Do All in the Name of the Lord Jesus

Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 

This verse is another example of the Lord trying to get something across to us thick-headed people by saying three times the same thing.

1. whatsoever ye do - all encompassing

2. in word or deed - all encompassing

3. do all - all encompassing

Three time in the same verse, the Lord tells us that we are to do EVERYTHING in the name of the Lord Jesus.  This past week did you do everything in the name of the Lord?  Not just the spiritual things, but everything.  Did you do it all in His name?

Many people do not truly understand what it means to do something in the name of the Lord.  This study will explain exactly what it means to do everything in the name of the Lord.

1. In the name of the Lord means you have His approval

We should do nothing without the approval of the Lord.  If you have ever had to make a business trip you went representing your boss and your company.  You were expected to conduct yourself in such a way that would be approved by your boss.  The same goes for everything that we do as Christians.  When we mess up, we are not only making ourselves look bad, but more importantly we are making the Lord look bad.  If we do everything with His approval we can keep ourselves from messing up.

When you lay your head on your pillow each night can you look back on the day and say that you did everything that day with the approval of the Lord?  Everything you watched, or listened to, where you went and what you thought about, was it all with the Lord's approval?  Would he be pleased with all that you did or thought?  Ladies, did you clean your house for the Lord's approval?  Men, did you do your job to please the Lord, or did you just do it to please the boss?  Students, did you complete your studying for the Lord?

We can never do this by accident.  We have to make a conscious effort to do all in the name of the Lord and to meet His approval.  We must spend much time in prayer and constantly make decisions keeping in mind that we are commanded to do things for the Lord's approval.

2. In the name of the Lord means you have His authority

On that same business trip I spoke of above you would be carrying the authority of your boss and your company.  Jesus has commanded us to be His own representatives while we are on this earth and we can do nothing if we do not do it in His name, with His authority.

Most Christians go through life trying to do things with their own authority expecting God to just go along.  It simply doesn't and can't work that way.  We will never lead a successful and fruitful Christian life trying to do things in our own authority.  With His authority we can accomplish mighty things that we would never have though possible otherwise.

3. In the name of the Lord means you are doing it for His acclaim

God wants us to make Him look good.  Again the same business trip illustration applies here.  You would want to make your boss and your company look good and how much more should we want to make our Lord look good in front of the world?  How much more does God deserve to look good after all He has done for us?  He saved us from an eternity in Hell, He is the Lord and Creator of all things.  He deserves to be lifted up and commands us to do so.

How did you make God look last week?  Did the people you came into contact with see you making God look good?  Do you make God look good to others?  Do other people see God as something they want becase of how you make Him look?

Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.