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DEDICATE OURSELVES ON HEAVENLY THINGS
COLOSSIANS 3:1-4
(January 12, 2020 – SUN p.m. – MBC baesa)
Introduction:
• The Colossians are struggling with the world when the time Paul wrote this letter to the Colossians church.
• The world intended to squeeze in order to influence and mold the believer into its pattern.
• The Chronology to this Pauline letters: First part deals with theological and doctrine. Last part deals with practical and life.
→ The main emphasis of our verses is deeper theology work out in the believer’s daily life as Paul desires.
• With our wonderful relationship the believer had with Jesus Christ, it is God’s command that we dedicate ourselves to heavenly things and not to earthly things.
1. Paul used the conjunction “then” indicating a continuation of thought. Paul wants us to maintain our dedication to heavenly things in view of our vital position in the risen Savior Jesus Christ and in spite of various promotion of religious group about legalism, mysticism, asceticism, Gnosticism and charismaticism, etc...
2. Paul begins with the conjunction “If” which assumes reality and not possibility. Paul assumes the reality that since they are believers of Christ, therefore they have been raised up with Christ positionally which means the believers are already seated in the heavenlies and that should motivate us to dedicate ourselves to heavenly things.
3. Paul used the verbs “seek” in verse 1 and “set” in verse 2, both are commands. God commanded the believer to make these commands as mindset the objective of their life and not optional or suggestion.
4. Paul used the verbs “seek” in verse 1 and “set” in verse 2, both are in the present tense indicating continual and habitual action of dedicating our lives to heavenly things not to earthly things.
I- THE COMMAND TO DEDICATE OURSELVES ON HEAVENLY THINGS- v.1-2
A. To Continually seek on things that are above – v.1
1. Real Position of Christian – v.1a
Colossians 3:1a “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”
• Believers have been vitally link to the risen Savior Jesus Christ, by the Spirit of God in God’s mind we are already with Christ and we are seated in the heavenlies.
2. Real Position of Christ – v.1b
Colossians 3:1b “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God."
• Jesus Christ is right now seated at the highest esteemed, honorable, glorious position that is at the right hand of God.
a.) Seeking things above is not excluding godly people to live in this world
• This is not some legalistic or ascetic religious practices to confine us and live isolated. This is a heavenly command to seek the heavenly ideal in everything we do, say and think while we are still in this world.
b.) Seeking things above is not an easy goal for the believers to live in this world.
• Obviously it is not automatically given, because Paul need to write the Colossians regarding this command.
• Lot of Colossians believers were identified as “faithful brethren” who had an extremely good and outstanding reputation (Colossians 1:2, 4). Indeed, to live in this world without conforming to the world is a challenging but a difficult task for a believer.
B. To Continually think on things that are above – v.2
• The Apostle Paul knew there is connection between what the believer seek and how the believer think.
• We are exhorted in the Scriptures to be transformed by the renewing of our minds on the Word of God.- Romans 12:2; 2 Timothy 3:15-17. You need to make the Bible your priority. If you’re a Christian you’ll hunger for God’s Word. But have you ever wondered, how will reading, studying, and meditating on Scriptures actually change you – what effect will it have on you relationships with family, neighbours, and co-employee? On your decision making? The way you handle disappointments, challenges, and serious trials? Your usefulness to the church? Truly, the bible has the power to transform our minds so that there is a heavenly consistency to the way we think. The deliverance from worldly focus comes from a mind that is fixed on heaven or a mind focused on the Word of God.
II- THE CAUSES WHY WE NEED TO DEDICATE OURSELVES ON HEAVENLY THINGS – v.3-4
• Notice Paul begins verse 3 with the conjunction “for” which introduces some causes or reasons why we believers should continually seek heavenly things and not seek earthly things.
A. Cause of the deceased – v. 3a
Colossians 3:3a “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”
• Our old Adamic, condemned fallen sinful nature is dead in the mind of God. We as believers positionally died when Jesus Christ physically died and we are spiritually alive because Christ risen physically.
• Therefore, we Christians should seek those things above because in the mind of God, we are dead already to the earthly things of this world and now we are alive unto God. – 2 Corinthians 5:15; Galatians 2:20
• Believers in Christ are like any other man outwardly because we live an aging, weakening, decaying and dying body. On the other hand, the believers in Christ is not like any other men because we are alive unto God inwardly. We are a new creation that glorify Him.-2 Corinthians 5:17;1 Corinthians 6:14, 19-20.
B. Cause of the concealed – v.3b
Colossians 3:3a “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."
• The believers in Jesus Christ are still living in the same body. Believers in Christ have the same physical appearance and the new spiritual life that we possessed is totally, physically seen by the lost world. People of this world have no idea about our Christian life with our Savior Jesus Christ because it is hidden or concealed.
• Now, through believer’s focus on heavenly things and not focusing on earthly things we clearly demonstrate to this hopeless world about our blessed relationship with Jesus Christ.
C. Cause of the revealed – v.4
Colossians 3:4 “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear.”
• We need to continually seek those things which are above because our citizenship in heaven and not on this earth will is going to be revealed. – Philippians 3:20-21
• On that said coming day, the whole world will know that we are live in this world but we were not of this world.
John 17:15-16 “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”
1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
• We are commanded to continue focus ourselves on things which are above not on things on this earth:
1. Because of this blessed truth that we will be revealed to be children of God and citizens of heaven.
2. Because Christ is our life shall appear we shall also appear with Him and like Him.
3. Because Christ is now seated at the right hand of the Father as we are connected with Him we are now in the heavenlies.
• When Christ revealed in glory, it will be a glorious day for us if we make things of heaven our primary purpose and passion of our Christian lives. Amen!
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