Col 2:20-23 Wherefore if ye be dead with
Christ from the rudiments
of the world, why, as though
living in the world, are ye subject to
ordinances, (21) (Touch not;
taste not; handle not; (22) Which all
are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of
men? (23) Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will
worship,
and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the
satisfying of the flesh.
Col 3:1-12 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. (2) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (3) For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (4) When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (5) Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (6) For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: (7) In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. (8) But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. (9) Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; (10) And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: (11) Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. (12) Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
We read some points here that have been such a blessing to us for some time now.
But this time, when he speaks about being dead and being risen/resurrected, he mentions TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
The pattern is found in Jesus' own crucifixion and resurrection.
Since we are CONNECTED to his death and resurrection, Paul uses these locations associated with Jesus' death and resurrection, and gives us a message about them.
After all, if we were to actually die, we really do die to the world.
Now, God's Word says we are dead to the world with Christ.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Col 3:2 ISV Keep your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. Col 3:2 GNB Keep your minds fixed on things there, not on things here on earth. It is WHERE OUR MINDS ARE FOCUSED OR FIXED. Paul spoke to the Colossians and said they had a problem.
Col 2:20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, If you died, you are no longer LIVING IN THE WORLD.
(21) (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Col 2:20-21 ISV If you have died with Christ to the basic principles of the world, why are you submitting to its decrees as though you still lived in the world? (21) "Don't handle this! Don't taste or touch that!" This is speaking about OLD TESTAMENT PHYSICAL temples and physical ceremonies, etc.
Instead of having concentration upon material things, although we have responsibilities, FOCUS ON SPIRITUAL THINGS.
Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Col 3:1 ISV Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep focusing on the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. When Jesus died to the world, we died WITH HIM.
Notice there are things that are PAST experiences WITH CHRIST.
BUT THERE ARE MORE THINGS AS WELL.
Col 3:3-4 KJV For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (4) When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. OUR LIFE IS HID WITH CHRIST IN GOD.
And there is a FUTURE condition.
Presently we are HID WITH HIM.
And notice that APPEARING is what occurs when the HIDING is over. And this APPEARING after the HIDING is a reason for Paul to tell us to do something. Col 3:4-5 KJV When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (5) Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: Because we SHALL APPEAR with Him, THEREFORE mortify your members. Col 3:3-5 ISV For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (4) When Christ your life is revealed, then you, too, will be revealed with him in glory. (5) So put to death your worldly impulses: sexual sin, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). Putting to death, or MORTIFYING, WORLDLY IMPULSES is to be done BECAUSE we are hidden with Christ and shall be revealed with Christ. IN OTHER WORDS, IF ALL THIS IS TRUE, THEN ADJUST OUR BEHAVIOUR TO SUIT OUR POSITION! When we died WE PUT OFF THE OLD MAN. Col 3:9-10 ISV Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old man with its practices (10) and have clothed yourselves with the new man, which is being renewed into full knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. The old man is our OLD LIVES THAT WERE IN THE WORLD.
BEHAVIOUR! Our priorities were risen to HIGHER THINGS of a SPIRITUAL CONCERN.
While still in the world, we are associated with Jesus to such an extent that we our priorities ought to SUIT the location where He presently is. Jesus is in a spiritual realm, and we are there with Him in union.
KILL YOUR MEMBERS ON THIS EARTH. OUR LIFE is hid with Christ IN GOD.
WE MUST HAVE OUR BEHAVIOUR, WHICH AFFECTS OUR BODY'S MEMBERS, CATCH UP AND BE ADJUSTED WITH OUR POSITION. Our actions need to match our positions.
People think the way you dress can be worldly.
Someone told me their favourite topic in scripture is holiness, and by that they meant dressing properly and not smoking, etc.
Col 3:12-23 KJV Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; (13) Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. (14) And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. (15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. (16) Let 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. (17) And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (18) Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. (19) Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. (20) Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. (21) Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. (22) Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: (23) And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Why concentrate on DON'T TOUCH, and DON'T TASTE, and DON'T HANDLE? Rip your focus away from material category of things, and get them on the spiritual category. A Jehovah's Witness once talked to me and I began to notice a trend in his point of concentration and focus.
And I noticed that EVERYTHING HE CONCENTRATED UPON WAS SOMETHING MATERIAL.
And many Apostolics are like that, too!
>From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
We all think of these things, but WHAT DO WE STRESS?
"Oh I so appreciate the LOVE OF GOD in that believer."
WHY DO WE ACT AS THOUGH WE LIVE IN THE WORLD? Col 2:20 KJV Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, Col 3:3 KJV For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Col 3:4 KJV When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. You LIVE what is called your LIFE!
Tit 2:12-13 KJV Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (13) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Notice Christ SHALL APPEAR IN GLORY.
And Titus said the same thing Colossians 3 said.
Right now Christ is HIDDEN IN GOD.
The hard part is dealing with the fact that we are HIDDEN WITH HIM!
BUT WE ARE HIDDEN WITH HIM IN GOD.
Eph 1:20 KJV Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Eph 2:5-6 KJV Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: Eph said the same thing as Colossians.
But because we cannot SEE THIS, and it is not REVEALED VISIBLY, as hard as it is for sinners to KNOW Jesus was correct and is really the ONLY TRUE GOD, SOME BELIEVERS HAVE A HARD TIME IN STOPPING THEMSELVES FROM CONCENTRATING ON THINGS YOU CAN SEE THAT ARE WORLDLY.
They cannot SET THEIR MINDS/AFFECTION on things ABOVE the world, because THEY ARE MISSING SOMETHING THAT IS REQUIRED TO CAUSE THEM TO DO THAT. Col 3:9-10 KJV Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; (10) And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Col 3:9-10 ISV Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old man with its practices (10) and have clothed yourselves with the new man, which is being renewed into full knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. IN KNOWLEDGE.
A spiritual person is someone who does not live their lives according to what they see and relate to outwardly and physically, but BY WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THEM.
This passage takes us directly back to the thought of God creating man in his own image in Genesis.
2Co 4:16 KJV For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. YOUR OUTWARD MAN... the part of you that STRESSES THE OUTWARD!
If you did not learn tonight about how your BEHAVIOUR and FOCUS must change from being upon material things towards SPIRITUAL THINGS, you are not being changed into God's image.
WHAT DO YOU TALK ABOUT ? Millions of Christians are a bit SHY to speak about spiritual things.
Luk 17:29 KJV But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Luk 17:32 KJV Remember Lot's wife. Lot's wife's position was OUTSIDE OF SODOM.
Like our departure from our old lives when we were saved, read what Abraham did: Heb 11:8 KJV 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. Heb 11:9 KJV 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: Heb 11:10 KJV For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Heb 11:14-15 KJV For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. (15) And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. Heb 11:14-15 ISV For people who say such things make it clear that they are looking for a country of their own. (15) If they had been thinking about what they had left behind, they would have had an opportunity to go back. Our hearts can be upon things in the earth, and not at all upon spiritual things.
We stay MINDFUL of the world and the THINGS OF THE WORLD... we are in trouble. Mat 24:38 KJV For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, Luk 17:28 KJV Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; Nothing wrong with those things!
ADJUST YOUR CONCERN TO YOUR DEATH.
Paul used the term OUR MEMBERS.
Col 3:5 WNT Therefore put to death your earthward inclinations--fornication, impurity, sensual passion, unholy desire, and all greed, for that is a form of idolatry. Too many believers are INCLINED TOWARDS things they are DEAD towards!
YOUR LIFE is in God in Heaven.
God changes us to FOCUS UPON WHAT HE FOCUSES UPON. Too many new creatures behave like old creatures, because without teaching they get no knowledge about the new creation.
You died with Christ, were buried with Christ, resurrected with Christ, quickened with Christ, ascended and seated with Christ.
In other words: Col 3:10-11 KJV And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: (11) Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. JESUS IS EVERYTHING TO US!
Notice Col 3:11 speaks of people's characteristics and natural differences.
2Co 5:16-17 KJV Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. (17) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2Co 5:16-17 ISV So then, from now on we do not think of anyone from a human point of view. Even if we did think of Christ from a human point of view, we don't think of him that way any more. (17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have disappeared, and-look!-all things have become new! |