Whatsoever you do...

And whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; (Colossians 3:23)

Today we’re going to talk about ‘doing’. We’ve talked about thinking, we’ve talked about attitude, let’s spend some time talking about actions. So much of our lives are done on auto-pilot – we do it because we’ve always done it. For example, I get up, I clean up, I drive to work, I do my work, I drive home, I eat dinner, I talk with my family, I do things that need to be done around the house, I read, I pray, I go to bed, I repeat it all the next day. If we’re not careful, we find ourselves just existing. What does the Bible say about the things that we do? Let’s look at three passages:

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you are called in one body; and be thankful. 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 3:12-17)

Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye service, as men pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for you serve the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:22-24)

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. … If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and you be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that showed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof: Conscience, I say, not your own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man’s conscience? For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:23, 27-31)

So, what do we see in these verses?

• We see that we do ALL in the name of the Lord Jesus
• We do ALL heartily, for the Lord and not ourselves or other men
• We do ALL for the glory of God

Doesn’t this make you stop and think? As you think about your day, are you doing ALL in the name of Jesus, are you doing ALL heartily, for the Lord and for His glory? Thinking about this for this week has really made me shift a lot of the focus of my daily routine. What is our motive as we go through our day? Is it about ourselves, or is it about God?

Let’s consider our level of effort - are we doing it all heartily, as unto the Lord? Let’s look at some verses about the Lord expects in terms of our level of effort:

And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, you shall love thy neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:28-31)

Don’t you know that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain. And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beats the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

For if you love them which love you, what reward do you have? do not even the publicans the same? And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:46-48)

So, what should our level of effort be? ALL our heart, ALL our soul, ALL our mind, ALL our strength. The goal isn’t just to run (or exist), but to win the prize! So often people, especially religious people focus on the commandments, the “do this and don’t do that” of the Bible, and fail to realize that its about all that they do.

Now, what about Jesus telling us to be perfect? Does this statement make you feel uneasy? Or does it make you feel condemned? I have come across a couple of extremes among people who call themselves Christians. On the one hand, there are those that live openly in what the Bible clearly calls sin, claiming that God is a God of mercy and grace, and all things are lawful to them. On the other hand, there are those that feel condemned over every mistake that they make. When something doesn’t go well, they think that they have committed the unforgivable sin and that they need to get saved again.

Both of these extremes are dangerous. For today, I want to address those that feel condemned. Let’s look at some Bible truths:

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing you be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. (Philippians 3:9-15)

Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. (Micah 7:8)

I figure if Paul can say he hadn’t already attained, that he wasn’t already perfect, we shouldn’t feel condemned if we are not already perfect. If Micah can admit that he still falls but he will arise, let’s not feel condemned if we fall. Let’s forget those things that are behind, let’s just get back up and press on toward the mark for the prize! But let’s not forget that we do NOT take the grace of God lightly – the Bible does say “God Forbid” to the question of “shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound”.

So, let’s start thinking about ALL that we do, and who we do it for, and how we do it - heartily, as unto the Lord.

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)

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