As we continue to travel through the New Testament letter from the Apostle Paul to the church at Colossae, we recall that we have been considering the subject of the new life that we have been granted most graciously in our Lord Jesus Christ. And we have discovered that this new inner spiritual life, freely bestowed to us by the Holy Spirit, is to manifest itself outwardly in several practical ways.

In our relationships with each other as fellow-members of Christ’s body.

As those who worship together under the authority of the Word of our God.

And as those who serve and glorify our Savior in all that we might do, or say, or even think!

In fact, as we discovered last Lord’s Day, “everything” that we engage in must be done “in the name of the Lord Jesus” while “giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (v. 17). We spoke of this as the fundamental test by which we must live out our daily lives—that all that we do is done under the authority of Christ our Lord, and for the glory of His wonderful name!

As we now come to Colossians 3:18, the Apostle will begin applying this test to the home, the most essential unit of human society. And here, in this larger paragraph that moves from 3:18-4:1, Paul will lay out what we might call a list of ‘household responsibilities’ to be performed in light of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The bigger point here is that the power of the Gospel changes the home!

This Sunday we will look at the relationship between wives and husbands that is addressed in verses 18-19:

“Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.”

Along with this passage, let me also encourage you to study Ephesians 5:22-33 and 1 Peter 3:1-7.