EPHESIANS: LIVING IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR HIGH CALLING

Part II: Walking Worthy Of Our High Calling In Christ, Ephesians 4:1-6:20

E. Walking Worthy Of Our Calling By Relating Properly To The Holy Spirit

3. Walking Worthy Of Our Calling By Relying On The Holy Spirit In The Workplace

(Ephesians 6:5-9)

 

I.               Introduction

A.    Having written extensively in Ephesians 1:1-3:21 about the high calling we believers in Christ have in our Lord, clarifying the great extent to which God's grace in Christ has been administered in our behalf, Paul applied that truth to the Christian walk in Ephesians 4:1-6:20.

B.    In Ephesians 6:5-9, Paul addressed an eighth realm of walking worthy of our calling, that of relating well to the Holy Spirit to live righteously in the workplace.  This subject is important right now due to extra pressures the pandemic has put on relationships in the realm of business amid high unemployment, government loans and stipends, etc.  We thus view this important passage for our insight and edification (as follows):

II.            Walking Worthy Of Our Calling By Relating Properly To The Holy Spirit In The Workplace.

A.    When Paul directed believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 5:18, he followed that admonition with a series of Greek participles directing how that filling was to be displayed in one's conduct, the last participle of that series in Ephesians 5:21 being that of "submitting" (hupotassomenoi) to one another in reverence to Christ. (U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 675-676)

B.    Paul then applied this practice of "submitting" to a series of human institutions in Ephesians 5:22-6:9, focusing on the workplace in Ephesians 6:5-9.  We then apply his directive for that institution (as follows):

1.      By the filling or control of the Holy Spirit, what occurs when one relies by faith on the Holy Spirit, employees must submit to their overseers in the workplace, Ephesians 6:5a.  [Paul referred to slavery in mentioning "masters" and "slaves," an institution no longer viable in many nations, but there is a similar relationship between overseers and employees in the marketplace.] Paul then clarified the employees' role:

                         a.        Employees must obey their overseers in the workplace setting, Ephesians 6:5a.  Obviously, the limit is obedience to the point of disobeying God, at which point one must obey God over his overseer, Acts 5:29!

                         b.        One's obedience to his overseer should be done in an attitude of "fear and trembling," true respect, v. 5b.

                         c.        Thus, one should work with a sincere attitude of respect as obedience also to Christ, Ephesians 6:5c.

                         d.        Put negatively, employees should not do well only if the overseer is watching as if he were pleasing mere men, but work as a slave of Christ, doing God's will from the heart, Ephesians 6:6-7.

                         e.        This dedication of working for one's overseer as unto his Ultimate Overseer, Jesus Christ, is based on an awareness that Christ Himself will reimburse the employee for his workmanship, Ephesians 6:8a.

2.      By means of the filling or control by the Holy Spirit, what occurs when one relies on the indwelling Holy Spirit, overseers in the workplace are to treat their employees well in accountability to Christ, Eph. 6:8b-9:

                         a.        Though overseers are not to "submit" to their employees, we still infer from the extended context where Paul is discussing "submitting" in various human institutions that overseers are also to achieve the dictates of God regarding their roles in workplace oversight by means of the filling or control of the Holy Spirit!

                         b.        In addressing workplace overseers in Ephesians 6:8b, Paul mentioned that overseers like their employees will be reimbursed by Christ based upon their workmanship in their oversight roles!

                         c.        Thus, overseers in the workplace similarly are to treat their employees with respect, Ephesians 6:9a, 5b.

                         d.        This respect involves "giving up" (anientes, present participle of anistemi, Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 69; The Grk. Analy. Lex., 1972, p. 30) threatening (apeile, Ibid., Arndt & Gingrich, p. 82), knowing that the overseer has a Supreme Overseer over him Who is in heaven, and there is no respect of persons with Him, be it with the employee or with the overseer! (Ephesians 6:9b)

 

Lesson: Believers in the workplace who are employees must view themselves as accountable to their Supreme Overseer in heaven for their workmanship and give true respect to their human overseers as unto Christ by working well for them, knowing Christ will reward them accordingly.  Believers who are overseers must likewise treat their employees with true respect, not threatening them to manipulate them, but to oversee in accountability to their Supreme Overseer Christ Who is in heaven and Who similarly will reward them according to their performance as overseers, knowing that Christ shows no favoritism to employee or overseer.

 

Application: May we all function in the workplace in accountability to the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit.