The true test of our relationship with Christ is how we relate to others. If Christ is supreme in your life then it should show in how you relate to those closest to you.
Our faith must go with us in all aspects of our lives and in all roles that we play!
i.e Wives/Husbands, Parents/Kids, Employees/Employers
In Colossians 3:15-4:6 these pairs are to be studied together because the relationships are reciprocal. We can’t talk about the responsibilities of the wife without clarifying the obligations of the husband. The same can be applied with Parent/Kid relationships and Employee/Employer relationships.
As we learned in Colossians 3:11, cultural, racial, and even gender distinctions are no longer obstacles when it comes to salvation. Everyone is equal in Christ regardless of status; having said that, individuals have a role to play in the family. Paul stresses responsibility, not rights in the family. A home is in stormy weather when the members are insisting on their perceived rights.
What are some of the changes that you can remember described in Colossians that comes as a result of trusting Jesus?
Read Colossians 3:15-4:6 and briefly fill in the following table. Look at the big picture, don’t get lost in the details.
|
|
How to Live
|
Reason given
|
All Christians
|
|
|
Wives
|
|
|
Husbands
|
|
|
Kids
|
|
|
Fathers
|
|
|
Slaves/Parents
|
|
|
Masters
|
|
|
What do you notice that all the reasons have in common? (Colossians 1:15-20).
What might be a general principle that applies to all your relationships?
Now let’s have a look in more detail at one or two of these situations.
Pick one side of the table below and work through it as a Life Group. You might like to do the other at home, or next week. OR you may wish to do both sides!
MARRIAGE
|
WORK
|
What are the principles that Paul instructs the Colossians on, regarding Marriage?
|
What are the principles that Paul applies to the Colossians as they work for their masters?
|
Compare with Ephesians 5:22-33. Why do you think Paul picks the particular things he does as a summary in Colossians 3:18-19?
|
Compare with Ephesians 6:5-9. What similarities do you notice?
|
How does this pattern of marriage fit with their new life in Christ?
|
How does this pattern for work fit with their new life in Christ?
|
With the fall/sin, how has marriage and sexuality become corrupted? How is it different now from in Genesis 1-2?
|
With the fall/sin, how has work become corrupted? How is it different now from in Genesis 1-2?
|
What will it mean for us in our marriages, that we have been raised with Christ?
|
What will it mean for us in our workplaces that we have been raised with Christ?
|
Why do you think we can be comfortable with marriages that don’t function this way?
|
Why are we often so comfortable with the division between private/public and sacred/secular in our lives?
|
Why is how we live in our marriage important?
|
Why is how we work important?
|
How could Christians witness to the world a healthy understanding of Marriage?
|
How could Christians witness to the world a healthy understanding of Work?
|
Pray about these things in the light of Colossians 2:6-7.
Or in pairs or as a group, pray for specific relationships (eg. Marriage relationships, parent/Child, or fellow work colleagues). Pray that we would have the wisdom, strength and love to remain Christ-centred in all our interactions with others.
Contact