From worship the Apostle passes to life, and crowns the entire series of
injunctions with an all-comprehensive precept, covering the whole ground
of action. "_Whatsoever_ ye do, in word or deed"--then, not merely
worship, specially so called, but everything is to come under the
influence of the same motive. That expresses emphatically the sanctity
of common life, and extends the idea of worship to all deeds.
"Whatsoever ye _do_ in _word_"--then words are _doings_, and in many
respects the most important of our doings. Some words, though they fade
off the ear so quickly, outlast all contemporary deeds, and are more
lasting than brass. Not only "the word of the Lord," but, in a very
solemn sense, the word of man "endureth for ever."
Do all "in the name of the Lord Jesus." That means at least two
things--in obedience to His authority, and in dependence on His help.
These two are the twin talismans which change the whole character of our
actions, and preserve us, in doing them, from every harm. That name
hallows and ennobles all work. Nothing can be so small but this will
make it great, nor so monotonous and tame but this will make it
beautiful and fresh. The name now, as of old, casts out devils and
stills storms. "For the name of the Lord Jesus" is the silken padding
which makes our yokes easy. It brings the sudden strength which makes
our burdens light. We may write it over all our actions. If there be any
on which we dare not inscribe it, they are not for us.
Thus done in the name of Christ, all deeds will become thanksgiving, and
so reach their highest consecration and their truest blessedness.
"Giving thanks to God the Father through Him" is ever to accompany the
work in the name of Jesus. The exhortation to thanksgiving, which is in
a sense the Alpha and the Omega of the Christian life, is perpetually on
the Apostle's lips, because thankfulness should be in perpetual
operation in our hearts. It is so important because it presupposes
all-important things, and because it certainly leads to every Christian
grace. For continual thankfulness there must be a continual direction of
mind towards God and towards the great gifts of our salvation in Jesus
Christ. There must be a continual going forth of our love and our desire
to these, that is to say--thankfulness rests on the reception and the
joyful appropriation of the mercies of God, brought to us by our Lord.
And it underlies all acceptable service and all happy obedience. The
servant who thinks of God as a harsh exactor is slothful; the servant
who thinks of Him as the "giving God" rejoices in toil. He who brings
his work in order to be paid for it, will get no wages, and turn out no
work worth any. He who brings it because he feels that he has been paid
plentiful wages beforehand, of which he will never earn the least mite,
will present service well pleasing to the Master.
So we should keep thoughts of Jesus Christ, and of all we owe to Him,
ever before us in our common work, in shop and mill and counting-house,
in study and street and home. We should try to bring all our actions
more under their influence, and, moved by the mercies of God, should
yield ourselves living thank-offerings to Him, who is the sin-offering
for us. If, as every fresh duty arises, we hear Christ saying, "This do
in remembrance of Me," all life will become a true communion with Him,
and every common vessel will be as a sacramental chalice, and the bells
of the horses will bear the same inscription as the high priest's
mitre--"Holiness to the Lord." To lay work on that altar sanctifies both
the giver and the gift. Presented through Him, by whom all blessings
come to man and all thanks go to God, and kindled by the flame of
gratitude, our poor deeds, for all their grossness and earthliness,
shall go up in curling wreaths of incense, an odour of a sweet smell
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.