Godliness For Slaves/Employees
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
4/25/2010 PM
|
Text:
|
Titus 2:9,10
|
Psalters: |
292, 112, 387, 36 |
- The chief duty.
- Among the new Christians on Crete were servants/slaves.
- A slave was bought and owned to be completely in the service of his master.
- “Hired servants” were free men who worked for wages for whomever they chose.
- The chief duty of the slave is to “be obedient,” i.e., to submit.
- The idea is to arrange under, to subordinate, to place oneself under, to submit to one’s control, to yield.
- The goal of the submission is to be well-pleasing, acceptable to the master in all things.
- This duty is because the employer/master is placed by God in a position of authority.
- There are three clear implications.
- The first is: “not answering again,” i.e., to speak against, contradict, to declare oneself against.
- This refers to an activity arising out of an attitude of complaining.
- This is not the way to be well-pleasing to God-ordained authority.
- “Not purloining” is to set apart for oneself, embezzle or to appropriate to one’s own use.
- “Shewing all good fidelity,” i.e., the character of being reliable and trustworthy, faithful.
- This is a loyalty, a concern for the business and the employers’s affairs.
- This is displaying dependability, consistently reliable.
- These admonitions show why striking labor unions are contrary to employees submitting themselves.
- The purpose of such Christian conduct is “that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.”
- Be aware that our conduct and attitude at work affects what others see us believing and confessing.
- Our conduct and attitude are to “adorn” (embellish, ornament) what we believe in the eyes of observers.
- Our conduct and attitude adds to the beauty of something by adorning it with an ornament.
- This is the calling of every believer, but notably of servant/employees.