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It's been suggested that we start with verse 17 of chapter 3, and that perhaps we would carry on through the 1St 6 verses of chapter 4.
Colossians chapter 3 and verse 17. 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.
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and be not bitter against them.
Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. Servants, obey in all things your masters, according to flesh, not with eye service as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. And whatsoever you do, do it hardly as to the Lord. And not unto men, knowing that of the Lord. He shall receive the reward of the inheritance. For ye serve the Lord Christ, but he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done.
And there is no respect of persons. Chapter 4. Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that you also have a master in heaven. Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with Thanksgiving, with all Praying also before us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds, that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak, walk in wisdom toward them that are without redeeming the time.
Let your speech be always with grace, season with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man.
I suppose it would make a very big difference in our lives.
If every time we opened our mouths.
Or every time we were going to do something.
We remembered the 17th verse that.
We should attach the name of the Lord Jesus to it.
Of course, in one sense, whether we like it or not.
Because we bear the name of Christ, we do attach the name of the Lord to what we say or do, and in that sense having been baptized.
We do take on his name, and that's why it says in Second Timothy two let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity, but what a challenge it is to our hearts and everything.
Can I legitimately attach the name of the Lord to what I say or what I do? It's really the end result of what we have earlier in the chapter, where it says Christ is all and in all.
But it's a very searching thought, isn't it? When it comes to our practical walk to remember that that name, we should be able to attach that name whatever we say or do.
And it's in the name of the Lord Jesus. It's with a sense of His Lordship.
Our lives.
We need to realize that we have been bought with a price we are not our own.
We belong to him who bought us and to remember that.
Everything we do in Word or deed that there is one who we recognize as Lord in our lives.
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And then there's another dimension here too. Because if we do all in his name, we ultimately give thanks in his name too, don't we?
That blessed privilege is ours by virtue of living during this time of God's grace.
And so the Lord Jesus, when he was speaking to his disciples in John 14, he could say hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name?
That is, they had gone directly to him as being present among them there on earth, and they had been able to avail themselves of his power and his.
Ability to deal with whatever need, whatever problem came up. But now he was bringing before them the blessedness of going directly to the father in his name. And you and I have that privilege. Don't worry of giving thanks.
In his name.
And so, of course we make our prayers in His name too, when there is a real need, but it's a wonderful thing to give thanks in that name.
Are we to give thanks for the good things that happened in our lives?
Is that what you're saying, Bill?
Well, I don't think I quite couched it in those terms.
No, it says in everything. Give thanks, doesn't it?
And it's noticeable here that it says giving thanks unto God and the Father.
When God is in question, it's more the thought of nature and power, isn't it? And there are things that God provides for us because of His power, and we're thankful for him.
Not that we can in one sense separate his Godhead power from his relationship to us as Father, but there are things that we appreciate from God and that we thank Him for as God.
It might say that it is important for us as believers never to forget.
That even brought into the relationship his father with him. We are still creatures and we are still to recognize him as God.
If I can speak from a Canadian point of view, our present queen, Queen Elizabeth the Second, when she was a little girl.
Her grandfather, King George the fifth, sat on the throne, and whenever she approached him she first of all had to stop and had to bow and had to acknowledge him as the king. And then she could run and jump into his lap as her grandfather, and she was taught to do that from an early age. She had to recognize him first of all for who he was as the king, and then she could enjoy her relationship with him as her grandfather.