10/22/17 Colossians 3:18-4:1
We have been warned – again. In reality Paul was a revolutionary and it got him killed. It’s not written in the text of this letter to the Colossians, but it’s written in the context of history. For this to have the impact it was meant to have we must understand that at that time women and slaves had zero rights. What Paul called for transcended the societal laws. It would have revolutionized anyone who took this teaching to heart. And when enough hearts are transformed, whole societies are transformed.
As it turns out, all reading the Scriptures must always seek how what God is calling for will transcend their current societal laws, because cultural law is very transient. And depending on who the powers-that-be are at the time, it can cost us little or much more like Paul. But this is the relevant struggle in every era for the Church. We are the ones who are to model how members of the kingdom of God would treat one another in any given day.
Paul was a revolutionary of the heart. Since we all have that need (heart transformation), God is in the business of revolutionizing hearts. Sometimes this meshes well with what’s the trend in a particular society and sometimes it doesn’t.
Our society today is dictated by rights. The M.O. of American culture has become “critical legal studies” or change the laws to get what you want done, done. This means laws change but hearts do not. Behaviors can become legal, but in God’s eyes they may still not be right. And then there is the court of public opinion. This was called peer pressure when I was a kid - what is called trending today.
All this to ask, “Can we all agree that what really matters then is what God says is most valued and is right to do?”
How committed to this are we?
Answer T or F, for the following 5 statements: 1. The truth of God transcends all accepted cultural mores and laws and even this world’s existence (Luke 16:14-17) 2. God’s views on marriage hold the key to any hope of a successful marriage. 3. The school my child attends is better equipped than me/us for teaching moral standards. 4. Children should be ready to comply with all demands of their parents regardless if they align with biblical commands. 5. The people best positioned by role and authority to teach and model godliness for children are their parents.