May 6, 2002
LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for May 19
A relationship with Christ should impact others
___Ephesians 6:1-9
___By Roy Cotton
___BGCT DFW/Metroplex Church Starting Center Consultant
___Ephesians provides practical instructions on living a life of faith. This week's lesson is a challenge for today's Christians to relate to others on the basis of our own personal relationship with Christ.
___The LifeWay commentator gives a four-part outline from the first nine verses of chapter 6: Obeying parents (vv. 1-3), training children (v. 4), working for others (vv. 5-8) and supervising others (v. 9).
___Obeying parents
___Times have changed since many of us were children. Some parents think children should be free to express themselves. It is not a pretty picture when a child takes all the freedom he or she desires, to the embarrassment and chagrin of the parents.
___Paul's admonition is that children must obey "your parents in the Lord" (v. 1). This verse is addressed directly to children, as new believers in the Ephesian church.
___It was not easy being a child in the first century. Some suffered various kinds of abuse. Since they had experienced faith in Jesus Christ, they were given practical instructions on bearing witness through obedience. Paul says they are to do it because "this is right."
___In verse 2, Paul reminds them of the fourth commandment, "honor" father and mother, because this is the first commandment with a promise. "Honor" means to "show respect." If receiving respect is based on showing respect, then some parents need to realize their children are observing them when they disrespect their own parents and older adults.
___The Old Testament's promise is "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life." Paul admonishes obedience on the part of children "for this is well-pleasing to the Lord" (Colossians 3:20).
___Training children
___In light of last week's lesson, the responsibility of parenting is itself a reason for building a strong marriage. Married couples and single parents are to take time to properly train their children "in the Lord." Parenting has its own challenges.
___Even the biblical landscape is littered with accounts of failings by parents who showed favoritism and those who withheld discipline to their children. Isaac and Rebekah showed favoritism between Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:28). Jacob loved Joseph more than all his sons (Genesis 37:3). Eli failed to discipline his sons for "treating the Lord's offerings with contempt" (1 Samuel 2:17). Saul verbally abused his son Jonathan and tried to kill him (1 Samuel 20:30-33). There is no record of David disciplining his son Amnon after raping Tamar (2 Samuel 13:21). Absalom murdered Amnon due to his father's failure to discipline (2 Samuel 13:32-36).
___Paul's admonition to fathers must be applied generically to parents. When parents improperly discipline, they sow seeds of bitterness. Discipline should correct misbehavior without exasperating the child. Otherwise, this type of discipline breeds resentment and disregard for parents' values.
___Proverbs has much advice on discipline. "Train up a child in the way he should go" (22:6). "Be careful to discipline" (13:24). "Discipline your children while there is hope; do not set your heart on their destruction" (19:18).
___Working for others
___Verses 5-8 give instructions on working relationships. Warren Wiersbe suggests, "The best way to be a witness on the job is to do a good day's work." It is a poor witness who speaks about the difference Christ makes while exemplifying a negative and complaining spirit. Some persons talk the talk but fail to walk the walk in their working relationships.
___It seems the norm rather than the exception to encounter people with poor attitudes in the public sector. How thoughtless it is for a worker who represents a company to display inappropriate conduct.
___Everyone has a bad day at one time or another. But for the Christian worker, it would be better to ask to be excused for the day, rather than conduct oneself in a manner unbecoming of a believer in the workplace.
___The New Living Translation renders verse 7 as: "Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." Wiersbe says: "We are to serve Christ, not men. We shall receive our rewards from Christ, not from men."
___Lucie Campbell penned the lyrics: "If when you give the best of your service, telling the world that the Savior is come. Be not dismayed when men don't believe you; he understands, he'll say, 'Well done.'"
___Supervising others
___Christian employers should be fair and just in the way they treat those who work for them. "Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven" (v. 9a).
___William Barclay comments: "Although he is master of men, he is still the servant of God. He too must remember that all he does is done in the sight of God." There is no favoritism with God (v. 9b). The ranks of culture and society do not matter in the sight of God.
___Christian employers and employees should remember Raymond Rasberry's lyrics: "Only what you do for Christ will last, only what you do for him will be counted in the end."
___Questions for discussion
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