And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus …
Summary: In this passage, Paul lays down a challenge. He reminds us that God is everywhere, and our Lord Jesus is always with us. He suggests that maybe we should act like it.
Here is an interesting thought! What if everything you ever said or did was in the name of the Lord Jesus? Does that change anything?
As children of God and brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus, we actually have a responsibility to acknowledge God in our daily lives.
For example, a child behaves differently when their parents are in the room than when the parents are absent. (What kid hasn’t heard Mom yell, “Wait ‘till your Dad gets home and hears about this!!”)
When parents are gone, the child knows that if they are doing something “wrong” they “might” get caught. They also know they might not! Mom and Dad can’t be everywhere all the time! (Although there are many moms who have a reputation for having “eyes in the back of their heads”).
The thing about God is that he has eyes everywhere!*
God knows what we are up to all the time.
“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” (Luke 8:17)
So if God knows everything we are doing, shouldn’t we act like it?
Don’t get me wrong! I’m not judging you! Think of it as a “hypothetical question.”
What if everything we did was done in the name of the Lord? Would that change anything? Would we talk to God more? Maybe ask his opinion about things more often?
Paul isn’t talking about just “church stuff.” He is talking about everything we do from the time we get up in the morning until we fall asleep at night. And not just what we do, but what we say as well!
Oh my! If I could only live this way all the time! How much embarrassment would it save me? How many apologies could I avoid making?
We can do this. All we have to do is remember that Jesus, our Lord and King, is right here with us.
Application: Live as though Jesus were watching, because he is.
Food for Thought: What kind of impact could this verse have on our personal lives, our church, and our world?
*You think I’m kidding?? Read Ezekiel 1:18, 10:12, and Revelation 4:6-8.
If we did everything always “in the name of the Lord,” then the name of the Lord would be honored more frequently by more people. We represent Him to the outside world and we want His name honored because of us.
Israel had dishonored His name by representing Him poorly, and He vowed to change that for the honor of His name.
Ezekiel 36: 22 – 23: “Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.
We live for His glory which means His name should be revered by our actions. People should look at how we live and it should in some way reflect on how great the Lord is. He died for us, we now live for Him and if we reflect Him well He can use that to change lives.
Matthew 5: 16: In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
2 Corinthians 5: 15: nd he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
Amen, Rich!
It is an honor to honor the Lord! I wish I was better at it!!
What kind of impact could this verse have on our personal lives, our church, and our world?
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus , giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17, 3;23.
“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.” Luke 8:17
All believers should be encouraged, walk in confidence knowing we exist in Gods presence. He is our power to achieve His revealed will for us on this earth. There is nothing He does not know about each of us, there is nothing He has not forgiven and there is nothing that will occur in our lives that He has not approved.
Acts 17:28, Exodus 33:14, Ephesians 1:11-12, Mathew 11:29, 1 John 5:12, Matthew 28:19
As believers, our hearts see what our eyes do not. Our hearts receive the confidence, assurance of the truths we now live in.
Titus 3:5, Galatians 2:20, 1 John 1:9, 3:18
Thank you, Ron!
You make a great point: Our hearts can “see” in ways that our eyes cannot. Living for God depends on our heart vision.