Then again to Colossians 3 verse
1. Paul continues his exhortations. He began in chapter 2 regarding
the Christian's walk. which he began in chapter 2 verse
6 where he says as he have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord
so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him and established
in the faith as he have been taught abounding therein with
thanksgiving and he continues into chapter 3 and in verse 1
we read if ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which
are above where Christ sit if on the right hand of God Set
your affections 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. If ye then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God. If ye then be risen with Christ, Galatians chapter 2 verse 20
Paul declares the fact that 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 he loved
me and gave himself for me Paul was crucified with Christ. Indeed all God's people, when
Christ died, they in their own nature in Adam, died with him. When Christ was crucified, they
were crucified. When Christ was slain, they were
slain. When Christ was buried, they
were buried. And when Christ rose again, they
rose again. When Christ was delivered up
into the hands of the Jews and the hands of the Romans and the
sentence at his mock trial was given, that he should be taken
away and crucified, that sentence lay upon his people. when he was taken away and mocked
and scourged. His people, as it were, were
mocked and scourged. When they took him up to that
place outside Jerusalem called Golgotha and laid him upon the
cross and hammered nails into his hands and nails into his
feet, So the nails were hammered into
the hands and the feet of his people. When he was nailed to
a cross, they were nailed to the cross with him. When he was
lifted up to die, they were in him lifted up to die. And when the wrath of God was
poured out upon the sins of his people, in the Saviour, It was they, in the counsels
of God, who were in the Saviour. It was their sins which were
laid upon Him. It was them who were laid upon
Him. They were the reason He died. Their sins were the reason He
died. Their sins were that which slew
Him. Their sin was that which slew
Him. They died as he died, and they were buried when he
was buried. When God in fury burned up the
sins of his people in his Son, when he consumed the sacrifice
upon the tree, when the vaults of the heavens were opened and
God's vengeance poured down upon His own Son and destroyed the
Saviour, destroyed Him upon the tree as it were, when He was
judged with eternal fury and condemnation. It was really the the Lord's
people in Him who were judged. He had no sin. He had no sins. God didn't judge Christ for who
Christ was, but He judged His people in Him. And He judged
Christ for what He had become as their substitute. He judged
the sins of His people which were laid upon Him. He judged
the sin of His people which He was made to be. And He destroyed
that people in His Son upon the tree. And when Christ died and
Christ cried out, it is finished, and gave up the ghost, it was
that people who had died in Him. It was that people who had been
judged in Him. It was that people who had been
slain in Him. And if you are in Christ this
day, then you will be able to say with Paul that you are crucified
with Christ. What you were in Adam by nature,
a vile, a guilty, a rebellious sinner, born speaking lies, going
astray from the womb, born shaking your fist in God's face, seeking
your own will and your own way and your own glory, despising
God and the things of God and his truth and his gospel. All
that you were, a sinner in Adam, was nailed to the tree, was nailed
to Christ, on that tree and was crucified in Christ. All that you were was slain,
all that you were was buried, all that you were was put away
and at the end when it was finished and when nothing was left of
the old man Adam When nothing was left of your sins and your
transgression and your vile base, corrupt heart. When all had been
put away, all had been destroyed and all had been blotted out.
When the blood had washed away every transgression. When nothing
was left to be condemned. When nothing was left to draw
out the wrath of God in anger against you. When nothing was
left to draw out God's condemnation. Then on the third day, when the
grave could hold Christ no longer, when there was nothing to hold
him in the grave, when there was nothing to be condemned for,
when there was nothing to bring in death for, when death had
no more hold upon him, death had no more hold upon his people.
And when he rose, they rose. And when he ascended, they ascended. And when he lived, they lived.
And so Paul could say, 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. For Paul was crucified, Paul
was buried, yet Paul rose again. And all God's people in Christ
were crucified, were circumcised, were destroyed, and they were
buried. And yet they rose again, and
they live. And yet when they were crucified,
they felt no pain. When they were crucified, they
felt no suffering. When they were crucified, they
felt not the wrath of God. for it was their substitute who
felt it. It was Christ who loved them
and gave himself for them. It was Christ who suffered that
they might be delivered. It was Christ who bore the judgment
of God against their sins that they might bear it not. It was
Christ who was cut off that they might be brought back to God
who were once afar off. who was Christ, who suffered
in anguish and turmoil under the outpouring of the vengeance
of God, that they might be spared, and that they might be delivered,
and that they might be redeemed, that they might be ransomed,
that they might be brought back to peace with that God from whom
they were once estranged. It was He who loved them and
gave Himself for them. It was He who died that they
might live. It was He who loved them. Did He love you? Did you die
in Him? Did He take your sins? And when
He rose, did you rise with Him? When He rose, as we read in Luke
24, the women came to the grave seeking Him whom they loved,
Him who had been given up to be crucified, Him whom they had
seen crucified, Him whom they had seen taken down from the
cross and taken away to be buried. They came to the grave and they
found the stone had been rolled away. And they entered in, and
there appeared unto them two men in shining garments. And
they were afraid, and bowed their faces to the earth. And the men
said unto them, These angels said unto the women, Why seek
ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen. Remember how he spake unto you
when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of Man must be delivered
into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third
day rise again. And they remembered his words. They went to the grave in search
of the Saviour. But the Saviour had risen. Christ
had risen. He was not to be found in the
grave. Why did they seek the living
among the dead? Why do you seek the living among
the dead? For when Christ rose, when he
who was once buried rose and the stone was rolled away and
the grave could hold him no longer, his people rose too and they
remain no longer in captivity. no longer under the condemnation
of the law of God, which had once condemned their every transgression. The stone had been rolled away. The stone of God's law had been
set aside. That which had once kept them
in captivity, kept them under condemnation, had been rolled
aside. It could hold them no longer.
Its every charge against them had been met. And they had risen. everything which was against
them had been thrown aside and they were alive. Christ rose
and they rose, they were alive. They were no longer to be found
where the dead were. They were no longer to be found
in captivity, no longer to be found in the grave. Christ was
no longer to be found amongst the dead and his people were
no longer to be found amongst the dead. They are risen, they
are alive. then why seek ye the living amongst
the dead? For Christ's people are those
who are risen from the dead, risen from the grave, alive. But people look to that which
is dead, and they look amongst those things which are dead and
earthly, and they think to find that which is living in such
a place. and yet it won't be found in
such a place for the people of God are risen and their affections
are set upon things which are heavenly not earthly their affections
are set upon that which is alive not that which is dead on that
which is eternal not that which is temporal on that which is
above not that which is below why seek ye the living amongst
the dead Why go to the dead and the formal ways of man's religion? Why seek ye God's people amongst
dead religion upon this earth? It was not to be found amongst
the Pharisees. Christ came to those who were
religious and it was that religious people who slew him. It was that
religious people who condemned him and set him aside. and he
was not to be found amongst them. He was crucified outside of the
camp, outside of Jerusalem, cast out of their walls, cast out
of their temple, cast out of their ways, outside, outside the camp. And his people
were crucified with him outside the camp. outside that which
is of man, outside men's religions, outside that which men call Christianity,
outside that which is a counterfeit of what God's church is, is not
to be found amongst that which is dead. You may go to that which
is dead, that which is formal, that which has a name that it
lives and yet is dead, And you'll no more find Christ amongst such
a people and such religion as you will find his people. For
Christ's people are found where Christ is found. And Christ is
alive and his people seek him who is alive. They seek him in
his gospel. They seek him where his gospel
is preached. They seek him where he is above.
They seek that gospel which comes from above. and they find themselves
not able to remain in that which is dead, not able to remain in
that which is formal, not able to remain in that which is earthly,
that which is cold, that which has a name to live and yet has
no life within it, that which may call itself religion, that
which may call itself Christianity, that which may call itself the
church, And yet that which is but a tombstone, that which is
but a whited sepulcher, that which is but a counterfeit, that
which has the name of Christianity on the door, and yet there's
no life in it, there's no gospel in it, there's no heavenliness
in it, Christ is not in it. for that has cast Christ out,
and that crucified Christ outside of its doors, outside of the
camp. As it says in Hebrews chapter
13, let us go therefore unto him without the cap, bearing
his reproach. For here we have no continuing
city, but we seek one to come. We seek that which is heavenly.
We seek that which is alive. We seek that which comes down
from above. We seek the Lord Jesus Christ,
who rose from the dead, who was cast out by man's religion here
below, and who brought in that which is from above, who establishes
that which is from above, who establishes his ecclesia, his
church, by his gospel, and his people who rose with him are
gathered under that gospel. They go to where Christ is, and
they seek him who is above. They seek him who is sat on the
right hand of God, and they seek that which comes from above.
that life which is from above, that gospel which is from above,
that church which is established from above, that which is from
above. Yes Christ is above for Christ
rose, he rose from the dead and his people rose with him, he
really did rise and his people really did rise in him, they
really are alive, They really are with Him above. Christ really
did rise from the dead. His resurrection was proven. Many people saw Him, as it says
in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 3, for I delivered unto you first
of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our
sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried. and that
he rose again the third day according to the scriptures, and that he
was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve. After that he was seen
of above five hundred brethren at once. Five hundred brethren
saw Christ after he was risen. He really did rise, and his people
really did rise with him. As Romans says in chapter 1,
he was declared to be the son of God with power by the resurrection
from the dead. He rose from the dead, he had
power to rise from the dead. His life is that eternal life
which cannot be held by the grave. And it is this life which is
given to his people, this life which caused them to rise from
the grave with him. We died and were buried and rose
again with Him. And that same power, that same
life which brought Christ up from the grave, brought His people
up from the grave. And it takes the same power,
the very same power, to quicken a dead sinner to life, to see
what Christ did for him at the cross. the same power and the
same life, this same power which brought Christ and his people
from the dead, is that power which is made known in the Gospel. When the Spirit comes to sinners
dead in trespasses and sins, and comes to them with the Gospel,
and quickens these dead sinners unto life, preaches life unto
those who are dead, blind, barren, guilty sinners, those who cannot
see, those who are blind, those who are deaf, those who are dead. This power, this resurrection
power comes in the gospel and brings them to life, gives them
ears, gives them ears to hear, gives them ears to hear that
they died with Christ who died for them and they rose with Christ. who rose for them, having taken
their sins away. Now this is what I want you to
see, I want you to see how total this is, how total this crucifixion
is of God's people in Christ, how total their death is with
Him and how entire their resurrection with Him, they really have entirely
died with Him. They have completely arisen again
with Him. All that was of the old man in
Adam, all that they were has been crucified. And their new
life in Christ is an entirely new life. This is not a mere,
when they are brought to salvation, when they are brought to hear
the gospel by the Spirit, when that gospel brings them to call
upon the name of the Lord. When that Gospel brings them
to see this Saviour in the Gospel, when they are brought to life,
this conversion is no mere turning over a new leaf. It is not simply
a new way of life. It is not them being brought
to a new persuasion. It is not them being persuaded
of truths which they previously rejected. It is not them coming
to embrace the Gospel in the mind. If that is your religion,
if it is a mere embracing of truths in the mind then it will
not last. It is just religion embraced
in the old man Adam. You are still dead and such a
religion in the deadness of your old nature in Adam won't last
a test of time. You may be persuaded for a year
You may be persuaded for five years, 10 years, 20 years. You may hold these convictions
very strongly, but ultimately they will fall away. Ultimately
they will be shattered. Greater thinkers and greater
minds than you will one day come along and will blow you away
with their doctrine and their wiser thinking. And that which
you once held dear will be shaken. Trials and tribulations will
come your way and will shatter you. Mental persuasion will not
do, it will not last. I heard but this week of one
who was turned aside from the gospel. I've heard of others
from time to time who once had a mental persuasion of the gospel
and then have come to see that it is nothing in their eyes.
for nothing really changed in their heart, it was merely embraced
in the head and if that is your persuasion, one day it will come
to tatters, it will be brought to naught. But what we're speaking
of here, what Paul speaks of when he says that he is crucified
with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ live within
me, this is more than mental persuasion. This is far more
than mental persuasion. This is far more than coming
to an understanding of the truth. This is far more than just coming
to see these things as being right and proper. This is far
more than coming to see that these are truths and this is
a right way, a good way. This is being crucified. This is everything that you once
were being slain, being brought to naught, being humbled, being
shattered, being destroyed. All your pride and self-will,
all your vaunted wisdom, when you are brought to hear this
Gospel in the power of the Spirit, will be brought to nothing. When the Spirit comes to a sinner
in power in the Gospel, He shatters him. He brings him to naught. He brings him to see how base
he is, how vile he is. how guilty he is, how ruined
he is, how black he is, how corrupt he is from head to toe, what
a leper you are, what a vile, guilty leper he is, I was, you
are, you were. And when the Spirit brings a
sinner to that point, He brings him to see that he is dead in
trespasses and sins. He is dead and his only hope
is if somebody brings him to life. And this is the gospel that Christ
died for those who were once dead and that people when he
died died in him And when he rose again from the dead, they
rose in him. They rose with him. They conquered
death. They didn't come to a new persuasion,
but they came to a new life. They didn't come to see things
are right, but life entered in. They rose when Christ rose but
there's a time in their lives in this world when the Spirit
comes upon them and breathes this life of Christ into them
and quickens the dead sinner unto life. They are quickened
unto life and they are become new. Those who have died rise
again and all is new. Therefore, if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5, 17. Or Escalation 6, 15 says, circumcision
counts for nothing and uncircumcision, but a new creature. A new creature. We need a new life. We need eternal
life. We need to be brought back from
the dead. Like Lazarus, we need to hear
that voice of the Son of God that comes to the graveside and
calls out to us. Lazarus, come forth. Have you heard that voice call
your name? Come forth. Live. Are you risen with Christ? For God's people are risen. They
are risen with Christ. But notice in our verse, in Colossians
3 and verse 1, that the verse begins with a very small word. It begins with this word, if. If. If ye then be risen with
Christ. If ye then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above. Paul doesn't assume that everyone
is risen with Christ, there are those who are and there
are those who are not. Here he is writing to those who
profess to be believers at Colossae, Here he is writing to those who
if they have died with Christ they have risen with Christ.
And here in his exhortation he says this being so if this has
happened to you then seek those things which are above. But there
is also this sense in the word if where the question is asked
are you risen with Christ? If you be risen with Christ.
Well are you? Are you? Have you been risen
with Christ? Are you risen with Christ? Is
this true of you? Because if it is not, then you
are outside of Christ, you are not with Christ, you are not
in Christ. And if you are outside of Christ,
then you are yet dead in your sins. And if you are yet dead
in your sins, then the wrath of God abides upon you. The fury of God abides upon you. The wrath of God abides upon
your sin. and on your transgressions. And
he is angry with the wicked every day. And every day that you remain
outside of Christ, every day that you turn aside from his
gospel, every day that you count it a wearisome thing, every day
that you'd rather hear some other tale, some other story, every
day that you prefer to go and watch the television set or listen
to such stories of this world and rather not hear of the things
of God as the things of Christ of his gospel every day you remain
in rebellion the wrath of God the fury of God abides upon you
and you seek your affections are set upon things of the earth
of things below and you may get your fill of the things of earth
You may have your fill of the things of earth, but time is
short, and once you're full, and once God decrees that the
days of your life are numbered, you will fill yourself no more.
You will eat, drink, and be merry no more, but you will enter from
time and into eternity, and the judgment sound will come upon
you, and the voice will cry out, guilty, and you will pass into
eternal judgment. for the wrath of God cometh on
the children of disobedience. But if you are in Christ, if
you no longer walk with the children of disobedience, for once you
walked with the children of disobedience in the which you also walked
sometime when you lived in them, you lived in these ways, you
lived in the ways of fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection,
evil concupiscence, covetousness, idolatry. You live with anger,
wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communications. You lied one
to another. One time that was you. And one
time the wrath of God was upon you as it was upon all the children
of disobedience. One time the wrath of God was
upon your sins. But if that time came in your
life when you heard the Gospel, and when you came to know that
you were crucified with Christ, and that you rose with Christ,
if you are in Christ, then you are risen with Christ. You are risen. And you have been
delivered from the wrath of God, delivered from the fury. He's
no longer angry with your sins. for that anger has been quenched
in his son who drank the wrath of God. For your sins, and for
your sin, God has no anger and no fury, not a bit of anger with
those whom he finds in his son. with those for whom his son died,
with those whom his son loves, with those for whom his son was
given a sacrifice for sin. There's no wrath to those who
are in Christ, no condemnation, no judgment, for they have died
and they are risen with Christ, they are risen, risen And on hearing the gospel,
they who were once dead have been quickened unto life. As Ephesians 2 verse 1 says,
to those who are in Christ, you have be quickened who were dead
in trespasses and sins, where in time past you walked according
to the course of this world, according to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children
of disobedience. among whom also we all had our
conversation in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature
the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich
in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when
we were dead in sins, have quickened us together with Christ. By grace
are ye saved. Yes his people are risen with
him, they're risen with him for they are dead and their life
is hid with Christ in God that which they once were has been
crucified that which they once were in Adam is gone and they
are alive in Christ and their life is now hid with Christ in
God when God the Father looks upon his people He no longer
sees what they were in Adam. He no longer sees what they were
once as rebellious children of disobedience. He only sees Christ. He sees his son. He sees his
only begotten son. He sees his beloved son. This
is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. In whom I am well
pleased. He is pleased in his Son. He
is pleased with his Son. And he is pleased with those
who are in his Son. In whom? I am well pleased. Yes, child of God. Those who
are risen with Christ. You who are risen with Christ. Your life is hid with Christ
in God. It's hid. It's hid. Everything which was once in
Adam has been taken out of sight, is covered with the blood. It's
out of sight. You are hidden Christ. Your refuge,
your hiding place, your strong tower. All God can see is Christ,
His Son and His people in His Son. And all the accuser of the
Brethren can see when he comes searching for God's people. when
he comes with the book of the law, when he comes seeking out
those whom he may devour, when he comes as a roaring lion seeking
those whom he may devour, when he comes seeking to condemn,
when he comes looking for those who were once sinners, he comes
looking for them, he comes with all his accusations he has written
down about them, He knows they are guilty. He knows they deserve
the wrath of God. He knows they deserve condemnation
and he comes looking. He comes looking and he cannot
find them. He cannot find them. They're
not to be found. Their sins aren't to be found. Their sins have been blotted
out and they have been hid. He comes looking for these whom
he may condemn. whom he may seek their souls
to take their souls with him down into everlasting condemnation. He knows he is numbered. He knows
that condemnation awaits him. He knows the fires of eternal
torment await him and he will seek everyone whom he can take
with him. He will seek to pull the wicked
down into hell fire with him. and he seeks the child of God,
he seeks God's people, he knows they were sinners. He comes searching
for them that he may plunge them too, with the children of disobedience
into everlasting fires with him, that they may suffer the same
fate which he will suffer. And yet he cannot find them.
He cannot find them for they are hid. They are hid. Their life is hid with Christ
in God. they are out of sight, they are
delivered, they cannot be found and there is no condemnation
to those who link Christ Jesus. They are in Christ and all the
Father sees when he sees his people, when he sees his church,
when he sees his ecclesia, is he sees his beloved Son, he sees
Christ, he sees Christ, all that can be seen is Christ, for he
is all and in all. These people have put off the
old man with his deeds, they've put off the old man and they
have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after
the image of him that created him, whether it's neither Greek
nor Jewish circumcision nor uncircumcision. Christ is all and in all, all
that can be seen is Christ, So with all this being true,
all this being true of those who are in Christ, that they
have died with Him, that they have risen with Him, Paul exhorts
this people. He exhorts those who are risen
with Christ. He says unto them, if ye 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. Ye are risen, ye are alive, ye
don't have this old life which you had in Adam. You're not of
the earth, you're not earthly, you're not of the first man,
you're of the second man, you're of the last Adam, you are in
Christ, you are heavenly. You're born from above, born
by the Spirit of God. You are risen, you are seated
in Christ, seated in the heavens, seated with Christ in the heavens. And seek those things which are
above. Seek those things which are above.
Well, are you risen? Has the Spirit brought you to
see this? Has he brought you to see it,
to really see it? To really see your state in Christ? Or is your flesh still very much
alive to this world? Are you still very much alive
to the here and the now and the things of time and sense? Are
you still very much alive to the pleasures and the riches
and the deceptions? which Satan spins in this world
as a mirage to deceive the people? Are your affections set upon
the earth, or are they set upon things above? Has the Spirit
really brought you to see where you are in Christ, that you really
are dead, crucified with Christ, buried with Christ, and risen
with Christ? Have you been quickened from
death to life to see that Christ is your Saviour? Because if you
have, and if he has brought you to see this, then you are risen
with him and you are hidden him. And if you are, then set your
affections on things above. Well, where are your affections
this day? Where are they really? Are they
above? Are they in heaven? Are they
on things above? Or are they on things upon the
earth? Where are your affections? Ask
yourself honestly. Where do I put my strength, my
energies? What do I give all diligence
to? Where does my time go? What consumes
my thoughts? Where is my heart? What do I
seek after? What do I work out? What do I
labor for? What do I think about each day? Are your affections, is your
heart set upon Christ and His things? or is it set upon the
world and its things? What you labor at? You see, Paul's
exhortation here is very much intertwined with the truth which
he has already set forth. God's people are in Christ, and
they are risen, and they do walk in the light of these things.
They do walk by faith, They are risen with Christ, they have
been crucified. And if they have, and if the
Spirit leads them, and if the Spirit is building them up in
the Gospel, and if the Spirit is giving them faith and strengthening
that faith, if the Spirit is crucifying their flesh to the
things of this world, as the Spirit works in their life and
brings their affections upon the things of time and sense
to an end, Their affections are set upon the things above. They
do walk in the light of these things. Their affections are
set upon things above. They do long for Christ. They
do hunger for Christ. They do hunger after righteousness. So I ask, where are your affections?
Where are they? Are they here on the earth or
are they on things above? And therefore where are you?
Are you in Christ? Or are you outside of Christ
upon this earth? For those who are in Christ will
walk in the light of this truth. Oh yes, the carnal mind, their
flesh wars against it. The carnal mind wars against
it. The flesh wars against it. All that is outward wars against
all that is inward. The sight, the natural affections,
war against the affections of the new heart, the new man. There's
a warfare. The flesh likes the ease of this
world. It likes the pleasures of this
world. It's consumed with the things
of this world. Yet nevertheless, where faith
is, where there's a new heart, where there's a new life, faith
triumphs. Where there's new life, there's
new affections. Where there's new life, there's
new desires. And where this life is, is where the affections are.
For all these things of the earth are alive to us as believers. But in Christ, we are dead to
them. Faith looks beyond them. Faith
looks beyond what can be seen, beyond time, into that which
cannot be seen with the natural eye. into that which is eternal,
that which is heavenly. Faith sees one's Redeemer seated
on high, victorious. Faith sees Christ seated on the
right hand of God. And faith sees us in Him, seated
with Him, triumphing over sin, over death, over hell, over the
flesh. over the natural man, over Adam,
over all that is earthly, over all that condemns, over all accusations,
looking under him and him alone who suffered for his people that
they may be delivered. Yes, faith clings to Christ,
it clings to Christ, it embraces that which is above, it flees
death and clings to life, Faith rises up and soars. Faith looks
up from the world into the heavenlies. And faith looks upon things,
all things. Faith considers things, judges
things, earthly things. Faith looks upon all that we
can see here below in the light of that which comes from above.
Faith's affections are set above. So everything is seen and done
in light of that which is above. The church, though we may see
it on earth, though we may see those who comprise the church
on earth, nevertheless the church is in heaven, it is heavenly.
And our experience of it here on earth is in the light of that
which is true above. The head of the church, though
we embrace him here on earth, is seated on the right hand of
God above, he is risen and ascended. He sat down upon the right hand
of God and his people are risen in him. He builds his church
from above. He sends gifts to his church
from above. The ministry is sent from above. The Spirit is sent from above. Everything is above and everything
comes from above. then seek those things which
are above. Those things, these things, the
things of Jesus Christ, his things, his church, his people, his spirit,
his ministry, his gospel, these things. Oh, if we just take as
much care of these things, for these heavenly things, the things
which are above as we do for those things which are of earth.
Yes, there are those things we have to take care of. We have
to work, we have to labour, we have to shop, we have to look
after our families, we have to study, we have to learn. And
we've put our energies into these things, but if we'd only put
our energies into those things which come from above. Heavenly
things. Turn to Hebrews in chapter 12.
Hebrews chapter 12. We read of that which is above. We read in Hebrews 12 and verse
18, that we are not come unto the mount that might be touched,
and that burned with fire, not unto blackness, and darkness,
and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words,
which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken
to them any more. For they could not endure that
which was commanded. And if so much as a beast touch
the mountain, it shall be stoned or thrust through with a dart.
And so terrible was the sight that Moses said, I exceedingly
fear and quake. But ye are come unto Mount Zion,
unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to
an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church
of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge
of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. and to
Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of
Sprinkled, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. Yes,
we come to Mount Zion, that which is above. We come to the city
of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, an innumerable company
of angels, the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn.
We come to that which is above. The church is above. We may meet
as a small company here on earth. We may be mindful of that which
is on earth. We might feel to be few and weak
upon the earth. But set your affections on things
above. For if you see it in the light
of that which is above, when we gather to worship Christ in
his gospel, we don't come as two or three. We come with the
General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn. We come with an
innumerable company. We come into the presence of
the angels and of God and of his Saviour, and we come into
the presence of Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant. Yes, believer,
you've passed through death in Christ, you've passed through
the rivers of Jordan, you've passed the other side of death
in Him. Then live and walk in Him, and
in Him alone, set your affections above. Seek those things which
are above, for the children of God have put off the old man
with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed
in knowledge after the image of him that created him, where
there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision,
barbarian, Scythian, born nor free, but Christ is all and in
all.