 |  |
the servant, and as this evidently in accord with the apostle's motive, let us quote the
passage:--
"Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice,
as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: and whatsoever ye do, do it
heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive
the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong
shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons"
(Col. 3: 22-25).
"The reward of the inheritance."--In this phrase is the key to the apostle's object in
writing the epistle. The Colossian believers, being members of the body of Christ, were
already "seated together in heavenly places in Christ"; already "accepted in the
Beloved"; already sure of their presentation "holy and unblameable and unreproveable"
in the sight of God. Already the apostle had said: "Giving thanks unto the Father, which
hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" (Col. 1: 12).
Words not make clearer the assured position of the believer nor the completeness of his
acceptance. Nevertheless, before the chapter is finished we have found Paul "warning"
and "teaching", that he may "present every man perfect in Christ Jesus", and also at the
close of the epistle we find Epaphras praying for the selfsame thing (Col. 4: 12). The
reader should here refer to the chart in Volume XXIV, page 121. As it is evident that
neither Paul nor Epaphras have any doubt that what has already been written of the saints,
as to standing, in Col. 1: 12, 13 and 22 remains unalterably true, it becomes necessary to
distinguish between the common "inheritance of the saints in light", for which all
believers have been made meet, and "the reward" attaching to that inheritance, which was
associated to the high calling" which, as in Phil. 3:, is associated with "perfecting"
(Col. 1: 28; 4: 12).
We must distinguish between that "holy, and unblameable, and unreproveable"
position which is ours "in the body of His flesh through death", and the possibility of
being blamed and reproved for the things done in service. If we "try the things that
differ", we shall see that "hope" is on a basis of pure, unalloyed, grace, which excludes
all possibility of either gain or loss, running or serving; and that the "prize" is on a basis
of reward, given only to those who strive lawfully. Knowing these distinctions we shall
be saved a multitude of vexations, and moreover not be found false witnesses of God, for
without doubt, He teaches us that membership of the one body and participation in its one
hope is entirely outside the range of attainment on our part. And with equal certainty He
assures us that the prize of the high calling, the reward of the inheritance, and the crown
of righteousness, fall within the category of attainment. True, nothing but grace will
avail, but it is grace used. The reason for the apostle's assurance that our life is hid with
Christ in God, is that we might know that life is not in question. He does not say in
Col. 2: 18, Let no man beguile you of your life, or membership, or position: These are
never in question. But he does echo the words of another dispensation and say: "Take
heed, that no man take your crown."
The concluding exhortation of the apostle is twofold. First he asks for prayer for
himself, that he may speak and make manifest the mystery "as I ought to speak", and