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Colossians Lesson 4

DEVOTE YOURSELVES TO PRAYER
(Wrestle with the Lord)

Colossians 3:18-4:18
Key Verse: 4:2,3

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.”

At the beginning of his letter, Apostle Paul shared the mystery of God with Colossian believers, saying that the fullness of God dwells in our Lord Jesus Christ. (1:20) Our Lord Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being. (Heb 1:3) We don’t require any additional knowledge about God apart from Jesus. Jesus Christ is sufficient. We have eternal life in us when by faith we are united with God, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one God sent. (Jn 17:3) This awesome revelation has been given to us through the work of the Holy Spirit. Each of us here is blessed by God because God chose each of us to reveal His great salvation for all mankind through His Son, Jesus Christ. (Mt 16:17) In chapter 2, Saint Paul said that those who accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior must continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, with overflowing thankfulness. (2:6,7) In last week’s passage, 3:1-17, Paul taught that our old selves, along with our sinful nature  must be put to death so that Christ may live in us. We have to be patient because our struggle in faith can often be discouraging because of our weaknesses and imperfections. But our faith in Christ will bring glory to us when Jesus comes again. It will be the most exciting day of our lives and in history because all those in Christ will be raised with transformed and glorious bodies and live forever and ever. What a fantastic hope we all have! When we have this hope in our hearts, we can overcome any hardship in this world. In today’s passage, 3:18-4:18, Paul gives his final instructions in regards to our relationships, our relationship with others and our relationship with God.

First, we must learn to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (3:18-4:1)

The Bible never says that men are superior to women. In fact, Apostle Paul taught us that all of us are equal in Christ Jesus by saying in 3:11, “Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” Yet, in 3:18-4:1 Paul also taught that there are vertical role relationships in the family and in society. Some people don’t really like this part of Paul’s teaching. But the underlying principle of all these relationships is submission, submission to Christ our Lord. Through our submission to the Lord, we can grow in spiritual maturity.

1.  The wife and husband relationship. (18-19) Read verse 18. “Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” All husbands seem to like this verse very much. And many wives pretend that they don’t hear this verse. Paul didn’t say that women must obey men. But he did say that wives must submit to their husbands. Why? It’s because it is fitting to the Lord. What does it mean “as is fitting in the Lord”? It means that wives must submit to their husbands not because husbands are superior or wives are inferior, but because husbands are established as the head of family by God’s authority. It is God’s will for wives to submit to their husbands. Therefore, if any woman wishes to get married, she must be ready to submit to her future husband. We wonder why Paul mentioned the wife’s role in the family first. Maybe it’s because the wife’s role in the family is more crucial than the husband’s role. Actually, the role of wives is somewhat greater than that of husbands because if wives do not respect their husbands, husbands become like lame ducks. That’s why proverbs 12:4 says, “A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.” A prudent wife would surely understand and support her husband by submitting to him in ways that honor the Master.

On the other hand, if any man does not want to love his future wife as Jesus loved the church, he might not be fully ready to get married. Read verse 19. “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.” Unlike his long instructions for husbands in Ephesians 5:25-33, Paul mentions the husbands’ role rather briefly in verse 19. According to verse 19, husbands have one basic responsibility toward their wives, that is to love their wives. Next week Wednesday (Feb 14th) is Valentine’s Day, when couples express their love for each other, sending Valentine’s cards, candy, or flowers. There are three kinds of love, agapao, the “all give” type of love, “Phileo” the “give and take” type and “erao” the “all take” type.  But what kind of love must husbands have toward their wives?  The “all take” tape of love? The “give and take” type of love? The “all give” type of love? Husbands must love their wives just as Jesus loved the church. The “all give” type of love. Ephesians 5:25-27 say “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

On Super Bowl Sunday most husbands are interested in watching the  Super Bowl rather than in spending time with their wives. Likewise, most husbands are self-centered. They demand unconditional love, attention and obedience. But they don’t give enough love and attention to their wives. Good husbands must be willing to sacrifice their self-interests and do what is best for their wives, just like Jesus Christ who sacrificed himself for the church.

A selfish, harsh and abusive husband can make his wife’s life bitter and miserable. Wives are like beautiful flowers. Flowers are often very fragile. They cannot stand strong wind or a rough touch. Husbands should never be harsh or abusive toward their wives. Wives need attention, respect and love from their husbands. Unloved wives are very sad and bitter. As a result, their children are sad and gloomy. But if a husband shows his love and gives attention and genuine interest toward his wife, she is happy. She is ready to support her husband and their children are very happy.

2. The parent and child relationship. (20-21) Read verse 20. “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” Obedience is regarded as a moral virtue in many traditional cultures. Historically children have been expected to be obedient to their parents and elders. But obedience has become a less desirable quality in our culture, which tends to consider any form of authority as evil. But by disobeying their parents, children can neither be truly happy nor grow in the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. God wants children to obey their parents not because their parents are always right or perfect, but because God established them as their parents. So by obeying their parents, children can please God. But if parents discourage their children from obeying God, children should then obey God rather than their parents. That’s why Ephesians 6:1 says, ‘Children, obey your parents in the Lord…”

However, parents must know how to raise their children in a loving and encouraging atmosphere. Paul instructed the fathers in verse 21 by saying, “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.” Probably, Paul was aware that many fathers in his time were too harsh on their children. As a result, many children became discouraged. Some fathers have unrealistically high expectations for their children not necessarily for their children’s sake but for their own. As a result, they demand too much and embitter their children. Parenting is not easy. It requires much struggle, wisdom and spiritual maturity. Where do parents learn parenting? School does not teach how to be good parents. Most parents fail to rear their children well. However, through many failures, they learn how to be better parents. It’s really a heart breaking experience to find that when you have finally learned to be good parents, you discover that it’s often too late. But it’s never too late. Our life in Christ is an everlasting relationship. Like many other relationships in Christ, the relationship between parents and children should be based on the love and lordship of Christ.

3. The employer and employee relationship (3:22-4:1) Read 3:22-4:1. “Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism. Master, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.” Most of us agree that slavery is evil. Slavery is human invention, not God’s. God does not want his beloved children to be slaves. The people of Israel were set free from slavery in Egypt by the mighty power of God. Slavery is from the devil. When Jesus came to this world, he proclaimed freedom for those who are oppressed, especially from the bondage of sin and the devil. However, slavery still exists even today. There were slaves and slave-owners among the congregations of many churches in Paul’s time. Yet, Paul didn’t fight for the abolition of slavery. He didn’t rebuke all masters to set free all their slaves. Instead, he urged Christians to behave as Christians within that social structure.

Paul’s instructions can be applied to the Christian employer-and-employee relationship today. Christian employees must work hard with honesty and integrity before the Lord. According to Paul, secular work can be considered as spiritual work if we recognize God’s sovereignty in the job God has given us to do. (22-23)  Look at verses 24-25. “Since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.” Joseph in Genesis is a good example. Joseph used to be treated like a prince by his father, Jacob. But one day he was sold as a slave in Egypt by his step brothers due to their jealousy. Joseph could have become bitter in his heart and rebellious toward his earthly master. But he didn’t. He served his earthly master as if he were serving the Lord. In God’s due time, God exalted Joseph as a prime-minister of Egypt. Joseph was employed by King Pharaoh. But he took his position either as a slave or as a prime-minister as God’s given opportunity to reveal His glory. He feared God and worked very hard with honesty and integrity wherever he worked, even in prison. And through his stewardship, God not only saved many lives in Egypt but also preserved his entire family which later had grown to form the great nation Israel. Here, we learn that our secular jobs are not necessarily secular when we recognize God’s sovereignty. Wherever we are, we must live for the glory of God. And God will reward those who work hard for the glory of God. I give thanks to the Lord for many coworkers who are recognized as best teachers, best nurses and best employees of the year. We all have one true and ultimate Master, our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the head, the beginning and the firstborn by whom we will be greatly rewarded. Our salvation is a gift of God based on His grace through Jesus Christ. But our reward in heaven is based on our work and integrity.

Second, devote yourselves to prayer (2-4)

Paul mentioned in the previous passage, 3:18-4:1, about our submission to the Lord in terms of our relationship with other people. In verses 2-6, Paul mentions  our submission to the Lord through our prayer devotion. Look at verse 2. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Paul didn’t just say “Pray.” He said “Devote yourselves to prayer.” What does it mean that we devote ourselves to prayers? It means that we don’t pray only when we have time. It means that no matter how busy we may be or no matter how tired we may be, we must come to God in prayer. Philippians 4:16 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Prayer is the first and the most important thing to do. Jesus said that we should always pray and never give up. We need to pray continually, being watchful and thankful. Why do we need to be watchful and thankful? We should be watchful because the devil is looking for an opportunity to attack us, and at the same time, we should be thankful because God is always with us and working for us.

Once Jesus asked his top three disciples to pray while he was praying in the garden of Gethsemane. But it was a very crucial moment for everyone. Hebrews 11:7 says that during the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” Loud cries and tears! Jesus said in Mark 14:36, “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Jesus prayed so intensively that his sweat turned to blood. However, the disciples failed to pray. Their prayer life was very superficial. Perhaps, when Simon tried to pray, he didn’t know what to say. So he started to saying something based on the Lord’s prayer, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Thy name! Thy kingdom come and Thy will be done.” But it didn’t mean anything to him. He wasn’t really involved in prayer. As a result, he soon began to snore very loudly. Then John began to snore and James joined them. Their spirit was willing but their body was weak. Likewise, we often easily give up praying. Many of us also pray too briefly because we easily give in to our flesh. There are always hindrances as we want to pray, hindrances from ourselves and hindrances from the devil. Our flesh and the devil hate us praying. Therefore, when we pray, we need to be ready to wrestle with our flesh and fight against the devil. So prayer can be called ‘spiritual wrestling match.” Maybe that’s why Apostle Paul said in 4:12 that Epaphras was always wrestling in prayer for Colossian Christians. The phrase “always wrestling” means that Epaphras devoted himself to prayer, being watchful and thankful. We should not just pretend that we are praying. We should get involved in the battle against our flesh and the devil.

Look at verses 3-4. “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.” At that time, Paul was in prison in Rome. But he didn’t ask them to pray that he might be healthy or be released from prison as soon as possible. Instead, he asked them to pray that God might open a door for their message, so that his mission team members might proclaim the gospel in Rome clearly. Sometimes, we ask others to pray for us that we may not have any trouble. But Paul was different. He asked the Colossian Christians to pray that God might open a door for preaching the gospel. It’s okay to pray for our well being but Paul had greater concern about getting the gospel out than he had with getting out of prison himself.

Why is prayer so important? Why does God want us to pray so much? It’s because he wants us to grow in faith. Jesus said to his disciples concerning the relationship between prayer and faith in Mark 11:23-24, “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.” therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” In the Bible, we see that those who lived a spiritually effective and dynamic life all devoted themselves to prayers. Think about Abraham’s prayer for Sodom and Gomorrah. He prayed over and over again, even daring to bargain with the Lord for the sake of God’s chosen people. While General Joshua was fighting against enemies of Israel, Moses prayed on the mountain. When he prayed, he raised his hands upward. As long as Moses’ hands were lifted high, Joshua in the battle field was winning. But when Moses got tired and his hands were slowly coming down, Joshua was losing the battle. So Aaron and Hur ran up to the mountain and supported Moses’ arms to be lifted upward from both sides. Again Joshua won the battle. Samuel, the servant of God, said in 1 Samuel 12:23, “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.”

Look at verses 5-6. “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Non-believers often ask the questions, “How do you know God exists?” or “How do you know that the Bible is the ‘word of God’?” We need to be ready through prayers until we are filled with the Holy Spirit. It’s easy for us to be overwhelmed with our difficult situation. What should we do when we feel helpless and anxious about our situation? Despair? Play computer games? Go out to drink? We need to wrestle in prayer. When Jacob had to face one of the most critical moments of his life, Jacob was helpless. He was actually forced to pray. But God didn’t leave him alone. God came down in the form of a man and wrestled with Jacob when he was deeply troubled in one of the most critical moments of his life. God wanted Jacob to pray. But he didn’t let him struggle by himself. He was deeply involved with Jacob’s struggle. And he wrestled with Jacob and blessed him. Our God is not far from us. He knows what to do. He is ready to bless us, but not without a spiritual battle on our part. Apostle Paul challenged the Colossian Christians who had been attacked by the devil to devote themselves to prayers, being watchful and thankful. He is also challenging us today to wrestle with God by devoting ourselves to prayer. May the Lord bless our spiritual struggle in prayer.