Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.
Summary: Wrestling with Paul’s letters is not an easy task. Paul’s thinking can be complicated, and the context of his thoughts obscure. Today’s passage gives us plenty to ponder.
In the beginning of Paul’s letter, he “sets the table” with this statement:
“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.” (Colossians 1:21-23)
Everything sounded great until he said, “… if you continue in your faith.” Suddenly, there is a question about what it means to “continue” in faith.
Now, before we proceed, I want to clarify something.
Churches have teachings they call “doctrines.” These teachings are usually boiled down to simple statements like “Once Saved, Always Saved.”
The problem with these teachings (and there are lots of them!) is that they are constructed around ancient theological arguments that cropped up during the life of the Christian church. Sometimes, it can feel like the Bible contradicts a doctrine.
For example — When Paul writes, “if you continue in your faith,” that sounds like we have a choice. We can continue in faith or not. If we do, we are “free from accusation.” If we don’t continue, then what? Do we only have to deal with verses like our passage then?
If you don’t want to challenge a church doctrine that you hold dear, I understand. Please stop reading, and let’s meet again at the next mediation. If you are willing to consider what the Bible actually says, let’s forge ahead.
“Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.”
Paul’s statement is blunt. There is not a lot of wiggle room for misunderstanding here. The question I see is, “Who does this apply to?”
Context is always important, and the context here is fascinating. Paul has been talking about our duty to submit to the authorities God has placed in our lives. He is teaching us that we are actually serving the Lord Jesus Christ. Then he says, “Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs…”
Is this similar to Paul’s caveat about “continuing in faith?” Are we talking about people who believe in Jesus but choose to disobey? What is going on?
In truth, I don’t have the answer… yet. Maybe you do? What we can take from Paul’s statement is a warning: Don’t do wrong!
Perhaps that is enough.
Application: Faith is a lifestyle. Live as though God were watching … because he is!
Food for Thought: When Paul writes, “… there is no favoritism,” what does he mean? Is he putting believers and unbelievers in the same pot?
Thank you Jeff for today’s meditation. I have to remember “about our duty to submit to the authorities God has placed in our lives. He is teaching us that we are actually serving the Lord Jesus Christ.”
I appreciate you brother.
Thanks, Tim!
Always a pleasure to have you on board! And yes, you are spot on! Jesus is King!
When Paul writes, “ there is no favoritism,” what does he mean? Is he putting believers and unbelievers in the same pot?
1.) All mankind, in our natural state, in our own power, are imperfect beings. Without Christ, we are all in the same pot. We are sinful beings separated from God, with no power, or desire to live according to His will.
Romans 3:23, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Isiah 53:6, All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
2.) God sent His Son Jesus Christ into this world as our example, and power over sin in our lives. This gift of salvation is freely offered to to all mankind.
John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:36, Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
3.) All those receiving Jesus Christ become children of God and given His power to turn from the power, separate ourselves from this world, to a life with Christ who becomes our power to overcome sin. All believers are definitely in a different Pot.
John 6:47, Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.
2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
Philippians 3:20, But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank you, Ron!
It is definitely a Joy to walk with Jesus every day!
A very thought-provoking mediation today. I liked Ron’s answer.
There is a phrase my grandfather used to say a lot to all us grand-kids, and from the pulpit, (later in life I found out it was from Numbers 32:23):
“be sure your sin will find you out”
Numbers 32:23 But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.
I think this fits with what Paul is saying “Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.” As followers of Christ, we live in grace, but that doesn’t mean we enjoy some kind of mulligan on the consequences of our own sin.
Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
Is Paul putting us in the same pot with unbelievers? If I do wrong as a believer I am willfully disobeying God with a greater knowledge and understanding of God. I think the more relevant consequence to this is the separation I would be creating between the Spirit and myself. I think my decisions would still bring the weight of consequence, and I think this is where it gets difficult to grasp. That as a believer, I could have “done wrong”, repented, and be given peace in the midst of consequence for my actions.
Luke 12:48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
Hebrews 10:26-27 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries
For the unbeliever, they not only must suffer the consequence for their decisions here on Earth, but are on a path to suffer the eternal consequence for sin unless they repent and receive Christ as their Savior. They are still a slave to sin, as a death is a cruel master, a greater consequence is that it drives them deeper into darkness.
2 Corinthians 4:4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
So I reckon I took the long way just to say this:
Christ came to redeem us from sin and to restore us to God. Sin shows no favoritism, it seeks to destroy all mankind.
Thank you, Chris.
You bring to mind 2 Samuel 12:13 —
“Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’
Nathan replied, ‘The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.'”
Nathan went on to explain that even though David’s sins were removed, there would still be consequences.