Before we consider verse 1 of
chapter 3, we need to think about where we
are in this letter to the Colossians. Verse 1 clearly begins a new
thought, but that new thought is built on the previous thought.
So at the end of chapter 2, Paul has left us, look at Verse 20,
wherefore, if you be dead with Christ from the rudiments or
the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world,
are you subject to ordinances, touch not, taste not, handle
not, which all are to perish with the using after the commandments
and doctrines of men? which things have indeed a show
of wisdom and will worship and humility and neglecting of the
body, not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh. It may
satisfy you, you may think you're religious and holy and all that,
it's not gonna satisfy God. What you do and things, especially
things that are just made up by people, and you could add
to that list, we all could, If you've been involved in religion
at all, don't watch R-rated movies, don't go to bars, don't go, you
know. There's a religious set of rules
that everybody is expected to comply to, and Paul leaves us
free. He leaves us free. You're complete
in Christ. You're not subject to the law
of God. And that's where chapter three begins. He's left us free
from the law, free from the world's religion and its influence and
its ordinances. Free in Christ Jesus, dead to
sin. Think about that. The law, as
Paul said in Romans 7, is good and right and honorable. But
we're not under that law. We don't want to be under that
law. Those of you who are under the law, Paul said, don't you
hear the law? Do you really wanna be, do you
want that to be your rule of life? If the law is your rule
of life, then the result is gonna be death for you, not life. And so we're uncondemnable by
God's own law because it is Christ that died for us. And so we're
to live that way and that's where we start Chapter three, he left
us free in Christ. By Christ's death for us, we
died with him to sin and its consequences. But we also rose
with him to a newness of life. New creatures, old things are
passed away. Behold, all things are become
new. And that brings us to chapter three, verse one. If you then
be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above. where
Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. When he says, seek those
things that are above, people are like talking about, oh, the
pearly gates and the streets of gold. No, Christ sitting on
the throne, that's what he's talking about. The sovereign
Christ of God, not our fleshly ideas of heaven. Heaven is the
son of God on a throne, that's what it is. That's what's above,
that's who's above. And if this is true of you, that's
what he said, if this is true of you that you're dead with
Christ to this world, God forbid that I should glory save in Christ
crucified by whom this world is dead to me and I to this world.
Crucified by his cross. And you're alive unto God, then
though you live down here for now, don't live down here. Though you live physically down
here, spiritually, we're beyond this. Live with God. Pursue the things of God. That word, seek those things
which are above. Seek. It means to aim at, to
strive after, to pursue, to crave and require. I need to not live in this world
after the elements and rudiments of this world, after the fashion
of this world. I'm not welcome in this world
anymore. And I don't welcome the world,
not in the sense of its antichrist nature. I want you to bear with me for
a minute here, and let's read these first two verses in chapter
three, deliberately leaving out the phrase, where Christ sitteth
on the right hand of God. I want us to leave it out. It's
okay to leave it out, because we're not leaving it out to exclude
it. We're leaving it out for right now to emphasize it. So
look at it. If ye then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above, Set your affection on things
above, not on things on the earth. Now, we read that and we see
what the thought is, that though we live down here, we work down
here, we associate with people of the world, we have to function
in this world, but our aim, our pursuit, our craving, what we
really, our life. That's the way he puts it, I
think, in verse three. Our life is hid from this world. It's hid with Christ. Our life
is with him. Not really down here. And so listen, That thought,
that premise, there are a couple of things about where Christ
is, where he is, that's the phrase we left out, where Christ is.
There are a couple of things about where Christ is that informs
and defines our pursuits. While we live on this earth,
but our desires, our pursuits, our heart, is with Him in glory. First of all, where our head
is and where our heart is as we walk through this life, Christ
runs everything. Does that have anything to do
with how you walk through this world, the fact that Christ is
on the throne? If you start thinking about that, It completely controls the way
that you live in this world, the fact that Christ is on the
throne. He who lived and died for us,
that's the context here, that we're dead in Him to sin and
alive unto God, we're crucified with Him, we're risen with Him,
He's sovereign over everything and everybody. That makes this world something
different to us than it is to other people. It makes it the footstool of
the Son of God. and not something that we're
just kind of caught up in and run by and moved by. No, this
world doesn't have a lot to do with us. This is my father's
world. Now that's freedom. Paul left
us free, didn't he, in chapter two. This is to live that freedom,
to know that the one who loved me with an everlasting love and
gave himself for me is on the throne. That should inform every
decision we make in this world. It completely changes every circumstance
we find ourselves in. It should be the deciding factor
in every decision we make in this world. Christ is on the throne. And
listen, secondly, where we live spiritually. Now I know where
I live physically. I live in Spring Hill, Tennessee.
I live in this world. But where we live spiritually,
where Christ is affects that this way. He's victorious. You
know why he's seated on the right hand of the majesty on high?
Because He led captivity captive. Because He gave us the victory
through Him. He's victorious in His redemptive
power toward us. He accomplished what the Father
sent Him to do. That's why He sat down. People
sit down when they're done. And what He's done with is saving
my soul. Does that have anything to do
with how you live in this world? where Christ is seated on the,
that's where my mind is. And it's not that we don't have
any cognizance of what's going on in the world or make decisions
that are temporal and things like that, but all of it's governed
by he who governs. And it's governed not only by
he who is over all things, but the successful savior of my soul
is the one that sits on that throne. That's why I can't just
immerse myself in this world, because this world is what it
is because of who he is. It's used for what it's used
for because he uses it for that. That's freedom. That's our experience
of freedom, to live in that reality. This is why we don't have any
regard for what the world says. The world wants to accuse me
of something. Oh, I can't believe, you know, you said that or you
did that. Well, I'm sure you're shocked by that. And maybe I
shouldn't have done it. But my Redeemer sits on the right
hand of the majesty on high. You have no power to judge me
or no reason to, much less authority in that. The world is crucified
to me and I unto the world. He has successfully accomplished
salvation for us. Y'all don't come down the aisle
and make decisions in your church. No. The Savior sits on the throne,
not down here. We're not governed by the rudiments
of this world. And as I throw out examples of
that, they're just that. Little examples here and there.
It's all of it though that we're dead to. We've got no use for. He successfully accomplished
salvation for us and sat down. The work of redemption being
completed. You see how that applies to where
our head is as we walk through this world? And where our heart
is and how we live in this world? What we do, what we say. We have no regard for the world's
ways. We have no regard for the world's
words. We have no regard for the world's
works. We're already seated in heavenly
places in Christ. Why would we be governed in spiritual
things in any way by this world when we're dead to it It's not our home. It's not where
we live. Our life is hid with Christ in
God. And we're, verse four, look at verse four, we're not gonna
be here long anyway. We're not gonna be here long
anyway. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, we're gonna
appear with him. So this religious world, they
not only, as we saw in chapter two, they make stuff up that's
irrelevant to us, but also this world's pretended keeping of
the actual law of God for salvation is irrelevant to us. We're not
under the law, but under grace. They can put their neck under
the yoke of bondage all they want to. That's got nothing to
do with me. Paul said, don't put that yoke on my neck. that
neither our fathers nor us were able to bear. We're free in Christ. The law is not our rule of life.
Christ is our rule of life. Now, what are we saying when
we say that? When we say that Christ is our
rule of life, not the law? We need to make it clear that
when we disavow the law as our rule of life, we're not divorcing
the law and Christ. Christ is the fulfillment of
the law. Listen, he said in Matthew 517,
don't think that I'm come to destroy the law or the prophets.
I'm not come to destroy, but to fulfill. He doesn't render
the law void. He makes it honorable. But what we are saying when we
say the law is not our rule of life but Christ is, is that the
law has no more claim upon us or authority over us anymore
in the matter of our acceptance with God, in the matter of our
salvation. Because Christ, our substitute,
is our substitute before the law. He takes our place before
the law because we are in Christ Jesus as our representative,
as our substitute. He keeps the law for us and he
pays for our law breaking for us. Because we are Christ, God in
his holiness and justice looks to Christ and not us for obedience. And we don't look to the law
to obey it. We look to Christ and follow
him. We don't put the law on our wall.
It's fine right where it is. Because to do that, to put it
up in your home, is to presume or imply that you're in conformance
to it somehow. No, we don't look to the law
to obey it. We look to Christ to follow him. To be under the law is to be
under bondage. To look to the law is to be driven
to Christ. If we try to look to the law
for acceptance with God, it's just gonna drive us back to Christ. To be under the law is to fail
every moment to honor God. To be in Christ, is to succeed
in honoring God perfectly every moment. Us being risen with Christ, to
put it just as plain as I can, us being risen with Christ means
that the law does not look to us and we don't look to the law. Verse two, set your affection
on things above, not on things on the earth. Now, we're not
only to look away from the world and its religion, to pursue life
in Christ, not in this world, to pursue life in the sovereign,
successful Savior. But we're to look away from the
world and its fleshly attractions, including its religion, to where
Christ reigns in the sense of our heart's desire. Not only as our goal, but as
our delight. That's verse two. Your affection. Set your affection. He's not just our goal. We live in the reality of His
reigning and success. Remember what Him seated signifies. He's God. He does as He pleases. He runs everybody and everything.
But it also means He redeemed me when He died. He didn't give
it a shot. He didn't do the best He could.
He finished the work of redemption and sat down. Well, that's not only where I
live in my head and changing everything that I think
and everything that I am, but also my heart is there. My heart is with him, my affections. He's not just our goal and purpose,
but he's our delight and our treasure. It's interesting, this
word, affection, because its root indicates
the heart. As we've said, it affects your
heart, your affection. But as it's used in this verse,
the Greek word apparently had come to mean, because this is
the definition of it in this verse, to be of the same mindset,
to agree with, to cherish the same views. Now
these are, this is some quoting from Strong's Concordance, to
cherish the same views, to be harmonious with. You see how that applies to things
above. And remember, when he talks about
things above, he's not talking about, But heaven, as people
think about heaven, he's talking about Christ on the throne. The
reigning, sovereign, victorious Redeemer. We walk and we work
in this world, but we reckon things differently. Our priorities
are different. Our affections, What we consider priceless and
worthless has changed. In this world, man is God. Man's will is supreme. Even God
can't touch man's will in this world's religion. Man's way is
predominant in this world. But in our world, Though we walk
through this one and inhabit it for now, in our world, Christ
is sovereign. His will is always done. His
way is the way. His way is our way. And this chapter's gonna go into
some specifics about His way and how that it's our way. Maybe
we could get a preview of that. Let's look at verses 12 Look
at verse 12 in chapter three. When I'm talking about his way
and his will in this world, you see what happens in this world.
It's all about man's way and man's will. But as we live in
this world, we don't live down here. We are down here, but we
live, our life is hid with Christ. Look at this, put on therefore
as the elect of God, holy and beloved. Holy, who are the elect
of God? Beloved, those whom God loved,
that the purpose of God according to election might stand. God
said, Jacob, I love, I love. And holy, holy in Christ. Put on bowels of mercies, kindness,
and humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one
another and forgiving one another. Does this sound like the world
as you know it? But this is our world. This is
to be our world. This is how it is in the world
we live in. If any man have a quarrel against
any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. You see how him
sitting on the throne as the successful redeemer of your soul,
he forgave you of your sin. Your sins are forgiven, and he
sat down having accomplished it. That affects how I am toward
others. I'm gonna forgive too, because
look what he did for me. That's what this whole chapter
is about. What where Christ is has to do
with where I am, spiritually. And above all these things, put
on love, which is the bond of perfectness
and let the peace of God rule, not the opinions and the pressures of this world. But the peace of God rule. To the which also you're called
in one body and be thankful. This world uses the things that
God has provided and is proud because they think that they
accomplished something or they're responsible. We don't live in that world.
We can't live in that world, can we? Be thankful. Where Christ is has a lot to
do with that, doesn't it? We can't eat a meal without thinking
where he is and where that meal came from because of that. How can we even wake up in the
morning without thinking about where Christ is? Because he's
there, I'm alive, I'm awake. I can breathe and do things today. Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly. Does that have, does that, does
that, How much does that have to do with your world, your life,
spiritually? The word of Christ dwell in you
richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in
your hearts to the Lord, not singing, trying to impress one
another, singing with grace to the Lord in your hearts. And whatsoever you do in word
or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving
thanks to God and the Father by Him. And then wives and husbands
are admonished, and we can read the rest of that. But you see
how living in the mindset of Christ being sovereign and
successful in saving us. That's what makes us strangers
in this world. The last part of the verse is
not redundant. Verse two. not on things on the earth. Well,
that just goes along with the first part. Well, looking to
Christ necessitates a deliberate looking away from this world. You cannot set your affection
on both. You're gonna look to one or the
other. No man can serve two masters. If your affection is where Christ
is reigning supreme and victorious, Then the mammon of this world
has no place there. We use this world and we're gifted
of the Lord by means of this world, but we use it to honor
and worship him, not ourselves. Verse three, for you are dead.
This is the beautiful analogy here. You're dead to this world. You died with Christ. to this
world and your life is hid with Christ in God. And that word hid, it doesn't just mean that this
world doesn't know anything about that, but the scriptures clearly
teach that. We know all things, Paul said,
but we're known of no one. Nobody understands anything about
what it is to be his unless you're his. But this also has to do, this
word here is what you do with a treasure. The life that we treasure and
that we guard and love is our life in Christ, who we
are in Him. The new man lives by virtue of
being a branch, vitally joined to the vine. And see how this harkens back
though to chapter two, where he's left us free. Remember how
we read in Romans six about how we're dead to sin and alive unto
God through Christ Jesus. Think about the absolute security
of this. Your life is hid, protected,
hedged. Nobody can touch it. Whatever
this world, it may chew you up and spit you out. Satan had his way with Job in
a lot of ways, but he couldn't touch his life.
I don't think that's talking just about physical life, do
you? Don't touch his life. our life being hid with Christ
in God, we can't lose it. You can't forfeit that life.
We're gonna lose everything in this world. We're gonna lose
all of it. But as we seek first in this
life, the kingdom of God, all these earthly needs are added
to us, but we're not gonna need them for very long. We're coming
to verse four. We'll leave all of this in them,
but our true life that's in Christ is hidden and safe, untouchable. It's hidden another way, as we've
said, the word is concealed, which is what you do with treasure. It's what you do with that which
is most precious to you. But also, you know something
else that's hid in this sense? Our life is hid in this sense
too. We don't even know what it is
yet. We don't know what life is yet. We already live in Christ
and our minds and hearts, but it does not yet appear what we
shall be. Though we pursue that life now
and not this one, though our affection is set there, it is still hid from us in a
great sense, ready to be revealed at the last time. Listen to that verse that I just
quoted from and how it applies to our text. First Peter 1.3,
blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a
living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth
not away reserved in heaven for you. Is that what he's saying?
Our life is hid in Christ with God. Who are kept by the power
of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time. I don't even know what it is
to be saved yet really. How fully and how freely and how utterly saved I am. Verse four, when Christ who is
our life shall appear. What we're living down here is
not our life. You can call it that, it's fine.
But qualify it this way. Our true life is in Christ. even down here, even now. Then shall you also appear with
Him in glory. Yet another reason to look up
and look away and fix our hearts and minds on Christ. What reason,
Chris? We're gonna be there real soon
anyway. Might as well start looking at
it. Might as well start thinking in those terms. Might as well start acting on
it, because it ain't going to be long. We're going to be there
with him anyway. If you put your house on the
market tomorrow, how many apple trees would you plant in your
yard that day? You're not going to do that because
you're not ever going to eat any of those apples. And a believer doesn't look to
this world and say, what will you give me? We don't expect anything from
this world. We don't need anything from this
world. If we do, God will just give it to us and he'll use us
to earn it or he'll just bestow it upon us. Whatever it is, we'll
use this world while that's the Lord's will. But why do we have this attitude?
Like you would if you planted a tree. One of these days, there's
gonna be apples, probably three or four years from now, there's
gonna be apples on that tree and I'm gonna enjoy those things.
Why don't we look at the world that way? One of these days,
I'm gonna arrive. Don't we act like that? Isn't
that the way we live most of the time? One of these days,
I'm gonna get there. If I work hard and do this and that, work
hard. And there's nothing wrong with
succeeding in this world. Why not? Would you rather be
unsuccessful? But don't look at this world
and the goals that you have in this world as your true goals. That's not the be all end all
where we're going to arrive one day, which we may or may not. Arrive where? What do we mean by that in this
world? We're gonna arrive one of these
days, we're gonna have more money? We're gonna be smarter? We think this world is gonna
do something for us one of these days, like Judas expected it
to. When he sold the Son of God for
30 pieces of silver, he said, what will you give me? Don't
sell yourself to this world. We're looking for Christ to appear. That's what we're doing down
here. We live in a tent, spiritually speaking, in this world. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter
11, please, and we'll consider this. Hebrews 11, 13. These all died in faith, not
having received the promises, but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them. They
believed the promise of God by his grace through faith that
he gave them. They were persuaded of them.
And you know, there are probably people that are persuaded. Paul said to Agrippa, I know
you believe. I know you believe. I know you
know what I'm talking about. This thing wasn't done in the
corner. But those who die in faith, look
what it says about them. They not only were persuaded
of them, they embraced them. They said that's what God has
promised. That's all I care about. You're
gonna have to let go of this world to facilitate that embrace right
there. You have to let go of this world. And confessed that they were
strangers and pilgrims on the earth, that's what our text is
talking about. Look away. Look away. For they that say
such things declare plainly that they seek a country. They're
not looking to arrive in this world, and again, don't be a
loser in this world. It's fine, the Lord's got us
here for a while, as long as he does, but we don't know how
long we're gonna be here. And we know no matter how long
we're here, this ain't it. And truly, if they had been mindful
of that country from which they came out, they might have had
opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better
country, that is in heavenly. Wherefore God is not ashamed
to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city. That's what our text is talking
about. Not only looking, not only having a desire to depart
and to be with Christ, which is far better, But our text is
talking about until that happens, already, let your mind and heart
be with Him. Even before we depart, your life is in Him, not in this
world. When Christ, who is our life,
It doesn't say that Christ shows us the way of life. It doesn't
say Christ teaches us how to live. It doesn't even say that
Christ gives us life, though he does all of those things.
But this is important and altogether different from those things.
He is our life. Even now, even now, to live is
Christ. And to die is more Christ. Oh, and listen to these words,
when he shall appear. When he shows up, that's when we show up in glory. That's when we know how saved
we are. That's when we know what the
words in Christ means. That's when we find out what
glorification is. And that word there, Shall we appear with him in glory?
That word glory means splendor, majesty, and magnificence. But you know, it's interesting,
that's the primary definition of that, but here's another definition
of glory. A thing belonging to God. When Christ appears, when he
comes back for us, as he so beautifully promised to do, if I go to prepare
a place for you, I'll come again and receive you unto myself. What he will do is take possession
of that which he purchased with his own blood, that which belongs
to God. That's glory. Amen, let's pray.