Family Matters

Senior Pastor David Rose shares how the hope we have in Christ radically transforms our most important relationships. Drawing from Colossians 3-4, he explores what it looks like for wives to submit to husbands, for husbands to sacrificially image Christ's love for His Church, for children to obey their parents in faith, and for employees and employers to serve one another justly as before the Lord. When our identity is rooted in Christ, we find the freedom to submit to one another in humility and love, while trusting our faithful Father who oversees all. Take some time this week to consider how applying these truths can strengthen your most important connections.

  • Jesus gives hope for marriages
  • Wives are to submit as is fitting in the Lord
  • Husbands are to sacrificially love their wives as Christ loved the Church
  • Marriage should reflect Christ’s love for the church
  • Jesus gives hope for families
  • Children are to obey their parents as it pleases the Lord
  • Parents should not exasperate their children
  • Families reflect God’s parental love and fatherhood
  • Jesus gives hope for work relationships
  • Slaves/employees should work wholeheartedly for the Lord
  • Masters/employers should treat people justly
  • Work reflects our mutual submission to Christ
  • Jesus gives hope for the future
  • We should do all things from the heart as unto the Lord
  • Our future reward helps motivates righteous living in the present
  • Mutual dependence and flourishing result

Key Takeaways

  • The hope we have in Jesus transforms our most important relationships in marriage, family, and work. It provides a foundation for reflecting God's unconditional love.
  • When our identity is rooted in Christ alone, we can submit to one another in humility and care for one another's well-being according to God's design.
  • Wives can rest in the faithfulness of God as they support their husbands. Husbands are to image Christ's sacrifical love for His Bride, the Church.
  • Children can find their security and purpose in God that enables them to gladly obey their parents as unto the Lord.
  • Employers and employees alike should serve one another justly, recognizing their equal standing before God and accountability to Him.
  • Doing all things from our heart for the Lord's pleasure, not as people-pleasers, is key.
  • Daily dependence on Christ empowers us to please Him in our roles and care for one another as fellow heirs of His grace.
  • The ultimate takeaway is that only when rooted in Christ alone through faith can we reflect His unconditional love and bring glory to God in our relationships with others. The hope of the gospel transforms everything.

Further Study

  • How is the Gospel evidenced in wives submitting to husbands as “it is fitting in the Lord” (3:18)? See Ephesians 5:22-23 for comparison on Christ’s relationship to the church.
  • What does it look like for husbands to love their wives in the same way Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her (3:19; 5:25)?
  • When children obey their parents “in all things” how are they obeying the Lord (3:20)? Are there limits to parental authority?
  • How can fathers not “exasperate” their children so that they are not discouraged, keeping in mind God’s patience with His spiritually dead children (3:21; Ephesians 2:1-5)?
  • What motivates slaves/employees to serve wholeheartedly as working for the Lord and not people (3:23-24; cf 1 Cor. 6:19-20)?
  • How should masters/employers treat their slaves/employees justly and fairly knowing that they too have a Master in heaven and will be judged according to the standard of the Gospel (4:1; Ephesians 6:9)?

The Gospel

If you have questions about what it means to be a Christian, we would love to talk with you about it.

Reach out

When David preached that “Jesus gives hope for marriages, families, and work relationships,” he was pointing to the gospel. The gospel is the good news that though we were all dead in our sins, Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and was buried, but He rose again on the third day. This is the heart of the Christian message. The resurrection proves that Jesus conquered sin and death so that through faith in Him, we too can walk in newness of life. It is only when we’re anchored in Christ that any of our relationships can reflect His unconditional love and care for others. Jesus gives us hope not just for healthy relationships, but for our eternal future as heirs of God through faith in His atoning work. The gospel truly does transform everything.