A Note from Michael Gossett
Living Under the Authority of Christ
A number of years ago, a team of archaeologists found an ancient workshop near Ephesus. Inside were half-finished pieces of stone and wood, chisels and hammers that were still lying where they had been dropped centuries before. What was so fascinating was how each piece had markings from the worker’s hands. The tools had shaped the raw material toward a particular design, though unfinished when this workshop was abandoned.
This scene that was discovered gives us a vivid picture of discipleship. Just as a craftsman must envision the end product before every carving begins, God envisions the likeness of Christ as the end goal for His people. Paul reminds us that our calling is not random self-improvement, but to be “imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us” (Ephesians 5:1-2). Every aspect of our lives is a workshop where God is shaping us into the image of His Son. This means your home is that workshop. Where you work is that workshop. The way you lead is that workshop. And everything in between.
In Ephesians 6:1-9, Paul levels down to the everyday places where this shaping most commonly occurs—children and parents, workers and leaders. In each of these relationships, Paul shows us what it means to live under the authority of Christ.
Every Voice for the Kingdom
Paul begins by addressing children and slaves. In the Roman world, both groups were viewed as little more than property. They had no legal status and no voice in society. Yet Paul writes directly to them in Scripture. This is revolutionary, by the way. By addressing them as moral and spiritual agents, Paul declares that in Christ, every believer, no matter the age, gender, or status, has dignity and responsibility in God’s kingdom.
This is the leveling power of the gospel. Paul reminds us in Galatians 3:28: “There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus.” The gospel does not erase distinctions but redefines them under Christ’s lordship.
Our culture tends to make claims about the value of people and the equal status of everyone, while at the same time silences the very ones that Jesus welcomes: the unborn, the marginalized, the child with special needs. The church has to be different. If Paul gave dignity to the voiceless of his day, then this must be our natural standard as well. Every child in our nursery, every student in our youth ministry, every worker in our community carries the same image of God and deserves to be discipled toward Christ.
Living Obediently and Honorably
Paul begins by addressing the children. Verses 1-3 says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. Honor your father and mother—which is the first commandment with a promise—so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land.”
Obedience is rooted in the Lord Himself. This is the starting point of all obedience, but especially children. To obey your parents is to obey Christ, because God has vested parents with delegated authority. Conversely, to rebel against parents is to rebel against the authority of Christ. This is why disobedience appears in Scripture as a mark of societal collapse. Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:1-2: “In the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of self…. Disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy.”
But Paul presses even further. Obedience applies to childhood but honor spans across a lifetime. Honoring parents includes respect, gratitude, care in their old age, and living out their godly wisdom. Proverbs affirms this. Proverbs 1:8-9 says, “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and don’t reject your mother’s teaching, for they will be a garland of favor on your head and pendants around your neck.”
Our society often treats parents as obstacles to progress or voices to be discarded once we reach adulthood. Yet Paul insists that the flourishing of families and even societies depends on living according to this command. God attaches a promise: “That it may go well with you.” The blessing of obedience and honor is not merely individual but a community endeavor. It strengthens families, churches, and communities when people live according to God’s design.
Disciplining Toward Christlikeness
Paul then turns to parents and, even more specifically, the fathers. Ephesians 6:4 says, “Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
This command addresses two opposite sides of the parenting spectrum. On one hand, some fathers provoke anger through harshness, inconsistency, or neglect. Overbearing discipline has the potential to crush the spirit of children rather than cultivating Christlikeness in them. On the other hand, some fathers give away their role entirely to mothers or the church in hopes of their children receiving spiritual instruction. Paul calls fathers to active, gentle, and intentional discipleship.
The language, “bring them up,” suggests a tender nourishment. The same word is used in Ephesians 5:29 where husbands are to “nourish and cherish” their wives. Discipline is not about behavior modification but about heart transformation. Parents are not called to raise moral Pharisees but disciples of Jesus. At times, these lines are difficult to manage and even more difficult to see. This type of parenting causes you to look beyond the behavior and discern what is happening in their hearts. This is the place where Jesus does His best work in our children.
Consider Proverbs 20:5: “Counsel in a person’s heart is deep water; but a person of understanding draws it out.” Wise parents do not merely enforce rules but draw out the heart, pointing their children to Christ. Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote, “It is from God that parents receive their children, and it is to God that they in turn ought to lead them.”
This responsibility extends beyond the nuclear family. The church is called to spiritual parenthood. Paul urged Timothy to treat older men as fathers and younger women as sisters. Every believer shares the responsibility of helping the next generation see and love Jesus and His Word.
Serving Sincerely and Eagerly
Paul now turns to the slaves. While Scripture never condones slavery, Paul applies the gospel to the reality of his day, teaching that Christ’s authority transforms even when the systems are unjust. For us, the closest application is the workplace.
Eph. 6:5–8 says, “Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as you would Christ. Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing God’s will from your heart. Serve with a good attitude, as to the Lord and not to people, knowing that whatever good each one does, slave or free, he will receive this back from the Lord.”
Notice three elements of how you and I should look at our places of work.
- Work is worship. Paul says we serve “as you would Christ.” Every task, no matter how meager and mundane, is an offering unto the Lord. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”
- Integrity matters in every area of life, including your workplace. Christians are not to serve only when watched but from the heart. Our work ethic should testify to the sincerity of our faith.
- Reward is certain. No act of faithfulness will ever go unnoticed. Hebrews 6:10 says, “For God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you demonstrated for his name.”
In a culture that idolizes advancement and bigger paychecks, Christians work eagerly for a higher reward, which is ultimately Christ Himself. We work toward the day that we may stand before Him and He proclaims, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).
The worker or servant is not the only person that Paul addresses in the workplace, however. Paul addresses the leaders as well. Ephesians 6:9 says, “And masters, treat your slaves the same way, without threatening them, because you know that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.”
Christian leadership must reflect the leadership of Christ. Matthew 20:25-28 says, “Jesus called them over and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”
Leaders in the kingdom are called to be:
- Graceful – Leaders must extend kindness and fairness, knowing they too are under the authority of Christ. Heavy handed or domineering leadership has no place in the church or the Christian home.
- Intentional – Jesus led His disciples through observation, participation, and delegation. He did not merely assign tasks, instead He shaped people.
Every believer leads someone, whether it is your children, coworkers, or friends. The question is not if you lead, but how and where you are leading people.
What this really all boils down to is that every facet of your life is to be lived under the authority of Christ while helping others do the same. Your life is a life of discipleship. This is ultimately what discipleship is. The question for us is simple yet prodding at the same time: What are you doing to mold people and shape people into the image of Christ? Like a craftsman with unfinished pieces in Ephesus, God is chiseling away at our lives with the end picture in mind which is to become like His son. Here is the cool part, you are invited to join Him in shaping others as well.
So let us live under the authority of Christ in all areas—obediently, faithfully, wisely, sincerely, and gracefully all for the glory of Christ.
Join us this Wednesday for a night of prayer and worship. Last week we officially started our weekly prayer gathering and I can confidently say, you do not want to miss the next one! It is a time of shaping, praying, worshiping, and bringing our burdens to the Lord. Hope to see you there! Every Wednesday at 6pm.
This Sunday at Green Acres
What does it really mean to love your enemies? How do we respond when we’re wronged, insulted, or mistreated? Jesus calls His followers to a radical, upside-down kind of love—a love beyond limits.
Join us this Sunday as I preach from Luke 6:27–36 on what it means to resist retaliation, respond with mercy, and reveal the very heart of God. This is a message you don’t want to miss—and it might just change the way you love those around you.
Bring a friend and come discover “Love Beyond Limits” at 9:30 or 11:00 at the Tyler Campus or Flint Campus, and 11:00 in Español.
We also have Connect Groups, which are essential for your growth in Christ, that meet at 8:00 am, 9:30 am, and 11:00 am. Come and join us!
You are loved and prayed for!
Michael Gossett