The New Man and His Home and World

I wrote about my reflection from Col 3 about the new man's home earlier. You can read it here. 

If you read Col 3 carefully, you will see that the Scripture first tells us that we were raised with Christ (3:1), our life is hidden with Christ in God (3:3), we have put off the old man (3:9) and have put on the new man (3:10). (Please note these are all in past tense. Something that is already completed.) Then it goes on to give us instructions on what the new man should do (Col 3:12-17). And then it gives us God's order for the home (Col 3:18-21), followed by the right conduct of masters and servants (Col 3:22 - 4:1). 


Apostle Paul wrote both the epistles of Ephesians and Colossians. So, one can argue that he would naturally wrote roughly the same instructions and admonition in his letters to the different churches at the time. In fact, my bible has this remark to the introduction of Ephesians - "Over seventy of the 155 verses in Ephesians contain expressions echoed in Colossians." 

It meant that these are so important that the Apostle Paul wrote to two groups of people about about same thing. 

But that is beside the point really. 

Let's compare Eph 5 and Col 3 now. 


Apostle Paul gave his instructions for the home in Eph 5:22-33, much like in Col 3:18-21. 

Prior to that, he beseeched the believers to put off the old man (Eph 4:22), to be renewed in the spirit of our mind (Eph 4:23) and to put on the new man (Eph 4:24). He then gave instructions on the characters of the new man (Eph 4:25 - 5:21).

Note also the similarity between Eph 4:32 and Col 3:12-13 as well as between Eph 5:19-21 and Col 3:16-17. 


I am doubly convinced now, that when we focus on living in newness of life in Christ:

1) God's order for our home will come more easily. 

2) Beyond the home, God's order for our society and for the world will manifest as well. 


Source: Internet

The Apostle Paul exhorts us to be imitators of God as dear children in Eph 5:1. 

I like the TPT version which puts it this way - Be imitators of God in everything you do, for then you will represent your Father as his beloved sons and daughters.


Beloved in Christ, while we are here in our earthly tent, let us be imitators of God, representing our Father as His beloved children on this earth. That we may make manifest the new man's home and world right where we are. 

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