‘Servants obey in all things those who are your masters according to the flesh, not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do work heartily as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the recompense of the inheritance. You serve the Lord Christ.'
These words apply to all who serve in any way. Christians should be responsive and biddable to those who have the right to bid them. They should not only work hard when watched, but also when no one is watching. They should remember that the Lord is watching and will require their failure of them or reward them for their dedication. They should have only one aim. To please the Lord. For in the end they have only one Lord, Christ Himself. Many to whom these words were addressed were slaves, but they were to remember that they were the Lord's freemen (1 Corinthians 7:22; Romans 8:21; John 8:36) and behave accordingly.
‘Obey in all things.' Willing to do anything unless forbidden by a higher law. ‘Your masters according to the flesh.' That is, from a human point of view. ‘Not with eye-service.' Either working hard only when being watched or doing only what will be visible to the naked eye. Either way it means skimping on work. ‘Singleness of heart.' Having only one purpose in mind, to do the job fully and satisfactorily, remembering that the Lord is watching and will require it of them.
‘Whatever you do, work heartily.' The Christian always gives his best in everything. And he knows that by so doing he receives the greater inheritance, for His Lord will not overlook what he has done.
‘The recompense of the inheritance.' See Galatians 3:18; Galatians 4:1; Ephesians 1:14; Ephesians 1:18; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 1:12. We are both the Lord's heritage and will receive from Him our inheritance, the ‘inheritance of the saints in light' (Colossians 1:12). For, in the final analysis, the Lord we serve is the Lord Christ. There is a divine paradox here in that the slave of men is the freeman of the Lord and will finally receive the greater inheritance.