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.”
To be raised with Christ, we first have to be crucified with
Christ in death to sin. Then we can be raised with him to walk in newness of
life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Romans
6:1-23; Ephesians 4:17-24). For our old self must be crucified with him in
order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we will no
longer be enslaved to sin. For if sin is what we practice, and if righteousness
and obedience to our Lord are not what we practice, we don’t have salvation.
So if we have been raised with Christ, that means that we have
died with Christ to sin, and our lives are now hidden with Christ in God. And
what should that look like? For one, we should no longer be enslaved to sin but
we should be slaves of God and of his righteousness. We should no longer be the
ones ruling our own lives, but Jesus Christ should be our Lord and Master. And
we should be following Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands and to
wherever he leads us and to whatever he has for us to do.
And so we are now to seek the things that are above
(heavenly, godly), where Christ is, and we are to set our minds on things that
are above, not on things that are on the earth. For what happens if we don’t?
What happens if our minds remain set on things of the flesh? And not on things
of God? We will die in our sins (Romans 8:1-14). “For the mind that is set on
the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it
cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:7-8).
So, this isn’t a nice little suggestion or recommendation
here. What direction we go with this will determine where we will spend
eternity. For this is not a light matter. If we have truly died with Christ and
we have been raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, it should
drastically alter our lives. We shouldn’t be the same people we were before.
Our minds should be set on Christ and on following him in obedience, and on
living godly and holy lives to the glory of God. And we should passionately
want to do what pleases our Lord and to no longer desire to please our sinful
flesh.
Now I am certainly not saying we will be instantly perfect
or that we will never sin again (see 1 John 2:1-2). I am just saying what the
Scriptures teach us which is that if our minds are set on the flesh it will end
in death, not in life everlasting. So our minds need to be set on the Spirit
and on walking in obedience to our Lord, and on living godly and holy lives to
the praise and glory of God. For that is the reason Jesus died that we might
die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness (1 Peter 2:24).
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.”
Again, this is not a light matter. It is not a mere
recommendation. And it does matter for eternity what we choose in this matter.
For on account of these things the wrath of God is coming. And don’t flatter
yourself thinking that because you make a profession of faith in Christ that
you will not face his wrath.
For Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord,
Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God
the Father. Many professing Christians, thus, are going to hear Jesus say on
the day of judgment, “I never knew you. Depart from me you workers of
lawlessness,” for they refused to walk in obedience to the Lord (Matthew
7:21-23).
So, if we continue in sin, and if sin is what we practice,
and if righteousness and holiness and obedience to our Lord are not what we
practice, the Scriptures say we don’t know God, he doesn’t know us, we are not
his true sheep, we have not been born of God, but we are still of the devil. So
we will not inherit eternal life with God and heaven will not be our eternal
destiny, but hell will be, regardless of what faith we profess with our lips.
Pray,
Pray, Pray
An
Original Work / September 6, 2012
Based
off Various Scriptures
Pray that eyes may enlightened be,
So they may know Christ.
Pray that they may Him better know,
Strengthened by His pow’r.
Pray that they may grasp
How wide and long
And high and deep
Is Christ’s love.
Pray that they may be filled
To the fullness of God’s love.
Pray with thanksgiving.
Pray for an open door for me,
So I may share Christ.
Pray when the gospel is proclaimed –
Shared with clarity.
Pray words are given me so
I declare the gospel fearlessly.
I pray for you to be active
Sharing your faith, too.
Pray continually.
We oft not know for what to pray,
So we ask for help.
The Spirit intercedes for us –
Words cannot express.
Just keep on praying for the saints
With all kinds of requests to God.
Pray they may have faith to
Please their God in ev’ry way.
Pray with joyfulness.
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