Colossians 3:1-4 ESV
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
The New Testament is filled with “if” clauses which are
conditional phrases. They are to show that if one thing is true that another
should follow suit, and if it doesn’t, it may nullify the truth of it. Or they
are to show that if you do such and such, this will be the result, or that this
promise is for you only if you meet the specific conditions or requirements for
that promise. For God’s promises do indeed come with conditions and
stipulations.
So, when this says, “if then you have been raised with
Christ,” it is not assuming that everyone hearing this letter has indeed died
with Christ to sin and has been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life
in him. For there were false “believers” among the believers back then, too. But
if they were true believers, their lives were now hidden in Christ and not in
the sinful trappings of this world.
So now our minds, if we have died with Christ and if we have
been raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, are to be set on things
above (from heaven, of God) and not on the things of this earth. And what our
minds are set on will guide our attitudes, words, and behaviors (lifestyle).
And if they are set on the flesh it will end in death, not life eternal. But if
they are set on God, they will result in eternal life (Romans 8:1-14).
Colossians 3:5-10 ESV
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”
As followers of Jesus Christ we are no longer to live sinful
lifestyles. Sin should no longer be our practice, our habit. We should no longer
be engaged in deliberate and habitual sin, denying our Lord who delivered us
from our slavery to sin and who empowers us to walk righteously before him. But
many professers of faith in Jesus Christ are still living as though they had
never been set free. They are still intoxicated to sin, still living in
addiction to sin, and without true repentance or conscience, in many cases.
And this is because they are not in true covenant
relationship with Jesus Christ. Their lives are separate from him. How they are
living is opposed to God and to his word, and it is in direct contradiction to
his covenant. What their minds are set on is independent of the Lord, divided
from him. And even though they know the truth, they are persisting and
persevering in this separation from God, continuing in what is evil, wicked,
cruel, and hurtful to others. And the end result will be death not life
eternal.
Many of them are living just like is described here, in
sexual immorality, living foolishly in self-indulgence, unrestrained, and given
over to pleasure-seeking and to what gratifies the sinful cravings of their
flesh. They are liars and malicious talkers who deceive others for their own
advantage. And even though the Lord has clearly spoken to them and warned them
and encouraged them strongly to leave their sinful practices, they have
stubbornly refused and they have continued in their decadence.
But that is not how it should be for those of us who have
died with Christ to sin and who have been raised with him to walk in newness of
life in him. Sinful lifestyles are now to be in our past, not in our present.
It doesn’t mean we will never sin again, but sin should not be our practice.
Righteousness, holiness, and obedience to our Lord should now be what we
practice. For if sin is still what we practice we must know that the wrath of
God is coming and we will not inherit eternal life with God.
Hymn lyrics by Fanny J. Crosby, 1869
Music by William H. Doane, 1869
Jesus,
keep me near the cross;
There
a precious fountain,
Free
to all, a healing stream,
Flows
from Calvary's mountain.
Near
the cross, a trembling soul,
Love
and mercy found me;
There
the bright and morning star
Sheds
its beams around me.
Near
the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring
its scenes before me;
Help
me walk from day to day
With
its shadow o'er me.
Near
the cross I'll watch and wait,
Hoping,
trusting ever,
Till
I reach the golden strand
Just
beyond the river.
In
the cross, in the cross,
Be
my glory ever,
Till
my raptured soul shall find
Rest
beyond the river.
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