12. Your Affections – In Christ, Off the World (1)
Hymns: RHC 129 Since Jesus Came Into My Heart 106 Christ Liveth in Me 116 Higher Ground
Colossians 3:1-4
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Col. 3:1-4 KJV)
In Your Affection – In Christ, Off the World (1)
OUTLINE
- Your New Status in Christ – Seek the Spiritual Not the Earthly (v1-2)
- Your New Life with Christ (v3)
- Your Future Glory with Christ (v4)
INTRODUCTION
We have come to the halfway mark in the study of this Epistle to the Colossians. This is an apt summary to help us to grasp the transition from doctrine to duty!
COLOSSIANS 1-2 COLOSSIANS 3-4
Sound Doctrine: Supremacy & Sufficiency of Christ Spiritual Duty: True Spirituality of
Saints
What we are to Believe How we are to Behave
Our Position in Christ Our Practice in Christ
Christ’s Provision for Believers Christ’s Work through Believers
Belief Behaviour
Know Your Resources (Riches) In Christ Live by faith in the light of your
Resources (Riches) In Christ
We In Christ Christ In Us
Work of Christ Walk of the Christian
Heavenly Standing Earthly Walk
Identity Responsibility
Position Practice
Privileges of the Believer Practice of the Believer
Doctrinal Practical
The Doctrine: Resurrected with Christ|The Duty: Living in “Resurrection Power” of Christ.
While the first part of Colossians is doctrinal (Colossians 1-2), the second part (Colossians 3-4) is practical, emphasizing the importance of walking in the power of the truth of the new man and our relationship to Christ as Head.
In the second part, the first section in Colossians 3:1-17 deals with practical holiness in relation to ourselves (Colossians 3:5-11) and in relation to others (Colossians 3:12-17). Colossians 3:5-11 challenges us to “put off” the old ways in Adam and Colossians 3:12-17 calls us to live out the Christ-life in the setting of fellowship with other saints. This sequence is significant, for we must be right in our own inner lives if we want to be right in our relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
For two chapters Paul has told the Colossians about sound doctrine (the mystery of Christ in them (Colossians 1:27), circumcision of their old flesh nature (Colossians 2:11), the fact that they had died with, were buried with and raised with Christ (Colossians 2:12-13,20).
Now he moves to the practical application of the doctrines he has just expounded. After all, it does little good if Christians declare and defend the truth, but fail to demonstrate the reality of that truth in their lives.
The way you conduct yourself is determined by what your creed and the purer your doctrine (potentially) the purer your life. Our position (co-resurrected with Christ) needs to be put into practice in these last 2 chapters. [Precept Austin]
How you live is determined by how you think for as a man – For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7a).
- Seek the Spiritual (v1-2a)
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, …
The apostle first calls attention to his readers having been raised together with Christ. The English word “if” is employed here in its sense of “since”–“in view of,” and the verb is in the indicative mood, so that Paul is clearly assuming this resurrection as a fact, admissive of no doubt. That is to say, these Christians were raised spiritually when Christ was raised physically; and this identification was the foundation of their spiritual position. [W. H. Griffith Thomas]
The resurrection is variously presented in the New Testament as at once a proof, a pattern, a power, a promise, and a pledge. It is the proof of our acceptance of Christ’s death and of our acceptance with Him (Romans 4:24-25): it is to be the pattern of our holy life (Romans 6:4); it is also the power for Christian character and service (Ephesians 1:18-20); it contains the promise of our own physical resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:4); and it is the pledge of our life hereafter (John 14:19). [W. H. Griffith Thomas]
Romans 4:24-25 (KJV) But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Romans 6:4 (KJV) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Ephesians 1:18-20 (KJV) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
1 Thessalonians 4:4 (KJV) That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
In the present passage our resurrection is associated with Christ’s because we are united with Him in such a way that, whatever He did, we are regarded by God the Father as having done also (Colossians 2:12; Romans 6:8).
Colossians 2:12 (KJV) Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Romans 6:8 (KJV) Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
John 14:19 (KJV) Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
There are two commands given here, seek and set, both we are to do continually, as a spiritual habit of daily life.
Seek has to do with man’s quest for God and what he can obtain only from Him. The verb “seek” means “look for”. It has the idea of search for, investigate, examine, consider, deliberate.
This form of the verb in the imperative is first used by Christ Himself in Matthew 6:33 (KJV) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Seek the spiritual, the things of God and your life will be wholesomely cared for by Him.
Keep seeking means to seek after and strive for earnestly, to strive to find something, to devote serious effort to realize one’s desire or objective, to aim at, to try to obtain some state or condition.
Jesus explained that there are those who serve not God but mammon.
Matthew 6:24 (KJV) No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
“Mammon” is the Syrian god of riches or money. This term is usually used in a derogatory sense to describe property, wealth, earthly goods. It is used to personify the worship of a different kind of god. Different from the living and true God. It is “gold” and not “God.”
The self-willed Cain built a city and glorified not God but his son Enoch. This is not the Enoch who walked with God in Genesis 5. (Genesis 4 describes the ungodly line through Cain whereas Genesis 5 describes the godly line through Seth.) There was rapid development of civilization, culture and affluence during the time of the ungodly Lamech (Gen 4:19-24). At the same time, there was great depravity. Lamech murdered a man and also a boy who perhaps got in his way. And he boasted to his wives about his murders. Man sank deeper and deeper in violence and sin amidst seeming advancement in civilization. Some generations later, during the time of Noah, God has to judge the world by a global flood. The pressure of a materialistic society dulls men’s consciences. The godly Enoch served the living and true God. He was in the world but not of the world.
Truly, as the Apostle Paul rightly pointed out, “The world needs heavenly people as never before, and this is what Christians are when they live up to their true identity.”
… seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Seek the heavenly things, Jesus contrasted for us – Matthew 6:19-21 (KJV) Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
1 Corinthians 3:9-15 (KJV) For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
There is the old saying, “Hold tightly to what is eternal, but loosely to what is temporal.”
Can we distinguish them? Christ sitteth at the right hand of the Father – Things above were not material, but rather have to do with Christ’s sovereign reign over the universe as he fills the universe with his power. They include His character, His presence, His heavenly joys. We are not to be seeking heavenly geography, but the One who dwells there. (Hughes, R. K. Colossians and Philemon: The Supremacy of Christ: Crossway Books)
O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Saviour,
And life more abundant and free!
Refrain
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!
His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
The verb “set your affection” means “to think, to have understanding, be wise, to direct one’s mind to a thing, to seek, to strive for.
We must not only SEEK heaven; we must also THINK heaven.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
In a word, you are eternally secure. He put His irrevocable stamp on our eternal security. No works we do can ever add to His finished work. No sins we commit, have not already been atoned for by His precious blood. Our hidden life is eternally secure in Christ. May God grant us grace by His Spirit to fully rest in this incredible truth in Christ. Hidden with Christ in the sense that our new spiritual life is no longer in the sphere of the earthly and sensual, but is with the life of the risen Christ, who is unseen with God.
Hid (English = crypt, cryptic) is a verb meaning to cover, to hide, to conceal, to keep secret (protectively). To keep something from being seen. In some contexts krupto means to hide so as to keep secret.
Luke 19:42 (KJV) Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
To be continued…