Monday / Everything in the Name of Jesus / week 6 day 1
Read: Colossians 3:17- 4:6; Romans 14:7-9 SOAP: Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
Colossians 3:17
We are to live the whole of our lives for Jesus, because as believers, everything we do and say speaks for or against Jesus. We were not only created by God but for His glory (Isa 43:7 and Rev 4:11). Even Jesus sought to bring His Father glory (John 8:49, John 17:1-5). That’s right, Jesus did not come to be glorified, but to suffer and die for your sins and my sins, not just “the sins of the world”, and in doing this He wanted to glorify the Father in Heaven. He did not come to be glorified by the world but to be glorified by God in His presence, just as He was before the world was created.1
“I glorified you [Father] on earth, having accomplished the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”
John 17:4
Let’s review … Paul, who has never met the believers in Colossae, has written them a letter. The letter is filled with excitement at what he has heard about them, encouragement for their walk of faith, and instructions to help them succeed in their new lives as people of God. We do something very similar at our church. Every new believer receives a Bible, a letter from God, introducing Himself to them, telling them about the history of His people and their new family, and giving them examples of how to live as the new creations they are in Christ. Like Paul’s letter, God’s Word is filled with excitement, encouragement, and instructions to help us succeed in our walk of faith.
We no longer live under the requirement of the law of checklists and rules. But we must still give careful consideration to how our words and actions will reflect on Him. Will they bring Him glory and draw others to God or shame Him and push them further away from Him? If we want to live like Jesus, our goal must be to bring glory to God in whatever we say and do.
Paraphrasing a statement by LGG in today’s journal entry,2 faith and the essence of Christian living is more than rules and spiritual experiences. “It’s about being made new in Christ, no longer clothed in the old nature but having a completely new identity, one that bears the image of Christ, not characterized by sin but love, that shows itself through acts of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” It’s a life that requires us to forgive others just as God through Christ has forgiven us. It’s a life controlled by peace and filled with the Word of Christ, that flows out from us in our interactions and daily lives with others.
Friends, “For faith in God to be genuine, it must be based on the genuine God.“3
Faith is personal, so we must get personal with ourselves and ask, what or who is my faith based on? What role does faith play in my life? Is it at the top of the list, governing all of my choices… or… is it just another part of my life, relegated to Sundays or when I’m in the company of other believers? Is it something I share or keep to myself… something I practice or simply claim… is it something I hold tightly to… or something I grab onto only when troubles come my way… Is it something that points others to Christ… or is all about me? These are tough questions, but if we truly want to live by faith, the answer(s) are important. For as Paul wrote to the Galatian believers, “I have been crucified with Christ. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.”4 We no longer live for ourselves, but we have been made representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ, meaning whatever we do or say must glorify God the Father.
The word whatever means exactly that – EVERYTHING… where we go, what we say, what we do, how we dress, how we act, how we respond to others, even our facial expressions, how we treat others, and the hidden things, like what we think, will point back to Him ~ because we are His representatives. So the choices we make must all be made… with Him in mind and for His honor, not simply our delight or satisfaction.
Reflection and Application
- What situation, responsibility, problem, or fear do you need to talk to Jesus about?
- Are you totally available to Him to use for His glory all that you say and do?
The More We Know
- https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/why-did-jesus-not-seek-his-own-glory ↩︎
- Christ is All I Need, Devotion, p170, LGG ↩︎
- Genuine Faith ↩︎
- Galatians 2:20 ↩︎
Me From the Inside Out 