For the first Sunday after Christiams in Series C, the three assigned readings are Exodus 13:1-3a, 11-15; Colossians 3:12-17 and Luke 2:22-40. We examine Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

We are faced with the impossible. Not only are we to do good works, we are to do them in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Of what is Paul speaking? In all other religions of the world, a good work is all that is necessary to placate an angry god. But a perfect work from God’s point of view is not achieved by outward obedience but also by inward motivation.

How are we then able to be motivated by our love of Jesus Christ in all that we do? Motivating oneself properly is as difficult to do as to make a resolve to be humble. Being humbled is not due to a decision we make but rather because of some outside force that makes us humble. So also, to be thankful in all that we do takes something outside of us.

That outside strength is found in both verses 15 and 16. Verse 15 encourages us to “let the peace of God rule in our hearts” and verse 16 encourages that the “word of Christ dwell in you richly.” To make it clear, these verses reveal that our proper motivation has again found its source in the Holy Spirit. In fact, looking at the entire passage one realizes that we are the elect of God Who has provided us with tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering and so forth.

The Christian life is not one in which we create within ourselves the proper attitudes and gifts but rather that we do not hinder the work of the Holy Spirit wihtin us. To put it another way, the life of sanctification is one that takes place spontaneously as the benefits of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ come to us by grace through faith.