Life in Relation to Christ: “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.” Colossians 3:17. There is something very comprehensive about the language in this particular passage of Scripture. The Word of God does not isolate religion into outward expressions of devotion, but carries the authority of Christ into every sphere of life. It reaches into the common routines of daily existence, teaching that Christianity is not merely an addition to life, but the very atmosphere in which life itself is to be lived in fellowship with, dependence upon, and conscious remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians 2:6.
The passage itself moves far beyond the narrow way men often think about religion. We naturally tend to separate life into compartments – one part belonging to God, and another belonging to ordinary daily existence. Yet Scripture continually breaks down this distinction. “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” I Corinthians 10:31. The believer is not merely called to acknowledge Christ in moments of worship, but also throughout the ordinary and often mundane affairs of daily life where much of human existence is actually spent. The same Lord who is honored in prayer and praise is also to be remembered in the workplace, in the home, in conversation, in acts of kindness, in integrity, patience, mercy, and thankfulness. Christianity does not remove a man from ordinary life, but brings even the common paths of daily life into living connection with Christ. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.” Colossians 2:6.
One of the great weaknesses of our thinking is the tendency to divide life into categories which Scripture itself does not separate. Men often speak as though certain portions of life belong to God while other areas remain merely ordinary or temporal. Yet the language of Colossians 3:17 reaches far beyond outward worship and formal acts of devotion. It reaches into the daily patterns where the spirit of a man is most consistently displayed. A man may speak much concerning Christ and truth, while still manifesting a harsh spirit and selfish disposition in his everyday dealings with others. What the gospel produces is not an artificial spirituality detached from life, but a life shaped by communion with Christ. I John 1:3.
The gospel is concerned with the spirit in which a man labors, responds, and conducts himself day by day. It teaches the believer to walk through the world itself in continual reference to Christ, so that His name accompanies him not only in prayer and worship, but in speech, labor, conduct, relationships, and the common interactions through which life is ordinarily lived. “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.” Philippians 1:27.
To do all in the name of the Lord Jesus is far more than merely attaching religious language to human activity. It is to live consciously beneath the reality of who Christ is and what He hath accomplished. The believer’s acceptance before God is not established by the quality of his daily life, but by the finished work of Christ alone. And yet it is precisely this reconciliation and peace with God which begins to shape the spirit in which life itself is lived. Gratitude, kindness, integrity, patience, mercy, and humility do not become means of obtaining acceptance, but fruits flowing from already having been brought nigh unto God through His Son. Ephesians 2:10.
Colossians 3:17 leaves us with a vision of life gathered together beneath the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not a fragmented existence divided between sacred and ordinary things, but one whole life lived consciously before God through His Son. The passage reaches from worship into work, from prayer into conversation, from public devotion into private conduct, teaching that the believer’s entire course is to be lived in conscious fellowship with Christ. Thanksgiving, labor, worship, speech, fellowship, suffering, and service are all gathered together under one great reality: “Christ is all.” Colossians 3:11. MPJ