Last time, we closed out Colossians 2 looking at Paul’s instructions to the church to avoid adhering to religious rites and manmade traditions in a futile effort to earn favor with God because we now have freedom in Christ – freedom from the law of works and freedom from the chains of sin. Today we see the importance of keeping our desires focused on Christ.
Paul opens Chapter 3 with:
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. Colossians 3:1-4 ESV
Beginning with “if then” (or sometimes translated “therefore”) indicating Paul is concluding the preceding paragraphs and summarizing it into a new set of instructions: If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above. This is one of those verses that recites so nicely, but wow can it be difficult to abide by.
As we know, this world pulls on us very strongly. The desire for a nicer house, nicer car, more money in the bank, or, considering Paul’s admonitions against religiosity in Colossians 2, attainting a more prominent place in the church or earning favor with God through works (which, if we’re really honest with ourselves, usually translates to thinking we’ll get more worldly blessings from God)… each of these can devour a significant amount of our thought life. And sadly, they all add up to idolatry. For more on this, see Matthew 6:24, 1 John 2:15-17, 1 Timothy 6:10, Hebrews 13:5, etc.).
Verse 2 states, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” This can also be understood as “think upon” or “keep focused on” the things that are above.
And what is above? Our Lord Jesus Christ, seated at the right hand of God. Our wonderful, loving Savior who died in our place, taking our filthy, disgusting sins upon his flesh, bearing in Himself the full wrath of His Father. Why? Because He loved us. And He did this before we loved Him (see 1 John 4:19). Considering this, what else should be more worthy to consume our thoughts and affections than Christ?
And within this is an important point to contemplate: Because He loves us, and because we have been raised with Christ, we are able seek the things that are above. It’s not possible for us to do this without the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, refining us and identifying sin in our lives (see John 16:13, Gal. 5:16, 1 John 2:27). For this, we must be thankful, even though it can be bitter to truly digest just how sinful our flesh can be and how worldly our desires can become if left unbridled.
Paul goes on to say, “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Contextually, this points back to Colossians 2:20 where Paul reminded the church that they had “died to the elemental spirits of the world.”
Remember, when we are baptized we are publicly identifying with Christ in His death and resurrection. In Romans 6:4 Paul wrote, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Our old self, the one who loved the world and the things of this world, and sought only to please itself, is dead. And we need to keep it dead. We do that by taking our mind off the things of this world and seeking the things above, specifically, Christ.
One thing I want to touch on here in verse 3 is the statement that our “life is hidden with Christ in God.” Hidden could have a lot of implications, but I like to think to think of it in two ways:
1) what is hidden cannot be stolen. No one can take away our new spiritual life when it is hidden in Christ. It is completely safe and secure from the enemy (see John 5:24, John 10:28, Romans 8:38-39).
2) what is hidden cannot be seen. No one else can really know if you are saved or not, it’s a private matter between you and the Lord. Sure, there are outward signs of salvation (fruit of the Spirit), but no one really knows our heart except God. He knows if we are His and if He is ours. It is the deepest of intimate secrets shared in the bond of Christ’s love.
We close with Paul’s statement: “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Yes, we have died to our old self, but consider that we are alive – born again – with Christ. He is our life. And one day, when He returns on the clouds in great glory, we will appear with Him in that glory.
Consider that for a moment. Christ is our life. We will see and participate in His glory. Doesn’t that just make you smile? All our sin washed away for good; no more tears or temptations, and no more flesh to pull us down into this miry world. We will one day be with our loving Savior and be with Him forever. I honestly don’t know what that will look like, but scripture tells us that it will be better than anything we could ever imagine.
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him. (1 Corinthains 2:9)
Praise be to our great God!