Holy, Holy, Holy, We Give Thanks, House of the Lord, Christ in You, Solid Ground

Would you describe your life today as “the best” it could ever be? Why or why not?

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Many people are successful and seem happy, but they discover later that their lives are empty and sad. Many things steal our joy, kill our hope, and destroy our lives, but Jesus came to give us an ABUNDANT LIFE (Gk. Perissos = meaning, equidistant – perfectly balanced, with Christ at the center) (John 10:10). Believing and trusting in God is crucial for us to enjoy the best life. Wherever God wants you to be, that’s where you will find real happiness and joy.

1) SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE

Colossians 3 begins with “THEREFORE”, to show the all-sufficiency of Christ and what He has done for our salvation. We are to “keep seeking the things above”, because once we give our lives to Jesus, we die to our old life, and are raised to a new life. To set our focus on things above does not mean we forget our earthly duties and responsibilities. It means that we don’t just look at what’s happening now, but we view it through the lens of eternity. Satan drives us to believe something that is not true, and these lies take control of our lives. Truth matters – what you think impacts your emotions, and your emotions impact your actions. Your mind will never rise above the level of your thought life. If you are always thinking about the wrong things, you’ll become a victim of lies, opinions, etc. Life is like a long-distance marathon – we need to lay aside everything that slows us down, let go of sins that fool and trap us, and FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS alone (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Jesus gave a story of a very successful man (Luke 12:19-21), and there’s nothing wrong with success but Jesus said it’s foolishness if one just focuses on material and earthly things. God promised to supply all our needs, and we ought to seek first His kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Setting your mind on things above is to live in pursuit of God’s kingdom—things of eternal value! Once you realize that God is in control of your life, you leave everything behind. You now look at things from God’s perspective. We have died (aorist tense, past perfect) and our lives are hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). To say that we have died in Christ does not mean we have physically died. It does not mean cessation or eradication of life. To have died with Christ means:

1.) A spiritual reality of our union with Christ (Galatians 2:20),

2.) New identity (2 Corinthians 5:17),

3.) Judicial freedom (Romans 7:6)

4.) The power of sin has been broken (Romans 6:14,18).

When Jesus died on the cross, the power of sin was broken, but it does not mean there’s no more temptation. Are you running away from sin and running towards God? Remember, you are a child of God, not a slave to sin! When Christ, our life, comes again, we too will be “revealed with Him in glory”– which means we are destined for glory (Colossians 3:4)! We are “heirs” of God (Romans 8:17-18). God has something so amazing for us, and the early believers knew this. They focused on things above because they knew God’s best will always be better than anything else. We are children of God (1 John 3:2-3) – therefore our thinking should be focused on things above! Our motivation is crucial for us to live out our faith in Christ.

2) PUT OFF THE OLD LIFE

We must consider the members of our bodies as DEAD to sin (Colossians 3:5-7). The sins mentioned here are all related to sexual immorality. The wrath of God, a truth referred to in more verses in the Bible than God’s love, is made a reality by and is the expression of God’s HOLINESS. So, we need to put these kinds of sins away!

Colossians 3:8-9 lists “respectable sins” we take lightly but are still wrong in the eyes of God like anger, malice, and slander. It’s not just immorality, but also the irresponsible use of our tongues and our words. If we want God’s best for our lives, we need to put off a lifestyle of sin.

3) PUT ON THE NEW LIFE

Put on your new identity in Christ (Colossians 3:10-11). God is at work in us, we are “chosen, holy and beloved” (v.12). We are to put on virtues and character aligned with God’s will (Galatians 5:22-23). God began a good work in us and will continue to work in and through us in Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6)! We have to live out that new identity (Philippians 2:12-13)– to “work out” our salvation means to live out that which is in us. Even if our will is 100% God’s work, we also should give our 100% best in living it out. A “heart transplant” has been made– because of what Christ did, the things we previously enjoyed are now things of embarrassment for us and not in our new nature. We may fall into sin, but we have something in us that will save us. We are to bear with one another, forgive each other, as we are forgiven in Christ (Colossians 3:13-14). On top of these, we put on love. The PEACE OF CHRIST should rule in our hearts, and we should be growing in these virtues (v.15). The peace of Christ does not just mean harmony. It has to do with our conscience. When we do that which is not pleasing to God, we lose that peace. Paul wrote that he maintains a BLAMELESS CONSCIENCE (Romans 9:1, Acts 24:16) – something we can also do if we put on Jesus Christ and let Him reign supreme in our lives! At the end of Paul’s life, he states his confidence that a great future lies ahead of him including a crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:7-8). May our lives aspire for the same today – that when we meet Jesus, He’ll tell us “WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT”.

Why should you focus your mind on things above?

How do you keep your mind focused on things above?

What sinful habits must you put off and what Christ-like virtues you must put on to reflect Christ to others around you?

Pray for those around you who are not yet living God’s best for their lives.

Show them what the abundant life is like by how you live your life focused on Christ.

Share the gospel that they too will know Jesus, the Source of eternal life.

• Worship God for who He is, what He has done, and what He will do in our lives.

• Upright and moral governance of public servants; repentance and salvation for government leaders and citizens for a Christ-centered Philippines.

• God’s help and comfort, salvation for Israel, wisdom for their leaders in government, military and their soldiers as they defend themselves against terrorists’ attacks. PRAISE GOD for the release of hostages so far! Continue to pray for the release of the remaining ones.

• War in Ukraine to end, loss of lives prevented.

• That CCF Members would honor and love God and make disciples.

• Elders, pastors, dleaders, and families (holy, humble, harmonious, happy, heart-working).

• Ministries and churches expansion worldwide.

• Worship and Training Center

• Prayer Mountain

• Deeper intimate relationship with God.

• Righteous living.

• Salvation of family and friends.

2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.