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Colossians 3:22-24  Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favour, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

In the light of everything Paul writes in his other letters (eg Romans 4, Galatians 2, Ephesians 2, Philippians 3, etc), it is clear he is not using the word ‘reward’ here as something we can earn by doing good, meritorious works.  The Greek word means ‘compensation’ so it is in the sense that Jesus reassured Peter, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29)  And, in saying this, Jesus used the word, ‘inherit’, as Paul does (“you will receive an inheritance from the Lord”), making it clear that, since an ‘inheritance’ is something we only have because of who we are in a relationship, and which someone else has earned for us.  So Paul is not negating his firm, consistent stand on ‘justification-by-grace-through-faith-alone’.

As an example, he points to the obligation that a slave has to his master and the recompense he would receive, to show us, as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, two important things.  Firstly, that all of our serving of one another – in the family, in the Church, in the workplace – ought to be considered as service to our Lord, and ought to be carried out conscientiously as such, with sincere hearts and in reverence for Jesus.

Secondly, as full members of God’s family (“Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father’.  So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir” (Galatians 4:6-7), our inheritance, is guaranteed to us, because of what Jesus has done for us through the cross and the empty tomb, because of who we are in him, and not because of anything we might manage to do for him.

“When I stand before the throne, dressed in beauty not my own; when I see thee as thou art, love thee with unsinning heart, then Lord, shall I fully know – not till then – how much I owe.  When the praise of Heav’n I hear loud as thunders to the ear, loud as many waters’ noise, sweet as harp’s melodious voice, then, Lord, shall I fully know – not till then – how much I owe.  Chosen, not for good in me, wakened up from wrath to flee; hidden in the Saviour’s side, by the Spirit sanctified: teach me, Lord, on earth to show by my love, how much I owe.” (Robert Murray M’Cheyne)

– Bruce Christian