Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20100214.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Ephesians: Overcoming Our Insecurities In Christ
Part II: The Believer's Practice Based On His Secure Position In Christ, Ephesians 4:1-6:24
F. Living In Wisdom Through The Holy Spirit's Power
3. Living In Wisdom In The Workplace Through The Holy Spirit's Power
(Ephesians 6:5-9)
  1. Introduction
    1. We have learned in this lesson series that living wisely as a believer takes depending on the Holy Spirit's power to discern what Scripture says so that we know God's will and thus accurately apply it to life, using every moment available to be a much-needed light to fellow needy believers and the world.
    2. This lofty, comprehensive directive becomes more meaningful if we apply it to specific realms of experience, and Paul makes that application specifically to life in the workplace in Ephesians 6:5-9:
  2. Living In Wisdom In The Workplace Through The Holy Spirit's Power, Ephesians 6:5-9.
    1. Paul's call that believers submit to one another in the "fear of God" under the filling of the Holy Spirit's power (Ephesians 5:18-21) is applied to three realms of relationships that involve "submitting" -- to marriage, to family life and to the workplace, Ephesians 5:22-33; 6:1-4 and 6:5-9 respectively.
    2. Regarding life in the workplace (Ephesians 6:5-9), Paul laid out the specifics of what is involved in living in wisdom as a much-needed light to fellow needy believers and the world (as follows):
      1. For life in the workplace to work well for the believer, in wisdom, he as the subordinate, the SLAVE (or, in our era, the EMPLOYEE) must submit to his MASTER (or, in our era, his EMPLOYER):
        1. Slavery is not allowed in our nation today, but since slavery was basically an economic relationship in the workplace, the master-slave relationship applies to today's employer-employee relationship.
        2. As such, the believer as an employee in the workplace must obey his employer, Ephesians 6:5a.
        3. This obedience must be accompanied by five basic qualities that are listed in Ephesians 6:5b-7 (noted from the Bible Knowledge Com., N. T., p. 642): (1) they must obey their employers with respect for their position as overseers, Eph. 6:5b,c; (2) they must obey their employers with sincerity, as if they were serving Christ, Eph. 6:5d NIV; (3) they must obey their employers with consistency, not only when the employer is watching them, Eph. 6:6a; (4) they must obey their employers with the highest level of motivation, doing their work as unto the Lord with all of their heart, Eph. 6:6b and (5) they must obey their employers with good will or a peaceable spirit, Eph. 6:7 (the NIV's "wholeheartedly" is from met' eunoias, "with good will or a peaceable spirit," Ibid).
      2. For life in the workplace to work well for the believer, in wisdom, he as the overseeing party, the MASTER (or, in our era, the EMPLOYER), must oversee the subordinate in accountability to God:
        1. Christian employers are responsible to "do the same things" (KJV) unto their employees (Eph. 6:9a), a phrase meaning "to please the Lord in their dealings with them," Ibid.
        2. Specifically, being aware that they themselves serve a Master in heaven, the Lord Himself, the Christian overseer in the workplace is responsible to avoid threatening his subordinates, but to treat them with justice and fairness, Ephesians 6:9b; Ibid.
        3. The reason for this responsibility by the overseer is that the Lord is impartial to all, be they subordinates or overseers, so the employer must treat his employees with the care his Master in heaven would want, Eph. 6:9c. Paul's implication is that the overseer is vulnerable to the Lord for the welfare of his own position and/or business, so he must function like God wants him to function before his subordinates if he would expect God to bless his own work! (cf. Col . 3:22-25; Ps. 62:12)
Lesson: Living in God's wisdom in the workplace takes (1) employees and employers alike relying on the Holy Spirit, that (2) the EMPLOYEE might (a) obey his employer (b) respectfully, (c) sincerely, (d) consistently, (e) with great motivation as unto the Lord and (f) with good will and a peaceable spirit, and that (3) the EMPLOYER might (a) relate to his subordinates in accountability to his own Master and Employer in heaven, (b) forbearing threatening to treat them (c) with justice and fairness.

Application: May we thus walk in God's wisdom in our roles in the workplace with God's blessing!