Colossians 3:25 25For the one who does wrong will receive back the wrong, and there is no partiality.
This verse reverses course from the previous positive statements and gives a warning to slaves. Slaves were in a position where they may have been tempted to compromise in any number of ways, including pilfering from their masters or being deceitful to avoid trouble. The temptation to take the easier road remains the same for employees today. Often the wrong or evil done will come back to haunt a person, even years later. Even other employees can return the wrong done to them. Revenge is one particularly dangerous wrong that can cause great pain.
The unstated principle behind this verse is that slaves must live with the utmost integrity. It would be tempting to skim off the top every so slightly that no one notices. Even if the master does not see or may never know, God knows. The last statement of the verse gives another motive for working hard and being honest in all we do. The subject is not stated, but the obvious implication is that God is the judge and will pass judgment on all that a person does. We cannot fool God and think that even the small things do not matter. We must be honest and hard working in all ways. God will notice and it is a strong possibility that those for whom we work will also take notice. This may lead to a better situation for us as workers, even a promotion or pay raise. But even if this does not happen–because it often did not happen for slaves of the first century–we must do our jobs as if we are working for the Lord because the Lord is watching what we do.
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