I want to read four verses. What
I was going to do was deal with half of this this morning and
half this afternoon. And I forgot there would be no
evening service. I'm losing just about everything.
I've lost most of my hair. And I'm losing my sense. My mind. I can't remember hardly anything
anymore. I want to read the four verses
to us. And we'll come back here with
Lord Willem next Sunday. But I just want to deal with
verse 1 today. But let me begin in verse 1 and
read down through verse 4. The Apostle says in Colossians
3 and 1, If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things
which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things
above, not on things on the earth. For you are dead, and your life
is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in glory."
I want you to think this morning with me on seeking those things
which are above. Seeking those things which are
above. And he makes this statement here in verse 1, risen with Christ. If you then be risen with Christ. What a wonderful statement. And
he's not doubting that they have been risen with Christ. If you
and I were reading this today probably, we might put since. you are risen with Christ. But
this is a wonderful statement, and as I thought of it, I thought,
surely there's three things here the Apostle means. And I want
first of all to consider these things with you. What does it
mean to be risen with Christ? And Paul says, since you're risen
with Him, therefore seek those things which are of that. First
of all, this word, risen with Christ, speaks of our union with
Him. For He says, if you be risen
with Christ. When Christ raised, Paul is saying,
you were raised with Him. Now, in the second chapter, in
verse 12 of this book, Paul was talking about God raising Christ
from the dead. By His power, He raised Christ
from the dead. And since we have this union
with Christ, we were raised from the dead when He arose. We call this mystical union. If you've never heard of the
believer's union with Christ, our forefathers used to refer
to it as mystical union because it's a mysterious union. It's
a spiritual union that we have with the Lord Jesus Christ. Let
me show this to you. Look back here in chapter 1 and
verse 18. Here's what we mean when we talk
about the mystical union that we have with the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not a physical union. We
know the Lord Jesus Christ has a body, a real body, a real soul. But we also know He has a spiritual
body. He has a mystical body that we
sometimes refer to it. And look in verse 18. He's speaking
here of Christ. He is the head of the body, the
church. Christ is the head. His body
is the church. And Ephesians chapter 1 verse
22, listen to this, Paul was speaking here of the Father raising
Christ from the dead and he said this, bodied. The church is the body
of Jesus Christ. And Paul said in Ephesians chapter
5 and verse 30, we are members of His body, of His flesh and
of His bones. And then he added this, this
is a great mystery. But I speak concerning Christ
and the church. So what are we saying here this
morning? We're saying this, that when Jesus Christ came into this
world, He had this mystical body that He was the head of. All
of the elect of God belonged to His body. When He suffered,
they suffered with Him. When He died, they died with
Him. When He was buried, they were buried with Him. And when
He arose from the dead, they arose with Him. Not literally,
but in this mystical sense. Now, I want to show you a couple
of places, marvelous Scriptures over in the Old Testament. The
first one is in Psalms chapter 139. Now, hold Colossians 3,
and turn here. This is a familiar Scripture
in Psalms 139, and it's speaking to us of this mystical body of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Look here in Psalms 139, and
look in verse 13. Psalms 139, verse 13. I think this is one of the most
wonderful, though one of the most mysterious things in all
God's Word. That when the Father chose His
elect and put them in Christ before the world ever was, that
they became one with Him. And no matter how far you go
back into eternity, they have always had this union with the
Son of God, Jesus Christ. They've always been one with
Him. And here in Psalms 139, He speaks
of His body, His mystical body. Look in verse 13. And thou hast
possessed my reins, you have covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee, for I am
fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are thy works, and
that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from
thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the
lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes did see my substance,
yet being unformed, unperfect. And in thy book all my members
were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there
was none of them." Now, you can apply this to David, and you
can apply it to all of us, because God formed us in our mother's
womb. He knew all of our members, our
hands, our eyes, our organs, when He formed us in the womb.
You can apply this to the physical body of Jesus Christ. because
God formed His body in the virgin's womb. But here's the way I love
to look at this. It has this spiritual meaning
to it. It's the mystical body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Long before the elect of God
were called, long before they were born again, they were members
of this mystical body of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were
His body, mystically speaking. And He says here, My substance
was not hid from thee when I was made in the lowest parts of the
earth. And I love what He says here,
Thine eyes did see My substance, yet being unformed, and in Your
book all My members were written. Doesn't that ring a clear bell
to us when we go to Revelation 13, and it says that our names
were in His book before the foundation of the world? He knew us. He
told Jeremiah, before I farmed you in the womb, I knew you. He knew. The Lord Jesus is speaking
to His Father here, and He says, Father, You know all My members. And You've written all their
names in Your book. even though they're not even
farmed yet. You know all My members." That's speaking of the mystical
body of Christ. Look here in one more place.
Look here in Isaiah chapter 26 and verse 19. This is a precious
verse of Scripture here, familiar to some of you. But look at it
in Isaiah chapter 26 and look in verse 19. This is a wonderful
verse. If you'll think of this as being
the mystical body. We're members. Even before we
were born again, the elect of God had union with Christ. This is why you and I hold so
strongly in election. If you deny election, that the
Lord had already chosen His people and gave them to Christ, then
we deny union. Because it's union with Christ
and His elect that they had from back in eternity. Look here what
He said in verse 19 of Isaiah 26. Thy dead men shall live. Together with My dead body shall
they arise." There's the Lord Jesus here, and His body has
died. And here's what He said, Thy
dead men, you elect your people. They shall arise. When shall
they arise? When your dead body arises, He
said. When did Christ arise? After
He had been dead for three days and nights. God raised Him from
the dead. And who raised with Him? His
dead men. All of those who died with Him
upon the cross in that mystical union. Awake and sing, ye that
dwell in the dust, for thy dew is as the dew of herbs. and the
earth shall cast out her dead." Mystical union. We raised when
Christ was raised. Now, when you were lost, you
had no idea that you was already raised with Christ, did you?
You had no idea. It's only after the Lord regenerates
you and you look and begin to come to the knowledge of this,
you say, Lo and behold, I was in Him upon the cross. I was
in Him in the tomb. And I raised with Him, mystically
united union with Christ. What a glorious doctrine that
is, and it's taught in the Scriptures. Ye are risen with Christ. Secondly,
there's another way in which Paul means this. If you be risen
with Christ, we are literally, or spiritually, spiritually speaking,
we are risen with Christ, when we are regenerated, when we're
quickened, when we're born of Him, we're raised up with Him
then in a spiritual sense. Look in chapter 2 of Colossians.
Paul makes mention of this in verse 13. Look what he says here. In Colossians
chapter 2 and verse 13, And you, being dead in your sins, and
the uncircumcision of your flesh has He quickened together with
Him, having forgiven you. All trust passes." See what it
means to be risen with Christ? You're alive now. You've been
given the life of Christ in your soul. Just as Jesus Christ was
dead physically, you were dead, Clarence. You were dead spiritually,
weren't you? Just as Christ's lifeless body
lay in that tomb, you and I lay lifeless, spiritually dead in
trespasses and sin. We have no life in us. Just as
surely as Christ was raised to life from the dead to die no
more, so you and I have been given life We have been raised
up, quickened by the Spirit of God, and we shall die no more. The Lord Jesus made this wonderful
statement. He said, the words that I speak unto you
are spirit and life. And you that hear My words and
believe on Him that sent Me, you have everlasting life, and
you'll never come into condemnation, but you are passed from death
to life." Ain't that wonderful? You're passed from death. Here's
one of the ways that you and I know we have the life of God
in our souls. There was a time we didn't. There
was a time we were dead in trespasses and sins. And now we have passed
from death unto life. We're alive. And we're alive
with Christ. The Lord Jesus said in another
place, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear
the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. Oh, I tell you, brothers and
sisters, to be saved is not turning over a new leaf. To be saved
doesn't mean you start going to church and start living a
moral life. Those things are included in
being saved, but I'm telling you, being saved is nothing short
of a resurrection. Just as surely as Christ rose
physically, there is a time when the Spirit of God gives us life
and we rise. We are risen with Christ. Thirdly, when Paul says here
that we are risen with Christ, we are risen with Him symbolically
by our water baptism. This is why water baptism is
so important, because it shows what has really happened to us
experimentally. Paul mentions that. Look here
again in Colossians chapter 2 again in verse 12. Look what he says
here. Buried with Him in baptism, wherein
also you are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of
God, who raised Him from the dead. Buried with Him in baptism. Now, we are not physically buried
with Christ, are we? We know better than that. And
Christ is not buried now, in reality. But what baptism does
is show symbolically what has really happened in the mind of
God. What happened to Jesus Christ?
He died. What did they do with His body?
They buried Him. What happened to Him three days
later? He raised from the dead. What does water baptism show?
It shows we've died. That's why they take us to the
water hole and put us down under it. Where did He go? He's dead. What happened to Him?
We buried Him. And then what do we do? We raise
Him up. That symbolically shows that
we died with Christ, we buried with Christ, and we were raised
with Jesus Christ. Now listen to this passage of
Scripture. In Romans 6, verse 4. We were
buried with Him by baptism unto death. that like as Christ was
raised from the dead by the power of the Father, even so we also
should walk in newness of life. Now listen to this, for if we
have been planted together in the likeness of His death, what
is water baptism? It's in the likeness of His death.
That's why we go under the water. That's why we don't sprinkle.
When somebody dies, you don't sprinkle them, do you? You bury
them. You bury them underwater. In
the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness
of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified
with Christ. We're dead with Christ. We're
buried with Christ. We are risen with Christ. Symbolically. That's what our
baptism teaches us. If, therefore, you be risen with
Christ, look back over at our text again. If you be risen with
Christ, seek those things which are above. Seek those things. This is an amazing thing because
here's what the Lord seems to do. He seems to bless us with
spiritual blessings. He gives us these precious promises
and then turns right around and says to us, now seek these things. Seek and ye shall find. Here's what He does. He gives
us a new heart and a new spirit. And then turns right around and
says, I will be sought of by the house of Israel to do this
for them. And David, when he got in trouble
and fell into sin, here's how he prayed, O Lord, create in
me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me. Have you, dear
child of God, ever prayed for a new heart and a new spirit?
Haven't you prayed that? I don't know it, but countless
times I've gone to the Lord in prayer seeking from Him a new
heart and a new spirit. And that's exactly what He said
we would do. I'll give them one, and they'll
seek Me for it." That's hard to understand, but that's heaven's
language. He gives us the gift of His righteousness,
imputed righteousness. He promises us a kingdom, and
then He turns right around and says to us, seek ye first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness. Seek it. But, Lord, you've already
given it to me. And you just keep on seeking
it, don't you? He's given us a kingdom, and we keep on seeking
it. He appeared to Abraham, and He
said, Abraham, to you and your seed, I've prepared a heavenly
country. And you know what Abraham and
his seed spent the rest of their life doing? Seeking that heavenly
country. And that's what you and I are
doing this morning. The Lord has promised us a city. And He says, here we have no
continuing city. Everything you and I know, brothers
and sisters, is passing away, isn't it? But we seek one to
come. You mean you're seeking heaven?
I'm seeking heaven. I'm seeking a life beyond this
life. Our country's stood seemingly
about as long as it's going to. It, like all other great countries,
is slowly coming down. We shouldn't expect for it to
stand. Our cities and our towns, a lot of them are ready to fall. But do you know what we're seeking?
We're seeking a heavenly country. We're seeking a city that abides
forever, that cannot be removed. Seek those things which are above. Strength. Seek it. Do you feel your utter weakness?
Sure you do. And what do you seek? Don't you
seek His strength from above for your soul? God the Father
has put these spiritual blessings in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He puts life in Him. He puts
pardon in Him. He puts peace in Him. He puts
life eternal, full salvation in Him, and then He turns right
around to you, and He turns around to me, and He says, now seek
it. Seek it in Him. I put everything you need in
My Son. And He's there in heaven. Seek
it at His hand. Ain't that a wonderful thing,
dear brothers and sisters? Do you need wisdom? Seek it. Do you need knowledge? Seek it.
Do you need faith? Seek it. Do you need grace to
seek? Then seek it. Seek it. If you then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above. Everything a child of God needs
to make Him holy and to make Him happy, God has put in the
person of His Son, Jesus Christ. And now He says, seek it. Seek
it. If somebody come to you this
morning, some honest person, somebody with great character,
they come and they told you that I'm giving you the deed to a
gold mine, and they told you where it was located at, and
they were even willing to provide the tools to go in that mine
and start digging gold, and they told you that there were unsearchable
riches in that mine, what would you do? I know what you'd do. You'd quit your occupation in
this world, and boy, you'd head for that mine, wouldn't you?
And you'd take your family with you to dig, because you knew
that guy that told you that was an honest man. And boy, you got
in there and you began to dig, and you found it to be so. Huge
nuggets, unsearchable riches. Well, aren't you and I told of
the unsearchable riches of Christ? That He was rich beyond measure,
And now the Father comes to us. The Holy Spirit moves upon this
honest apostle and says, tell my people to seek these unsearchable
riches. Seek them. Seek and they shall
find. Look at the next part of this.
If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above
where Christ sits. on the right hand of God. I don't know of a statement in
all the Bible that's more full than this statement right here.
Christ is sitting on the right hand of God. And if Paul doesn't
give this to encourage us to seek, then I don't know what
this verse means. Do you need encouragement to
seek those things which are above? Then listen while I expound this
little passage of Scripture. Let's look at it, four things.
First of all, what does it mean when the Holy Spirit tells us
that Jesus Christ is now seated on the right hand of God? What does that mean? First of
all, it means this, that our sins have actually been purged. That our sins have actually been
atoned for. They have been put away. You remember when those high
priests under the Jewish ceremonial law, they took the blood of bulls
and goats and of lambs and they went into the holy place and
the most holy place, that tabernacle, and they sprinkled blood upon
the mercy seat. They did that once a year to
atone for sin. But you remember what the Scripture
says about that. that they had to keep doing it
often because it's not possible that the blood of bulls and goats
should take away sin. And Paul said in Hebrews 10,
he said now, even now, the priests go into that holy place and offer
often the same sacrifices. And he made this distinction
in them. He said they stand offering, didn't he? Why did he say they
stand offering the same sacrifices? You and I know there was no chairs
in the holy place. There was no chairs in that tabernacle.
There was no place to sit down. Why didn't they have any chairs
in there for the priest to sit down? Their work was never finished.
They'd take blood in, they'd sprinkle the mercy seat, and
then they would have to go right back in later and sprinkle the
mercy seat again. Because that blood never took
away sin. And then Paul said this, but
this man, this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for
sins, he sat down on the right hand of God. Why did he do that? The work is finished. The work
is finished. If you want to read an amazing
passage of Scripture, you open your Bibles to Hebrews chapter
1, and you read those first three verses. where Paul told us that
Christ was the very expressed image of God, and He was appalled
in all things by the word of His power. And he said this,
when He had by Himself purged our sins, He sat down at the
right hand of God. What does it mean that He's sitting
there? It means our sins are gone. Our sins are purged away. They are no more. What keeps
you then from seeking those things which are above? Are you afraid
because you have the knowledge of your sin? You know how unworthy
that you are? Perhaps you're careful about
approaching them to God's presence. Well, listen to this. Look who
is seated there at the Father's right hand. And why is He sitting
there? For this reason, as an evidence
that your sins have actually been atoned for. They're paid
for. They're purged away. Now you
don't have to be afraid to come to Him and seek those things
which are above. Ain't that wonderful? Do you
want to know if your sins are purged? Then look younger. where
He sat who purged them. And I assure you this, brothers
and sisters, if He had not purged our sins, He wouldn't be sitting
there on the Father's right hand. Did you know that? Because He
took the sins of all God's elect, and He suffered for them, and
He purged them away, and now they are no more. He's seated
there on the right hand of God. Secondly, it means this, and
this is wonderful too. Christ has a work to do there.
He ceased from purging our sins, but He's not ceased from working
there in heaven. He had a work to do on earth,
and He finished that work. And now He's working in heaven.
And what's He doing? Well, listen to Romans chapter
8 and verse 34. Paul said, Who is He that condemns
you? It's Christ that died. Yea, brother,
that is risen again, now listen to this, who is even at the right
hand of God, who also maketh intercessions for us." Ain't
that wonderful? We have somebody in heaven at
the right hand of the judge of all the earth who is seated there
to represent us before the court of heaven. Now, if you've never
had the unfortunate pleasure of being involved with the legal
system. Some of you have. Some of you know what it is to
get involved in the legal system, and boy, you've got to go to
court, and it's all out of your hands. What do you do if you
have to go before the judge? You don't go there to represent
yourself. You may try it until you get there. And then when
you look at those proceedings, and you look at the judge, and
you don't know what to say, And when you stand to say something,
you've said five or six words, and somebody rises and says,
wait a minute, you're out of order. There's a procedure that
you've got to follow, and you don't know nothing about it.
You'd best sit down and quit trying to represent yourself.
Who was it that said, a man who represents himself has a fool
for a client? Aren't you glad, brothers and
sisters, as we walk through this world, living by faith, seeking
to worship God and serve Him, we have one at the Father's right
hand there to represent us. There to make intercessions for
us. And we go to the Father, but
we go through Him. He knows the procedures. And
He speaks on our behalf to the Father. Oh, Father, it's Your
child approaching. Accept Him. Father, they've come
to worship You. Accept their worship for My sake. Father, He's sinned. Forgive
Him for My sake. Father, He's did this for Your
glory. Accept His service." Oh, we have
one sitting at God's right hand. And what's He doing? Making intercessions
for us. And this is why the Hebrew writer
says, we're saved every morning. If we have one proof, of the
security of the believer, it's this. Paul said he's able to
save to the uttermost them that come to God by him, seeing he
ever liveth to make intercessions for them. I tell you, when Peter
denied the Lord and swore and cursed, he'd have been cast away
forever if the Lord Jesus had not said, Peter, I pray for you.
I pray for you. Aren't you thankful for that,
brothers and sisters? And since, therefore, that we have somebody
in heaven of God's own choosing, even the Son of God Himself,
sitting at the Father's right hand to maintain our cause and
to plead our cause, don't that encourage you just to go there
and to seek those things? I wouldn't mind to go to court.
I wouldn't even mind to go to court if I was guilty. If my
brother was the lawyer and my father was the judge, would you?
I wouldn't be too afraid, would you? That's my father and that's
my brother making intercessions to his father and my father on
my behalf. Oh, what a wonderful thought
that is. Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God. The
third thing this tells us here is this. When we read here that
Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God, that speaks
of His universal dominion. He is the sovereign ruler over
heaven and earth and everything. Jesus Christ rules it and guides
it and upholds it. I'm telling you, Rothbard says,
there's not a little worm. that rises up out of his hole
and wiggles along the ground, except he does it by the Lord
Jesus Christ. That's so. He's a sovereign ruler
over everything. Paul said this in Ephesians 1.20,
he said, God hath raised him from the dead and exalted him,
listen to this now, far above all principalities, and powers,
and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not
only in this world, but in the world to come, and have put all
things under His feet. Listen to what Peter said about
it. Jesus Christ is done into heaven and is on the right hand
of God, angels and authorities and powers being made subject
unto Him. All power is subject unto Him. Now you go home and look that
word up. Subject. And it's under his feet. I mean
kings, angels, devils, All men, flesh, the world, desires, the
will of man, sin, everything is under the
very feet of the Lord Jesus Christ. David was speaking about Him
when he made this statement in 1 Chronicles 29. Listen to this. Thine, O Lord, Thine, O Lord
Jesus Christ is the greatness. Thine is the power. Thine is
the glory. Thine is the victory. Thine is
the majesty. Now listen, all that is in the
heavens is Thine. And all that is in the earth
is Thine. Thine is the kingdom, O Lord,
and You are exalted as head over all things. Who is that? That's Jesus of Nazareth, the
Son of Mary. Listen to what David said, both
riches and honor comes from you. And you reign over all things,
and in thy hand is power and might to give riches and to give
strength. Isn't that amazing? It's all
been given to him. And what's he going to do with
it? He's going to give it. to those who seek it. And brothers and sisters, since
He is seated there on the Father's right hand, and everything is
subject to Him and under His feet, what can stop Him? Who can stop Him from blessing
you? Sin can't because it's been put
away. He's sitting there to make sure
your access is full and free because He pleads your cause.
And He's sitting there with sovereign dominion to make sure that He
can bless you and nobody can reverse it. Oh, what an encouragement,
brothers and sisters, to seek, seek those things which are above. How often does the devil tell
us, Ah, you're too full of unbelief. You don't have understanding
enough. What would you do if He blessed you? He can't bless
you. You're too this and you're too
that. You failed and you've fallen. No, yes He can. Yes He can. I'm telling you the Son of God
can bless you. He can bless you. The reason
a lot of people don't seek Him is they just don't believe that.
They don't believe He's a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him. They just don't believe it. But
He is. And the reason He can reward a poor man or woman is
because He has dominion over everything. Lastly is this, and I have to
say this, because there's something else that's told us about the
Lord Jesus Christ sitting on the right hand of God. And we
find it in Psalms 110 and 1, and listen to this. The Lord
said to my Lord. Here's what God said to His Son.
My Son, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your
footstool. That's a dreadful thing, isn't
it? Until I make your enemies your footstool. He said, bring
here to my enemies that would not, I should reign over them
and slay them. Where? Before my feet. You see,
everybody is coming to the Lord Jesus Christ. Many of you here
this morning have come to Him already. He's drawn you to Him,
and you've come to Him. And you've given up yourself.
You've fell at His feet and said, Lord, I ain't going to be your
enemy anymore. It's dangerous being your enemy. And I ain't
going to be your enemy anymore. And you piled up all your weapons
right there at His feet. You took out your white flag
of surrender. And boy, you waved it high. Lord, I surrender. Save
me. Be merciful to me. And you come to Him. But you
know something? Everybody else is coming. Everybody's coming before this
sovereign Lord Jesus. And they're going to bow at His
feet. And He's going to take His foot and He's going to put
it right on their heads. and crush them. He's going to
make His enemies His footstool. Does He have that kind of authority?
God has given Him that authority. He has that power. There's coming
a day when He's going to stand, and He's going to speak, and
everybody's going to get out of their graves. The righteous
are going to be changed and be just like Him. And then the wicked,
the unbelievers, the unrighteous, they're going to get up out of
the graves at His voice. And He's going to look at them
and say, come up here. And they're going to say, oh,
rocks and mountains, fall on us. Covers from His face. And He's going to say, no, you
come up here to Me. Does He have that kind of authority? I read an article, and I put
it in the book. Turn to read it, or you think I wouldn't tell
you the truth. was tell about His sovereign
abilities. You can read it there in the
bulletin. His sovereign abilities. Some people think they have the
sovereign ability. I can come to Christ or I cannot
come to Christ. It's my choice. I have that sovereign
ability. You can just see them, boy. I
can just see that guy as he wrote that down. I have the sovereign
ability to come or not come. It's my sovereign choice. You'll
find out someday, won't you? See if he has the sovereign ability
when Jesus Christ says, Come up hither. Oh, rocks and mountains fall
on me, cover me. No, you come up hither. I'm going to resist you. Try
it. I'm not coming. We'll see. We'll see. Unto him shall all men come,
even those who are incensed against him. How do we know that for
sure? Because the Father raised Him
from the dead and said, Son, sit on my right hand until I
make your enemies your pursuers. They're coming. We're coming.
Aren't you glad you've come already? Aren't you glad you're coming
to Him this morning? You don't want to be put under
His feet, do you? No, the Holy Spirit's taught you that He is
the Lord. He didn't want you to make Him
Lord. He's already Lord. And He tells
you to bow. Bow your heart to Me. Kiss the
Son, lest He be angry. And you perish from the way when
His wrath is kindled but aloud. Aren't you glad He's brought
you? Aren't you glad you've come? If you've come to Him, keep coming.
And keep seeking, keep seeking those things which are good.
Let's pray.