Christian Living
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“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:17)
Most of the time, we live, speak, and act on our name. It is by this that people come to know who we are. It has always shamed me that I act out my life based on the principles that I believe to be absolute truth. People come to know who I am in the world that I speak and how I treat other people. I would like to believe that this is how people judge me and give me a pardon on the days I stumble. I live in the thought that if I lived my life as an honest and trusted man, but in the act of desperation robbed a bank, I would be remembered as a bank robber. When we think of the Apostle Peter, who led the other apostles in the founding of the Church of Jesus, still he is often remembered as the disciple who denied Jesus. Peter is a man like the rest of us are, and we all have our moments of weakness and will fail.
In older countries, we are first known by who our father was, Peter was known as Simon Bar-Jonah, or Peter, the son of Jonah. When I was living in Charleston, W. Va. I was known as Dr. Robert Kirkpatrick’s son, the same title that Peter had. Everything I did as a child back then reflected upon my father. I remember the conversation with my dad about how I, the preacher’s kid, had been seen along the Kanawha river bank rolling dice with the lost boys. My dad would say, have you no respect for who I am?
As we grow older, we are also known for the work that we do. If I were a police officer, then I would be known as someone who operates in the authority of the courts of law. When someone would give me money to donate on their behalf, I would contribute in their name and not my own. When I sell my property, it is no longer a property attached to my name but transfers to the new owner’s authority. When I became ill several years ago, I assigned my son to have a power of attorney over what estate I had, and now he has authority over my affairs should I not be able.
As a professing follower of Christ, we have been given the extraordinary privilege of being a child of God, Yahweh. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13) Being impolitically correct, there are many people in this world that I would not allow to represent my name. Yet, a holy righteous God allows those who have accepted His Son to live in the power and authority of His name. The Lord knows that we are people prone to stumble and fall as we travel down the narrow pathway to His Kingdom.
The problem becomes that when we openly profess our belief and trust in Him, the world knows that we are the representatives of His Kingdom. We have been called to a Royal Priesthood to be the light of His truth for a darkened world. Yet when we error, we are nothing but hypocrites in their eyes. When in their imperfection, they ridicule us for imperfection. It is understandable, God forgives, but man doesn’t. Yet that same man could accept Jesus and be forgiven. The Christian strives the best they can to live the righteous life for the Lord and the benefit of those they meet along the way. The Christian does the best they can to reflect their Lord’s image and not bring dishonor to His name. “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:10)
To be a child of God and have the dwelling Spirit within gives all the needed power and possibility to do the good work they have been called to accomplish. The work that He has set before us and has granted the power to do in His name. The Lord gives the power of His Word to preach the gospel that others can find their way—opening the eyes of the blind that they may see the truth the god of this world has blinded from them. To bring freedom to those enslaved to the sin in their life and face the second death. Jesus said His truth gives humanity freedom. “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31-32) The followers of Jesus today share in His mission from long ago that He spoke from the Prophet Isaiah. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19)
The Christian is the earthly agent here on the earth to represent the Kingdom of God. Christians are no longer part of this world but hold their residency in the Kingdom of God, bringing a taste of His righteous Kingdom to all that have eyes to see and ears to hear.
The Christian has received the gift of salvation as a reward for following Him and doing the good works that He has prepared for them. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) The Christian is not doing the good work to be saved, but because they have been saved and do the good work, others will be saved. The lost can be rescued from this world’s wilderness and be bound to the Kingdom of Jesus. “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” (Colossians 1:13)
Once, we were fractured souls living and desiring the worldly ways on a path to destruction. In the power of the Holy Spirit, we are becoming new creatures restored to the image of our Christ and elevated to a position of power and authority. A position delegated to us by God through His Son Jesus. We have been given a privilege that holds the responsibility to do the good work we were created to accomplish. All have been given time, talent, and treasure that we are to use for His glory. “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” (Colossians 3:23-24)
Many today that have this power of God dwelling in them fail to use it and act upon it in faith to His word. Our faith in the Word of God will give us the authority to perform the signs and wonders that His original disciples accomplished. He gave them instruction; they believed and went out in the faith of that belief. “These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16 17-18)
The Christian has His authority to preach the gospel truth to every ear that will hear. “And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.” (Mark 16:20). The Christian has the authority to rebuke Satan if we do not dwell on any of his temptations. “Do not give the devil an opportunity.” (Ephesians 4:27) The Christian must remain grounded on His Word and submit to its truth resisting Satan’s lie, and he will flee from them. “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)
As Jesus has raised us up with Him, we are citizens of His Kingdom now and have the authority of Him who we are seated with. “And raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6)
We must pray in the power of Jesus’s name being led by His Spirit and walk in the power and authority of Jesus’s name. God came down to dwell with humanity as a man named Jesus. He came to recapture that authority that Satan had stolen through Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden. Jesus defeated Satan on the cross, and now we, through Him, can be restored and walk in that power we once had. It is now time for Christians to act in the way they have been given the power to do. We have been given an inheritance of power, His power, and authority, and as the Apostle Peter, we too should use it. “But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene--walk!” And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened.” (Acts 3:6-7)
Thomas N Kirkpatrick
First Baptist Church of Durant, April 16, 2019
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