Jun 6, 2021. Colossians 3:18-21

Posted byJohn Sanzone

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THE CHRISTIAN FAMILY.  Colossians 3:18-21.  06/06/2021.  #11.

Colossians 3:18-21 [New King James Version]

18 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. 20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

  1. The Christian home
    1. Ephesians 5:22-6:4 the Christian home is to model godliness
      1. I Timothy 3:4-5 the husband is to govern his household with wisdom and reverence
      1. I Peter 3:1-6 the wife is to support her husband and exemplify a tranquil godly spirit
      1. The marriage is to represent Christ and his bride
      1. Exodus 20:12 children are to render due respect and obedience to parents
    1. Dt. 6:4-9 the home is to be saturated with scripture, biblical teaching, admonition, encouragement, and worship
  2. The Christian wife
    1. As in Ephesians 5, Colossians starts with the wife
      1. Genesis 2:24 she is the main support to her husband and the centerpiece of activity in the home (Proverbs 31)
      1. How the wife manages her home and trains her children is the main factor in the health of the home
    1. The wife is to submit to her husband
      1. Submit (to line up behind) –she is to follow his lead and support his efforts to lead the family
      1. Ephesians 5:22-24 she is to follow “as unto the Lord”
        1. She is not to follow husband in doing evil (Abigail properly disobeyed Nabol; Peter, John properly disobeyed Jewish Leaders)
        1. I Corinthians 11:1 Paul was to be imitated only as he imitated Christ
    1. 1 Pt. 3 the wife is to show respect for her husband
    1. A submissive (not rebellious, quarrelsome, or berating) wife is befitting (measures up to) the Lord
      1. It is what the Lord expects
      1. Humble submission is expected even if the wife deems that the husband is unworthy of it
  3. The Christian husband
    1. The husband is to love (agape) his wife
      1. Self-sacrificing (gracious, forgiving; serving)
      1. The husband is to take care of his wife in spiritual, physical, and emotional areas, even if he does not feel appreciated or respected (I Timothy 5:8)
    1. Do not be bitter (pikrainesthe; English = to prick)
      1. Don’t be embittered toward your wife
      1. Wives want to be loved, respected, and cared for
      1. Husbands want to be appreciated and admired
      1. When a husband is disappointed by the response of his wife toward him, he tends to become sullen, disillusioned, and resentful of his wife
    1. Both men and women tend to go into a marriage with unrealistic expectations that are soon dashed
      1. Both seek more to be fulfilled than to fulfill
      1. Human flaws overwhelm idealistic fantasies
    1. Malachi 2:14-15 husbands need to abandon fantasies and embrace who God has made his wife to be
  4. Father and children
    1. Children are to obey parents = pleases God
    1. Fathers are not to provoke (stir up; disturb) their children
      1. Authority can be abused and misused
      1. Children are not little adults to be used whimsically to avoid what adults should be doing
      1. Proverbs 22:6 training of children is to be measured, reasonable, nurtured, encouraging, instructive, and corrective (not arbitrary, moody, inconsistent…)
    1. Rearing children is a laborious work of love and patience
    1. Abusive and neglectful parents lead to bitter adult children
    1. All positions in the home are stewardship responsibilities
  5. Ezekiel 18:20 each family member is accountable for own obligations

Key verse: Ephesians 5:22-6:4

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might [a]sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, [b]of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” 4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.