Living and Serving in Jesus' Name

In Acts 3, Peter and John met a man who had been lame from birth. The man asked them for some money. Peter and John told him they did not have any money; nevertheless, they would give him what they had. Peter said to the man: “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” (v. 6b). Instantly, the man was healed. Later, in Acts 4, the elders, rulers, and teachers of the law asked Peter and John: “By what power or what name did you do this?” (v. 7b). Peter answered: “It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed” (v. 10b).
Throughout the Book of Acts and the early days of the Church, Christians often referred to the Name of the Lord Jesus as the power or authority for their service. When the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Colossae, he encouraged believers to make constant use of Jesus’ Name in all aspects of life and ministry. In Colossians 3:17, Paul wrote: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Learning to do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus is a vital part of growing as a Christian. Many Christians have heard of doing things like giving a cup of cold water in Jesus’ Name to someone who is thirsty. Almost all Christians learn to pray in Jesus’ Name. For example, most of us add the words, “In Jesus’ Name, Amen”, to the end of our prayers. This is a good practice, but we need to know more about what it means and about how doing everything in Jesus’ Name will help us to grow as Christians.
Doing something in Jesus’ Name is very similar to the Old Testament practice of “calling on the Name of the Lord.” The Bible teaches that people first began to call on the Name of the Lord in the days of Enosh, the son of Seth, who was the son of Adam and Eve (Genesis 4:26). From these early days, calling on the Name of the Lord meant more than just saying the Lord’s Name out loud. Calling on the Name of the Lord was an act of faith, coming from a person’s heart. The person who called on the Name of the Lord believed: (1) that the Lord is alive; (2) that he is able to hear when I call; (3) that he is able and willing to be present here where I am; and (4) that his coming will be a sacred event.
In the New Testament, calling on the Name of the Lord Jesus means mostly the same things, but with more of a precise focus on all that is true about Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and exaltation at God the Father’s right hand. For example, believing that Jesus is alive means believing that God raised him from the dead after he died on the Cross. Calling on Jesus as Lord means believing that Jesus was exalted at God the Father’s right hand when he ascended into heaven 40 days after his resurrection. When people believe in their hearts that these things are true about Jesus, they “call upon him” for forgiveness. They believe Jesus is able to hear them and that he is able and willing to come to them to cleanse them from their sin. The Apostle Paul summarized all of this in Romans 10:13: “for ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”
After someone becomes a Christian, their service “in the Name of the Lord Jesus” means that they invite the Lord Jesus to be present and to bring his power, the power of his resurrection and exaltation, to be involved in whatever they are doing. So doing everything we do in the Name of the Lord Jesus is a way of honoring him, while also depending upon his presence and power to do whatever it is we are doing.
Earlier I mentioned that one part of calling on the Lord involves realizing that his coming would be a sacred event. That’s because no one ever stays the same in the presence of the exalted Lord. For example, when Paul first encountered the Lord, he was changed from being the chief persecutor of Christians to the chief spokesperson for the Gospel. The presence of the Lord Jesus will always change us or our circumstances or both. This makes our encounters with Jesus’ Name in everything we do a very important element of our growth as Christians.
To apply this teaching, each of us can do the following:

1. Understand how Jesus is personally present right now: with us individually (Matthew 28:20b); in Christian community (Matthew 18:20); in his Word (see Luke 24:27—the Word of God is the God-breathed record of Jesus’ life and mind); and through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).

2. Invite Jesus to be present and acknowledge him in everything you do (be intentional).

3. Practice being aware of Jesus’ presence by acknowledging him when you are otherwise alone—see Matthew 6:1-18.

4. Expect great things from Jesus’ presence (the transformation of both you and your situation)—see Luke 24:13-35.

5. Witness to others about your respect for Jesus’ presence—see Acts 4:10-12.