If you will turn with me in your
Bibles to Colossians chapter 3. Colossians chapter 3. Our text will be verses 1 through
4. Colossians 3 verse 1 says, If ye then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God. Set your affection on things
above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life
is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. I've titled this message, Risen
with Christ. Verse one says, if ye then be
risen with Christ. Now I need to know if I've been
risen with Christ. And the reason I need to know
is because it goes on and it says Christ is our life. It says
that we shall appear with him in glory, but it all hinges on
this, if we've been risen with Christ. Who has been risen with
Christ? Well, who is the apostle Paul
writing to? Let's see, go back to Colossians
chapter 1, verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ
by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, to the saints and
faithful brethren, in Christ which are at Colossae. Grace
be unto you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ, the saints and the faithful brethren in Christ. They have
been risen with Christ. And the reason is because they
are in Christ. Over in Ephesians 1 we read that
God chose before the foundation of the world to save a people,
to save sinners, in Christ. It's all in Christ. That is key
right there. Those two words, that's the gospel
in Christ. Look here in Colossians 1 down
at verse 12. says giving thanks unto the father which hath made
us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in
light who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath
translated us into the kingdom of his dear son in whom in Christ
We have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of
sins. The only way we're going to be
redeemed is in Christ. The only way we can have forgiveness
of all our sin is through the blood of Christ. Look down at
verse 20. And having made peace through
the blood of his cross by him, by Christ, to reconcile all things
unto himself, by him I say, whether they be things in earth or things
in heaven, and you that were sometime alienated and enemies
in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in
the body of his flesh through death to present you holy. and unblameable and unreprovable
in his sight." You know what that means? We've been made perfect
in Christ. We who were his enemies. We who hated God, he has reconciled
us to God by himself through his death. How are we risen with
Christ? Look over at chapter 2. Chapter
2 in verse 8 says, For in him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in him, which is
the head of all principality and power, in whom also ye are
circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting
off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of
Christ, 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. And you, being dead in your sins
and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together
with him, having forgiven you all trespasses. We are risen
with Christ through faith. And that's the operation of God.
Just as God the Father raised Christ from the dead, with that
same power, he raises his people from spiritual death. He has
quickened us together, given us life in Christ. Is that not amazing? Well, what does it mean? What
does it really mean? to be risen with Christ. I love
this, in verse 10 right here in chapter 2 it says, ye are
complete in Him. That means it's finished. All
that God requires, all that God demands for us to be accepted
before Him, we're complete. We are complete in Christ. We are one with Him. Look back at chapter 1 again,
verse 18. To be risen with Christ is to be one with Christ. We're
with Him, we're in Him. Verse 18 of chapter one says,
He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have
the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that
in Him should all fullness dwell. Christ is the head. He is our
head. We are his body. Over in Ephesians
5, we read that we're members of his body, of his flesh, and
of his bones. It says, this is a great mystery,
but I speak concerning Christ and the church. We're the bride
of Christ, and he is our husband. He is our God. We are his people. He is our Lord. Who has been risen with Christ?
Sinners. Sinners chosen in Him before
the foundation of the world. What does it mean to be risen
with Christ? It's to be one with Him. How are we risen with Him? By faith, and that's the gift
of God. Look back at Colossians chapter three, verse one. If
ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection
on things above, not on things on the earth. Now, the first
thing I want to mention here is what are we to seek as children
of God, as believers in Christ? What are we to seek on a daily
basis? Not the things of this world. Everything here is temporal. It's all gonna soon perish. 1 Timothy 6 verse 7 says, We
brought nothing into this world, and it is certain. It's certain. We can carry nothing out. I pray
that God will not let us set the world in our hearts, or we
will perish right with it. Now, I pray this will be a great
comfort to us, what I'm about to say. I got this from Brother
Henry's commentary, and this just blessed my heart tremendously.
What are we to seek? Here's the first thing he said.
Seek the heavenly country. And today that means a lot more
than it might have other times. He's not seeking it anymore.
He's there. And this is a scripture reference
he gave. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews 11 verse 8. By faith, Abraham, when he was
called to go out into a place which he should after receive
for an inheritance, obeyed, and he went out, not knowing whither
he went. By faith, he sojourned in the
land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles
with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.
For he looked for a city, which hath foundations, whose builder
and maker is God. Verse 11, through faith also
Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed and was delivered
of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful
who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of
one and him as good as dead so many as the stars of the sky
in multitude and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises,
but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and
embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and
pilgrims on earth. For they that say such things
declare plainly that they seek a country, and truly, If they
had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they
might have had opportunity to have returned. And I'll just
say this. All our brethren who've gone
before us, they're not wishing they could be here. They were
looking for a city whose builder and maker is God. Look at verse
16. They're not looking to come back.
But now they desire a better country. That is, and heavenly,
wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he
hath prepared for them a city. Is that not your hope? That God
hath prepared for us a city? I've got to read this. If you'll
turn to John 14. on John 14 verse 1. Let not your heart be troubled.
Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are
many mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you. Now, heaven is not just a place. It is a place. But it's not the
mansions and the streets of gold and the pearly gates that the
believer desires. That's not what we're interested
in. Look at verse three. And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that
where I am, there ye may be also. What we desire is not the place,
it's the person. We desire a heavenly country
because of who's there. Turn with me to Psalm 17. This
was Henry's other reference. And I just can't help but rejoice
to read that he said, I will come again and I will receive
you unto myself. Psalm 17, verse 15. As for me, I will behold thy
face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake
with thy likeness. One thing that crossed my mind
in reading this, when somebody dies, we often say they, at such
and such time, so and so closed their eyes in death. Well, physically,
yes. But spiritually, the exact opposite
is true. When the child of God dies, we
don't close our eyes. We open them. God opens them. Read that verse again. It says,
as for me, I will behold thy face. righteousness I shall be
satisfied when I awake well I thought we were asleep in Jesus yes we
are oh but we're awake we're awake I'll be satisfied when
I awake with thy likeness oh my don't you look forward to seeing
his face you know we see a lot of faces don't we I see some
of your faces and it just makes me happy just to behold your
face. One day we're gonna see his face when I shall see him
face to face and tell the story saved by grace. Oh, what a day,
what a day. Lord, make thy face to shine
upon thy servant. Psalm 27 verse 8 says, when thou
saidst, seek ye my face, my heart said unto thee, thy face, Lord,
will I seek. Oh, may God cause us to seek
Christ, to seek Him. Seek ye first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness. You know what God's righteousness
is, don't you? It's Christ. We seek Him, seek Christ. Turn
with me to Philippians chapter 3. Again, this is every child of
God's greatest desire. Philippians 3 verse 7. But what things were gained to
me, those I counted lost for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I
count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss
of all things, and do count them but dung that I may win Christ
and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which
is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know
him. and the power of his resurrection,
and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his
death, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection
of the dead. One day we're gonna attain unto
the resurrection of the dead. We will truly be risen with Christ
once and for all. And I can't wait. Perhaps I do have a life to live,
that's good. But this is not my life, this
is not my home, this isn't it. And we'll see that here in a
minute. What are we to seek? Things above, the heavenly country, our Lord
Jesus Christ, and his righteousness, his peace, all spiritual blessings
that are in him. Look back with me at our text,
Colossians 3, If ye then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God, set your affection on things above, not on things
on the earth. For, because ye are dead, and
your life is hid with Christ in God. Now what does that mean
we're dead? I'm looking at you, I know we're
not physically dead. And we're not spiritually dead
because God has given us life in Christ. What does this mean? We're dead to the world. Paul
said, I'm crucified to the world and the world unto me. We're
crucified to the world. We're dead to the law. The law
has nothing to say to us. And we're dead to sin. Now I can't explain that because
sin is all I am. Sin is all I do. But here's how
we're dead to these things. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
That's how. And if it says we're dead to
these things through Jesus Christ our Lord, then it's so. It's
so. Turn with me to Galatians chapter
2. The way that we are dead to the
world, dead to the law, and dead to sin is because we died with
Christ. We died in Him. Galatians 2 verse
20 says, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me. and the life which I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me
and gave himself for me." I mentioned it earlier, the believer is one
with Christ. And here's the glory of that.
Whatever Christ did, we did because we're in Him. When Christ, when
He loved, the Lord his God with all his heart, all his soul,
all his mind, and all his strength. So did we. Now that's good news
because in myself I know I don't. When he loved his neighbor as
himself, when he loved his enemies, gave his life for them, made
them his friends, so did we in him. When Christ fulfilled the
law of God perfectly, Every jot, every tittle, so did we in Him. Now you'll hear us say we've
not kept one of God's laws one time, and that's true, but not
in Christ. Yea, we established the law through
faith in Him. When Christ hung on that cross,
There was a thief to his left and a thief to his right. Isaiah
53 says, he made intercession for the transgressors. Are you
a transgressor? That one thief, he cried, Lord,
remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And I love
what our Lord told him. I can just imagine him looking
him right in the face and saying, today, shalt thou be with me
in paradise. When Christ died, we died in
him. That thief, he died. But his
real death was in Christ, who stood right beside him. He died
in him. When Christ arose, we arose with
him. That thief arose with him in
paradise that same day. And as Christ lives, we live
in him. We just read it, Christ liveth
in me. What a wonderful thought. And we live in Him. Our life
is in Him. He loved us and gave Himself
for us. Look back at our text. Verse 3 says, For ye are dead,
and your life is hid with Christ in God. Our life is in Christ,
and our life is hidden. It's hidden to all of us by nature
until God reveals Christ in us, the hope of glory. But even now,
our life in Christ is hidden from everybody else, everybody
outside of Christ. The world can't see our life
in Christ because they can't see Christ. And our life, being
hidden in Christ, it's safe. You ever hide something because
you don't want somebody to take it? It's safe. We're hidden in Him. Isn't there a song, hidden in
the hollow of His precious hand? That's where we are. I'll read
this to you. You don't have to turn. John
chapter 10. Just thinking about the security that we have in
Christ. Hidden in Him. He said, my sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand. I and my Father are one, and
he's made us to be one with him. He prayed, O Father, that they
may be made perfect in one, that they all may be one, that they
may be one in us, one in him, one with God. We're in Christ,
and Christ is in God, I know Gabe says this sometimes, we're
in Christ's hand and He's in the Father's hand. We could not
be in better hands. Back in Colossians 3 verse 4
says, when Christ, who is our life. And those two words, who
is, are in italics. When Christ, our life. Now here's something to dwell
on. Just think about this. Christ is our life. I pray that we will never get
over that. Christ is our life. Not only
is life eternal knowing Christ, it is. Not only is life in Christ,
it is. Not only, as I just read to us,
has Christ given unto us eternal life, He has. He is our life,
whatever that means. All the glory associated with
that, it's true. And let the brethren rejoice,
Christ is our life. He that hath the Son, you know,
this is all that matters. The things of this life, they
really don't matter. He that hath the Son, hath life. And he that hath not the Son
of God, he hath not life. So I raise this question. Do
you have the Son? Do I have the Son? Do we believe
on the Son of God? Here's the gospel message. Here's
what that Samaritan woman learned from Christ himself. Come see
a man. Is not this the Christ? Is not this the Christ? Paul
said in Philippians chapter 1, he said, for me to live is Christ. Christ is my life. For me to
live is Christ and to die is gain. Colossians 3, 4, when Christ
our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. He's coming back. For our brother,
he just came back. And one day soon, he's coming
back for us to receive us to himself. Come back with me to
Hebrews, this time chapter 9. Hebrews 9, look at verse 27. And as it is appointed unto men
once to die, but after this the judgment, so Christ was once
offered to bear the sins of many. And unto them that look for him
shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. He's coming back. Praise God,
he's coming back. And this matter of the judgment,
when we die we meet God in judgment. Here's the good news for all
children of God. We've already died in Christ.
We've already satisfied the judgment of God in Him. It's finished. Praise God it's finished. But
may we look forward. May we earnestly desire our Lord's
return. He's going to appear. He shall
appear a second time without sin unto salvation. You know
how he's going to appear without sin? We know that when Christ
died that he was made to be sin. The reason he was raised again
because God was satisfied. He has no sin. He never did. He never knew one sin, but He
bore our sin. We just read it. He bore our
sin and His own body on the tree, but He put it away. He's the
spotless Lamb of God, and He's coming back. Well, who's gonna
see Him when He appears? Verse 28 says, them that look
for Him. Are we looking for Him? I love this verse, Titus 2.13
says, Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing
of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Lord, come quickly. Come quickly. One more thing
here in verse four of our text. When Christ returns, something
glorious is gonna happen for us. Colossians 3 verse 4 says,
when Christ our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with
him in glory. Not only will we see him when
he appears, we shall appear with him in glory. I'll close with this verse, 1
John chapter 3, if you'll turn there with me. We are going to be with the Lord
Jesus Christ in glory. 1 John 3, verse 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. Amen. Amen. What a day, glorious day that
will be. Even so, come Lord Jesus.