Ephesians 6:9, Instructions for Employers

Ephesians 6:9
Instructions for Employers

 

            We are getting closer to the end of our study through Ephesians.  Since chapter 4 verse 1 we have studied how to live worthy of our calling as Christians.  We have seen how to do that in many ways.  Recently we have focused on the home life:  marriage, parenting, and now work.  We will focus today on how Christian employers are to conduct themselves in a way that is worthy of their calling.  In doing so we will see not only some points for Employers, but, we will see some attributes of God as well.

Everyone is a servant to the Lord

            Everyone is a servant to the Lord.  A Christian employer knows that no matter how many servants he has, no matter how many employees he has, he is himself a servant of the Lord as an employer.  Paul says, “And Masters, treat your slaves in the same way.” 

The same way as what? 

The same way the slaves are to treat their masters.  How are the slaves to treat their masters?  He says in verse 6, “doing the will of God from your heart.  [7] Serve the Lord wholeheartedly…”  Masters are also to do God’s will sincerely from their hearts, and as they manage their employees they are to keep in mind that they serve the Lord in the way they manage.

 

How do they do that?  One of the first ways is by treating them with respect and with fairness.  Colossians 4:1 says, “Master, provide your slaves with what is right and fair…”

 

A Christian employer treats his or her employees with respect and fairness, and cares about doing what’s right by them.  They don’t “lord it over them.”  We’re all familiar with this phrase, but, basically it means that we don’t abuse the authority we have.  We don’t treat our employees harshly or threaten them.  We pay them what is right and what is fair.  In James 5 the author is rebuking the rich who acted corruptly.  As he itemizes their sins he says they withheld wages, “Look!  The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you.  The cries of the harvesters have reached the wears of the Lord Almighty.”

 

Furthermore, we don’t ask them to do unethical or immoral things because that’s not the way we want to succeed in the business world.  I mean, if you can’t make a profit without cheating, get out of business.  Paul actually says in the verse specifically, “Do not threaten them”.  Don’t use intimidation, don’t hold things over their heads, etc.  That’s what people who don’t know the Lord do.  Jesus spoke of this.  Turn with me to Matthew 20:25-28.  [Read] 

 

This is servant leadership.  Peter remembered this sermon well, because decades later when he wrote his 1^st letter he reiterated what Jesus said.  In 1 Peter 5:3 he says, “[do not lord] it over those entrusted to you, but be examples to the flock.”     Jesus wasn’t just talking about church leaders.  His instruction applied to all Christians in any leadership positions. 

Everyone will be Reviewed by the Lord

            Secondly, Employers must remember that Everyone will be reviewed by the Lord.  One of the responsibilities of having employees under you is that you must review them.  Employers must remember that they themselves will be reviewed by the Lord for the way in which they conducted themselves with their employees.  Notice verse 9 again, “…since you know that both their master and yours is in heaven and there is no favoritism with Him.” 

 

            There is no favoritism.  In other words, God does not favor the rich and overlook their sins because they are rich and somehow above the law.  He doesn’t say, “Oh, they are rich, I am impressed with their wealth and status, I am even intimidated by all their success, I will let them off the hook for their sins.” 

 

Nor does He favor the poor and overlook their sins out of pity on them because they are poor.  He doesn’t say, “Oh, they have it bad enough, look at how they have struggled, I don’t want to make it worse for them by holding them accountable for their sins.” 

 

No, God is perfectly just and He is in debt to no man.  Everyman, from the least to the greatest will receive perfect justice from God for all his ways.  The Christian employer knows this, and, therefore he is just in all his ways related to his business.

 

You know who else knew this?  Job.  Turn to Job 31:13-15 with me.

 

            There is this particular understanding that Christian employers have that non-Christians don’t.  They understand that God has made both the Master and the slave, the Employer and the Employee.  Proverbs 22:2 says, “Rich and poor have this in common:  The LORD is the Maker of them all.”  And inherent in that statement is the idea that while God has given one of His creatures authority and blessed them, they are not therefore superior over those under his authority. 

 

Authority is not a license from God to abuse those under our authority, rather, it is an opportunity to show love and honor to God.  The Scriptures say that the way in which employees are treated is how we treat the Lord.  Listen to Proverbs 17:5, “He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker”, and Proverbs 14:31 says, “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” 

 

We need to be aware that Authority comes from the Lord, and, we are accountable to the Lord for how we use that authority.  1 Corinthians 4:7 says “For who makes you different from anyone else?  What do you have that you did not receive?  And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?”   

Conclusion:

There is one important point here that applies not only to employers, but employees, parents, children, husbands and wives.  It is this:  God is in heaven, and, we are accountable to Him for the roles that each of us have here on earth.  Let us be worthy of our calling as husbands, wives, as children, as parents, as employees, and as employers.