the next thing on God's agenda.
1Co 7:22 For he
that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman:
likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.
Mat 16:27 For the
Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and
then he shall reward every man according to his works.
The Lord has given
the workman many things that become the Christian service, even at
his workplace and to those who serve, and even to those who are the
slaves in this modern-day world, but the Lord also has instructions
for those who are masters.
*****Eph 6:9 And,
ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening:
knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect
of persons with him.
Notice the master is
to do all the same things as the worker, or the slave!
The master is to
treat the workman in the same way as they are to treat him!
These masters, or
foremen, or supervisors, and all such people, are to follow the same
principles of God as the worker!
We are all humans
created by the Jehovah God, through Jesus Christ!
We all have the same
Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, who sits on the throne in Heaven,
taking account of all things upon this earth.
To the Lord, the
master on earth and the slave (the worker) are one and the same, when
they belong to Him.
Col 4:1 Masters,
give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye
also have a Master in heaven.
The Lord will
reward, or He will punish according to the character we have shown
here on earth no matter who we are or what place in society we are a
part of!
As Christians we
must be loyal to all our responsibilities until the Lord takes us
home. This includes the family, including our Christian family, the
workplace, the community and especially the Church where God has
placed us.
Col 3:23 And
whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Col 3:24 Knowing
that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for
ye serve the Lord Christ.
Col 3:25 But he
that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and
there is no respect of persons.
There is to no one
and in no place, are we to be in a threatening manner. We are all
accountable to the Lord for every action we take!
Amen
Let's Pray!
