If God Is Love, Shouldn’t His Children Be Love Also?

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

We have a high calling to fulfill. As stewards of the gospel we are to conduct ourselves with love, but are we moving out of love today?

Introduction

A common theme found throughout scripture speaks to the way God’s children conduct themselves.  Scripture asks the question:  If God is love, shouldn’t His children be love also?  The Sunday School commentary this week covers Colossians 4:1-6.  In this passage of scripture, Paul called on true believers to conduct themselves in God’s grace.

Be as God Is

The conduct of the believer is of great importance because we are stewards, overseers, of God’s gospel.  The child of God is a representative of the Lord, which means that the way we conduct ourselves represents Him.

In both Matthew 5:43-48 and Luke 6:27-36, Jesus said that for us to be sons of the Father, we must love everybody.  When Jesus spoke about loving everybody, He made it clear to love those who hate you – love your enemies.  Jesus even taught that we are to do good to everyone without hoping to receive anything in return.  

This is a teaching that seemingly goes out the window with how many, including believers, choose to act on a daily basis.  We are slow to help those who are around us if we don’t know them, and even those we know, we sometimes are slow to help.  Then, when we do help, we often want something in return, or we post our charity on social media to be praised and glorified.

I think about how God moves and gives, and for much of His works, He receives very little praise.  God gave the world His only begotten Son, and that giving is the most rejected in the history of mankind.  Even those who say they believe are slow to thank God for all He has done for them.  Yet, God continues to move and do because He is love, and we as believers must learn to do the same.

A Charge to Those in Authority

In Colossians 4:1, Paul charged “masters” to be just and fair to their “bondservants” because the great Master is just and fair.  The subject of masters, slaves, and bondservants in scripture often stands out because many believe that such scripture shows that God condones slavery. 

I am going to take a deeper dive into the subject of slavery and oppression in scripture in an upcoming bible study. I do believe slavery in scripture is an important subject to study because many have used God’s word to enslave and oppress others.  

For this commentary, I am going to reference scripture from Leviticus to briefly touch on slavery.  Before I speak of this scripture, I want to make it explicitly clear that the Book of Leviticus is part of the Mosaic Law.  The Mosaic Law was given to the children of Israel and meant for them to live by.   

Leviticus 25:39-40 speaks of “hired servants”, or bondservants, as poor Israelites who sold themselves, voluntarily, to their brethren.  The hired servant was to be compelled not to serve as a slave nor be treated as one (Lev. 25:43).  They were paid for their labor and would serve until the Year of Jubilee – every fiftieth year – when they would be freed from their service (Lev. 25:8-17).  

Leviticus 25:44-46 shows that the children of Israel were permitted to purchase as slaves strangers and sojourners who had come to dwell in their land.  The implication being that such a person would be those who were poor and unable to make a living.  The stranger or sojourner who obtained wealth was also permitted to purchase slaves (Lev. 25:47).

So, to be clear, according to the Mosaic Law, slaves were purchasable property.  However, unlike hired servants, slaves were permanent property, unless it was an Israelite who chose to sell themselves to a stranger.  The Israelite could be redeemed by his family or set free at the Year of Jubilee.  This law was something we saw used in the story of Ruth and Boaz (Lev. 25:48-50).

Slavery was not something that the children set out to force onto others, at least that was not part of the Mosaic Law.  Every indication was that slavery was the last place one should find themselves in, and if they did, they should quickly seek freedom or be redeemed by family.

Now, after Christ gave His life, we come to live under the law of grace, though only a few sincere believers choose to recognize the law of grace.  Under the law of grace, God’s grace and mercy are to be shown to all people.  Showing God’s grace to all people is the message Paul attempted to deliver to those considered “masters”.

The train of thought behind Colossians 4:1 is that one should treat others in the same manner they’d want God to treat them.  If you’re in a position of authority, remember that there is a greater authority that is above all authority.  This was the lesson that God showed through Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar, men who saw themselves as gods.  

A Charge to the Stewards of the Gospel

In Colossians 4:2-6, we can see where Paul turns his attention to us, the stewards of God.  

To repeat what I said in the opening of this commentary, a steward oversees and administers.  The believer, as Paul stated, is a servant of Christ and a steward of the mysteries of God (1 Cor. 4:1).  The true believer has been given authority over the gospel and to minister it by Christ (Matt. 28:19-20).

So, we can take everything that Paul charged masters to do to their servants and apply it to the child of God as well, since we have authority over the administration of the gospel.  The child of God must be fair and just in the ministering of the gospel.

 If we desire for God to treat us with grace, why wouldn’t we treat those around us in such a manner as well?  We should be respectful of each other’s time and efforts.  We should be respectful of each other’s work.  As Jesus taught, we should treat others the way we want to be treated (Matt. 7:12).

How we conduct ourselves and treat others is incredibly important.  By our authority as stewards of the gospel, we can either persuade or dissuade others.  Our calling is to bear good fruit, not bitter and sour fruit!

Pray for one another

With this in mind, Paul instructed us stewards of the gospel to continue earnestly in prayer, “being vigilant in [prayer] with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2).  So, let us not pray out of anger, bitterness, or apathy.  Nowhere in scripture will you find that we are taught to pray in a manner that tears down, rather than uplifts.

Paul encouraged the Colossian believers to pray for him and his companions so that the Lord would open doors for them to minister the word (Col. 4:3).  Believers ought to certainly pray for other believers.  For obvious reasons, we’re all part of the same spiritual warfare, and prayer can help us empower each other.  At the same time, all of us have dreams and aspirations, and prayer can help us to fulfill our dreams and aspirations.

Jesus taught us to love our neighbor (Matt. 22:36-40).  Expounding further on Jesus’ teaching, Paul explained that we are to esteem others better than we esteem ourselves (Phil. 2:3).  When you help your neighbor to prosper, that means they can help you to prosper.  When all of us prosper together, that speaks of true prosperity.

Walk in wisdom

Paul instructed the Colossian believer to “walk in wisdom towards those who are outside, redeeming the time” (Col. 4:5).  Those who are “outside” speak of those who are not of faith.  

“Redeeming the time” is a deep saying.  To redeem means to purchase, to buy back, or to restore.  For Paul, he saw a world that Christ had recently been in, but its people were so sinful that Christ’s words fell on deaf ears.  Yes, a few had received Christ and turned to Him, but the vast majority had not.  So, Paul is telling the believer that there’s still work to do in fulfilling God’s desire for many to be saved.

Time is being lost on mankind as every second is a second closer to God’s judgment.  Today, our time is still being wasted on petty differences rather than what is most important, the condition of the soul.  The believer cannot be occupied with the petty differences of the world as our focus ought to be on the soul.  The real shame is that many who have professed faith have led the charge in stirring up petty differences.

In this mind, Paul instructed the believer to “walk in wisdom” towards the nonbeliever.  Walking in wisdom, referencing Proverbs 1:7, is walking in the fear of the Lord; that is to walk in a manner that pleases God.  So, the instruction is one that is of love even for those who are “outside”, nonbelievers.

This is why we see Paul instruct:  “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one (Col. 4:6).”  The believer must find the true balance of moving in God’s peace.  This means we must be willing to stand in the truth, regardless of who we stand before, yet we must also learn not to be combative.

The modern “believer” is one who seems to only know combativeness rather than peace and love.  The moment one tries to force and dictate their way onto another is the moment that a soul is pushed away and lost.  We must learn to stand in the truth and never cross the line of becoming combative.  

As Paul said, shown in Romans 12:18, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”  We certainly have a stake in the climate of today’s world.  The believer can be a helping hand.  The believer can be hope.  The believer can also help to bring peace – the choice is ours.