22 Slaves, obey those who are your human masters in everything, not with eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, 24 knowing that it is from the Lord that YOU WILL RECEIVE THE REWARD OF THE INHERITANCE. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. 25 For the one who does wrong will RECEIVE THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE WRONG WHICH HE HAS DONE, and that without partiality (Col3:22-25)
Context
Completing our posts on Col3, I have highlighted the points on which I will briefly focus. Again, it is not because they are the principal themes of Paul’s exhortation to the Colossians but because they follow on and reinforce what has been my focus in the last few posts, namely God’s election and calling of certain individuals to an extraordinary inheritance. The focus of Paul’s teaching here is how such individuals should behave in the meantime as slaves/servants/employees regarding their human masters. My interest is how and why the recipients of Paul’s letter or indeed anyone should have such phenomenally Great Expectations in the first place (cf. C Dickens; Rev3:21😲). That will again involve challenging the Reformed Protestant theology I grew up with, especially that pertaining to grace and perseverance. I’m sorry but “all-of-grace” and “rewards” (v24) are incompatible.
So is Paul’s last point concerning those who do wrong receiving the consequences of their wrongdoing. What – even if they are Christians? Yes, absolutely. God is fair to all – or in Paul’s frequent reference to the matter, He is impartial, or “no respecter of persons”. He says much the same in 2Cor5:10 – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad”. But I focus here on Paul’s reference to “the reward of the inheritance” (v24).
Initiation all of grace
In terms of “all-of-grace”, confusion arises since there is an aspect of predestination/salvation/inheritance that is absolutely all-of-grace, and that is who enters the race in the first place. Paul is a classic example, having previous been the chief persecutor of the infant Church of Jesus Christ. “Race” is Paul’s language, not mine. What? “Didn’t you know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win!”(1Cor9:24). The winners’ medal being the “prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil3:14). Note my apostrophe – for thankfully there will be many winners, but it shall not be the bulk of humanity. For God loves the world and its people (Jn3:16), but He does not wish for all to be married to His Son (Rev19:7). They require special preparation, involving self-effort and a bundle of grace – not just to be presented to their Bridegroom (Jud1:24), but for what shall follow afterwards (Rev5:10).
THAT is what gospel salvation is for – not to determine “who shall go to heaven when you die”. That infrequently referred to subject in the bible pertains to Mt25 (sheep and goats) in which it is to be noted that neither religion nor religious faith is mentioned or even inferred – merely the exercise of compassionate love or the lack of it, i.e. whether or not individuals fulfilled the spirit of God’s law and showed themselves to be “of God” (cf. Rom13:9; 1Jn4:7). Not all do, hence the Mt25 “goats” (cf. 1Jn3:12) and the three categories I have been outlining.
God’s love for the non-elect
Scriptural proof: the rich young ruler – “Jesus looked at (the rich young ruler) and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mk10:21-23).
Why did Jesus love this man? Because the Saviour loves sinners? Be assured, Jesus and His Father hate everything pertaining to sin – because it opposes all that is good and holy, and because it is hurtful and harmful to those who have been created in His image. Jesus does not love Satan, the ultimate sinner, nor those who through progressive moral self-abasement become his children – devoid of conscience, compassion and truth. No, Jesus loved this man because of what was good in his life. He revered God and His laws and endeavoured with all his heart to keep them (v20). He failed to become a follower of Christ because of his personal wealth – he thought he had too much to lose?! What folly, in view of my previous paragraph, but except we be the elect of God we will not discern these matters – and such divinely provided wisdom is all of grace.
Then, once one has understood oneself to be a joint-heir with Christ (Rom8:17), it is so much easier to act serenely in one’s dealings with earthly masters, as Paul exhorts in this passage. Likewise what place or indeed what cause could there be for envying the rich and powerful of this world? What can compare with being, not just a joint heir of Christ (that would do for me), but a joint heir with Him – inheriting all that He is to inherit, and regarded by the Lord Himself as His own brethren and sisters? (Heb2:11). Unlike Pip in Great Expectation, the precise details of the faithful Christian’s incorruptible inheritance have been obscured. In view of Paul’s mystical experience in the third heaven, he may have been enlightened on the matter, but they are words that he was not permitted to share (2Cor12:4).
The LITTLE BOOK OF PROVIDENCE: a seven-part synopsis of the bible: – available as a paperback from Amazon or FREELY as a PDF file HERE.
The Little Book of Providence 