Fri 8.5 - Like Jesus, Like Jesus

Today’s Readings: Colossians 3.17-25; Philippians 2.5-8

As we close out this passage in Colossians, we’ve noted that God addresses a variety of real-life relationships. Let’s now make sure that we are reading about those relationships in the correct context.

Remember if you would the thought of 3.17 for a moment. Basically put, we are to make sure that our very WORDS and DEEDS are done IN THE NAME of the Lord Jesus Christ, correct? So then, what is the connection between that verse and the list of relationships that follows in the next verses?

I think we can argue that 3.18-22 are simply examples of how 3.17 should look in our lives. For example, if we are living our life in the name of Jesus Christ then:

As wives, we will SUBMIT.
As husbands, we will LOVE.
As children, we will be OBEDIENT.
As parents, we will be HUMBLE.
As SERVANTS, we will OBEY.

Now, you may be looking at this list and think to yourself, those are not exactly the first qualities that I think of when I think of Jesus. While majesty, holiness, power, and preeminence are the things that we typically associate with Him, do not lose sight of the time he spent here on earth and what that it took for GOD to become a MAN.

I find a lot of similarities between the teaching of Col 3.17 and of Phil 2.5. Read them together and see if you can sense the heart of the author as you read. They both seem to be calling us to a selflessness and a pursuit of Jesus’ life in ours don’t they? As our WORDS and DEEDS are taken captive to Christ and our MIND becomes His, then it seems that we would begin to live that life of seeking things above and setting our affection on things above.

Check out the similarities in the description of the mind of Christ is Phil 2.5-8

He SUBMITTED to the will of God, “but made himself of no reputation”
He was made a SERVANT, “and took upon himself the form of a servant“
He LOVED us enough to be, “made in the likeness of man“
He was HUMBLED, “being found in fashion as a man, he bumbled himself”
He was OBEDIENT, “and became obedient unto death, even death of the cross“

Do you see some similarities? I can’t help but think that God has a desire that we stop living this life ourselves and allow the life of Christ to invade and rule as we continue our days. May your life be lived IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, and may THIS MIND BE IN YOU WHICH ALSO WAS IN CHRIST JESUS, as you go today! Amen.

Wed 8.3 - Another Name Angle

Today’s Readings: Colossians 3.17-25; Exodus 20.7;  Acts 11.26; Ephesians 3.14-15

So far this week we have noted two angles through which to look at the idea of “in the name” of Jesus, in verse 17 and 23 of Colossians 3. They were:

1) Acting like him, as we believe he would act were he there in the situation.

2) Acting on behalf of him, as his ambassador to the earth during this time of his physical body’s absence, and his spiritual body’s presence.

Today, let’s take a slightly different approach and round off this idea of acting in the NAME of Jesus Christ. I want to first direct your attention to the selected reading for today from Exodus. I would imagine that most people have at least heard this verse of Scripture before, if not read it or memorized it. We typically speak of this verse when talking about the 10 commandments. However, let’s lift it out of that context today and look at it through our idea from Colossians 3.

That verse tells us not to “TAKE the NAME of the Lord” in vain. So what does that mean. Well, let’s focus on those two words capitalized…

TAKE - what could that mean? Well, let me just say it doesn’t mean “say” or “speak” the name like we so often hear. While that would be included in this truth, it in NO WAY stops there. Think of how we would use that same word in other ways. If I walked up to you and offered you a gift, and I said, “go ahead, take it” how would you hear that word then? Would the idea of speaking about the gift ever even pop into your head? Of course not. You would think I meant it as “receive” or “make it your own”.

NAME - now apply that truth to TAKING the NAME of God…how do we TAKE someone’s name still today? Well, in case this scary wedding picture wasn’t enough hint for you, it’s at a marriage. When Sandy Smith married David Brown, she was no longer Smith, but Brown. She TOOK the NAME of Brown. In the same way, when we are saved, we take on the family name of our Father - the Lord. (one more aspect of the fact that we are now the “sons of God”, see John 1.12-14)

So, here’s the meat of what we should walk away with this morning…

- As a child of God, I have TAKEN His name upon myself when I was saved.

- Now, as part of His family, my actions reflect on Him. (have you ever heard of a father saying to one of their children, “You have disgraced the name of _____”?) It’s that same idea. WHAT WE DO REFLECTS ON HIM. It’s just the hard truth of the matter. As much as I hate to admit it and wish it was different sometimes. Our poor representation of Christ is oftentimes why the World around us wants nothing to do with Him. But then again, why would they if this is how His people act!?!?

- So, it is very important that my actions “WORD OR DEED” would live up to the reality of who I AM in Him. As one of His children, is this right by my Father? That should always be the question at the tip of our tongues.

May God help His children today to act according to who they are in Him. May we represent our Father and His Word well as we go throughout our days. And may all our WORDS and DEEDS be done according to His will and way. Amen.

Tue 8.2 - Capping it off

Today’s Readings: Colossians 3.10-17; John 14.13,15.16,16.26;

As we draw towards the end of our study through Colossians 3, I want to remind you of where we came from. What was it we learned so much about in verses 1-2? It was seeking the THINGS ABOVE, and setting our affection on THEM. It was also NOT seeking the things of earth, and setting our affection on them. We then learned that there are a few things that we are clearly identified in Scripture as above… those things were:

the PERSON of God

the WORD of God

the THRONE of God

the FAMILY of God

Now, underneath those categories, we could really see a few more things identified above - the saints who have gone before (Judges 1.14), new Jerusalem (Rev 21.2), but we do not have time to explore every little breakdown of that today.

Now remember that we are to SEEK those things. So, if your mind is constantly preoccupied with the things above, then will that not effect our actions? If our hearts are constantly falling deeper and deeper in love with those things above, then will that not also effect our actions?

You see, God is about to discuss our interactions as husbands and wives, children and parents, servants and masters, and basically cover every type of social relationship. But, before all of that, He summarizes this truth of Colossians by simply saying, “no matter what you do, even down to your very words and deeds, do it all as if you were doing it on Christ’s behalf!” And I just think that if we could get that simple truth, all of those relationships He mentions next would take care of themselves.

Guys, I can’t tell you how much this truth has revolutionized my world in these last 8 weeks. Seeking the things above - the things God is concerned with, the things He decides to be in the presence of, the things He is seeking! Setting my affection on those same things - not on a new Mac, not on a better car, not on popularity, not on music or trends, but on those timeless things where He is. If I would just do that, and NOT seek and set my affection on the things that pertain to this earth (things of my body, and the world system) then I will find that abundant life He mentions in John 10.10.

You may want to check out 2 Corinthians 5.17-21 and see how God described our living for Him…it is as if we are here in Christ’s stead, or in His place! Wow. Those are HUGE shoes to fill! I realize things OF this earth will never fill them, only the things above!

That’s why the verses in our daily readings today talk about answered prayers. When we are praying in accordance with His will and in submission to His way, of course our prayers will be answered, because they will be set to His plan!

Isn’t it amazing how God brings this stuff all back to where we started at??? Praise Him today! Amen.

Mon 8.1 - In His Name?!?!

Today’s Readings: Colossians 3.17,23; I Corinthians 10.31; Proverbs 3.6

Well guys, welcome to our LAST WEEK of the DIRECTIONS study!!! I’m kind of bummed that this falls on spring break week because that means many of you will be getting these devotions after the fact. However, I am very excited to be able to share this with those who are here! We have lots of great stuff planned for this week around the Fridge, and I hope that you guys plan on being here to hang out with us!!!

You’ll notice that our daily reading section is shorter today. That’s mostly because I want to slow down this week and just look at one thought from our passage in Colossians. There are three verses up there that pretty much teach the same thing. God desires that our life be completely lived IN AND THROUGH HIM!

As a matter of fact, this thought is such an important key to this passage that God repeats it in verse 23 in a slightly different form. There are about three angles we need to approach this verse through, so let’s take the first one today…

1. DO ALL IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS. Now, what’s that all about? Doing everything IN the NAME of Jesus? Well, let’s think about it this way….

Imagine you work for me, and I ask you to pay some bills. What I do is hand you a few blank checks with MY NAME signed on the bottom already. Now those checks BEAR MY NAME and I am asking you to act in a manner (or simply, do thing) that I would act in were I able to do that task. I would expect you to read the electricity, water, gas, and other bills, write in the amounts owed into the checks, as well as the payee. Now when you place those checks into the mail, you are DOING THAT TASK IN MY NAME.

Do you see? My NAME is attached to the things you did because MY name was on the checks. Well, GOD’S NAME is all over our lives. We have seen that clearly through Colossians 3 so far.

This truth brings up a natural question…How do I know what/how I am to do those things in God’s name??? Well, notice how God finished out verse 17. As we do these things (everything) in the NAME of Christ, we are to GIVE THANKS UNTO GOD AND THE FATEHR BY HIM. So, here’s the simple question that will clarify whether or not the action is being properly done IN the NAME of Christ, Can I thank God for this?

Simply put, if we cannot answer with a confident YES! then the thing is not done in accordance with His name. We cannot THANK GOD for that time we made out with that person in the car in their driveway. We cannot thank God for that job that is causing us to miss church. We cannot thank God for the fight we just had with our parents. Those things are NOT things done in the NAME OF CHRIST because they are NOT things that God can be thanked for, because He is nowhere near that stuff.

Spend some time today asking God to open your eyes to the truth of living in HIS name and not yours today! Ask Him to show you the things that He can get no thanks for in our lives that need to change! And as we change, and as He lives through us, let’s “give thanks unto God and the Father by Him.”

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1.3 - How can anyone be PERFECT?

Today’s Readings: Colossians 1, Ephesians 4

Last night at the Fridge, we talked about God’s desire for the life of His children from the middle of Colossians 1. One of the things He desires for us, is that we “walk worthy of the Lord…strengthened with all might…meet to be partakers of the inheritance.” Among other things He outlines, even just these seem to be a pretty high standard don’t they???

If you will remember, we also mentioned that the book of Ephesians was a sort of “twin” to the book of Colossians. Check out how God describes the goal of the believer in Jesus Christ in Ephesians 4. After giving a list of spiritual gifts, he says those gifts are given so that “…we all com in the UNITY of the FAITH, and of the KNOWLEDGE of the Son of God, unto a PERFECT man, unto the MEASURE of the STATURE of the FULLNESS of Christ.”  Wow! God actually expects me to be living up to the standard of CHRIST!??! He really expects me to be PERFECT??!!?? How can that be? (I even have to ask myself - ‘Are you sure God means that for ME, because I know ME and I do not think I can pull that one off.)

Now, I know that seems to be a unrealistic goal. But why would God set a goal in front of us and then command us to meet that goal if it was impossible? He wouldn’t, would He!?

Well, the answer to the question is, “NO!” However, we must remember what we talked about last night. The strength that we have to reach that MEASURE, STATURE, FULLNESS and PERFECTION of Christ is none other than CHRIST HIMSELF living inside of us! We have something no other generation of God followers has had, the LIVING GOD doing His LIVING IN AND THROUGH US! Check out what God says in Colossians 1.27-29. It would be easy for anyone to look at these verses and think that it was too tall an order to be filled in our modern world, to think that there is no HOPE. Yet, it was almost like God anticipated that we would think that, so He concluded the chapter with these words… saying that there is a MYSTERY that allows all of this to happen, something that generations past didn’t fully understand. This is mystery is given to us of God which is CHRIST IN us, the HOPE of GLORY. There is no hope to measure up if we are relying only on ourselves. But, when we rely on the Christ IN us, I think HE can live up to HIS OWN STANDARD, don’t you? The last verse even says that it is God “which worketh in me mightily” to accomplish His own purpose for me. Wow!

How can anyone be Perfect??? The only way - to be in the PERFECT ONE (Jesus Christ) and for the PERFECT ONE to be in ME.