Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;
teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Colossians 3: 16-17
Let us ponder these words as we come to the end of 2018. As we look ahead to what 2019 holds for us, we can purpose in our hearts to “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
How would that change the way we live? Would you act differently if you knew that your actions would be seen as acts of Jesus? Would the reputation of our Lord suffer from your actions, your words, your thoughts?
Oswald Chambers writes in “My Utmost For His Highest” –
The sign that God is at work in us is that He corrupts confidence in the natural virtues, because they are not promises of what we are going to be, but remnants of what God created man to be. We will cling to the natural virtues, while all the time God is trying to get us into contact with the life of Jesus Christ which can never be described in terms of the natural virtues. It is the saddest thing to see people in the service of God depending on that which the grace of God never gave them, depending on what they have by the accident of heredity. God does not build up our natural virtues and transfigure them, because our natural virtues can never come anywhere near what Jesus Christ wants. No natural love, no natural patience, no natural purity can ever come up to His demands. But as we bring every bit of our bodily life into harmony with the new life which God has put in us, He will exhibit in us the virtues that were characteristic of the Lord Jesus.
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:26-28
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
Colossians 3:9-11
Dying to self daily and living for Jesus is what we are called to do if we claim the name of Christ. We cannot do this on our own but only the Holy Spirit working in us can accomplish this. Allow God to transfigure you, to form Christ in you.
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Prayer.
Lord, I know that on my own I can do nothing but with Christ all things are possible. Guide me moment by moment. Show me when to act and when to stand still. Show me when to speak and when to keep silent. Show me when to question and when to trust. And whatsoever I do in word or deed, may I do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen
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