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Everything in the Name of Jesus

Colossians 3:17 (ESV) -- And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

“Glory to God!” Angels and saints alike have uttered these words. They encapsulate much of why we exist. We exist to glorify God in and through our lives. We want to display His goodness and greatness and supremacy in all we do. That is what “glory to God” is short-hand for. We see this throughout the Bible.

Our text today is teaching this idea though the words are slightly different. Paul says, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Paul says “whatever you do,” which is covering every possible scenario imaginable. Whether you go to school, work a job, parent children, go to the dentist, cook a meal, workout at the gym, or anything else. The “whatever you do” covers it all. He says whatever you do, word or deed, we should do in the name of the Lord Jesus. 

What does he mean by that? It means we should do as for Him. We should do it for His glory. We should do it to honor Him, please Him, and obey Him. He is our life. We do everything in His name. The reason for this is because Christians live for Christ, not for ourselves. We live for the glory of His name, not our own. We live for the accomplishment of His will, not our own. We live according to His wisdom, not our own.

Paul adds that as we do everything in Jesus’ name, we are giving thanks to the Father through Him. So, as we live for Jesus, we are giving thanks to the Father. The Father is pleased with the Son, and the Son lives to please and glorify the Father. When the Son is glorified, it glorifies the Father. When we live and do all things in Jesus’ name, it pleases God, and glorifies Christ, which also pleases God. So turn everything you do today into an act of thanksgiving to God through Christ. We live for Him in all things.


Reflection & Journal: 
- How can we be helped to turn every word and deed into something done in Jesus’ name?
- Why do we often struggle to live this way? 
- How is it that God the Father is glorified when God the Son is glorified through the lives of believers?


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