A section too rich to cover in one discussion, this post will only serve to whet your appetite for further study and meditation. Read this first section, and take note of the verbs:
Colossians 3 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
In verses 1 and 2 we are told, commanded, to seek things above, and to set our mind on things above. These are two different verbs, the first inviting us to seek, the second inviting us to think. Christians are thinkers! He has given us understanding, we know Him, and we grow in knowledge! (see 1 John 5:21; John 17:3; 2 Peter 3:18)
We seek the things hidden from the world, a world blinded by the spirit of the age. We do not seek from the blind and groping world, we seek the things above; not seeking among things passing away but things that cannot be shaken or destroyed or manipulated. Chase after those things, walk in those things, bask in the reality of those things!
We have been raised up with Christ, who is our life, so when we seek things above we are also seeking to know who we truly are. Who I am is hidden from the world (a world from which I am crucified, Galatians 6), because I had died with Christ and been risen in Christ (remember this from chapter 2?). My life is hidden in union with Christ. The source of my abundant life, my strength and wisdom and knowledge and righteousness and joy and peace (etc, etc, etc) is all in Christ. Not from Christ as a commodity, in Christ, in Union with Christ. (reflect on 1 Corinthians 1:30, Philippians 3:19-20).
The hidden will one day be made manifest, and the foolishness of being found in Christ will be revealed as the true wisdom and power that it is! This life in this temporal world is a shadow. My life is not found in shadows, but in Reality, in Christ who is:
True Adam
True Israel
True Temple
True Son of God
Setting our minds, or thinking, on things above, will come to impact every temporal moment of our lives on this earth until He takes us home. He alone makes us wise, where else would we set our minds? He alone has words of eternal life!!! (John 5)
Set your mind to thinking about where all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are, from chapter 1. Do you turn to the latest fad for these treasures? Or do you listen to one who is attempting to innovate the Christian life? Is there going to be a new source of revelation? No beloved, He has spoken, we do well to hold fast, contend for the faith, cling to His words and let them take root in your inner man.
Seek, Think, and now Consider
So far, in this orthopraxy section, our actions are inward, of the “heart and mind” which are inseparable. So we consider in our inner man, and then our actions are directed toward obedience–Gospel Obedience. We are led by the indwelling Holy Spirit in this way.
5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
We were once sons of disobedience, who are we now? Consider your identity, and then consider that this means heart-soul-body (see Deuteronomy 6:4-5). So you must consider that your earthly body will have ingrained habits and patterns from your old life in Adam, as a son of disobedience, in which you once walked but now must walk away from. We put them aside. We do not excuse, or “redeem”; we crucify and put off. The old ways amounted to what? Idolatry: finding your purpose, meaning, and understanding from, and giving your allegiance to, a ‘source’ rather than God. The old self had evil practices. The new self? Holy and sensible and righteous practices? (reflect on Titus 2:11-14 for a bit).
As clothing.
In verse nine we recall that we have put off the old self, taken that old self off, stripped off that old clothing of “life in Adam” in which no one can come into the presence of God. We are now clothed in Christ, we have put on Christ (see also Romans 13). Consider the relation of this clothing metaphor begun in Genesis 3, and at the consummation of the ages, will we be found naked? Or clothed? What does Revelation say? How does the Transfiguration of Jesus inform our ‘considering’? Stop identifying with the old man, or defining your ‘self’ in worldly ways. Set your mind on who you are in Christ. In so doing, He empowers our letting go of earthly ideals, earthly identities, earthly obediences. We empowered to walk in a manner worthy of Him, zealous for the good deeds He has for us to walk in! (Perhaps go back to Colossians 1:9-12, pray for yourself, for your local church, for your family; oh that we would all desire what He has for us!)
10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.
This new self that you have put on, that you have received, is being renewed. You are passive in this in a sense–for the Spirit is the One at work giving you a mind to know Him, to understand, to grow in knowledge, to be renewed to a true knowledge. He is your Teacher, impressing on your heart the Truth. By His renewal, we pray confidently (remember, from week 1?) that we may all stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God (4:12).
Paul’s emphasis in this section is not a command, like in Ephesians 4 or Romans 7; it is not an action we take, but a call to REALIZE that you are either in Adam or in Christ. Has this one time wardrobe change occurred in your life? Have you put on the new self that one time? Then He will be renewing you to a true knowledge.
Beale, Union with the Resurrected Christ, page 452 “now only in the Last Adam which progressively gives one strength to be renewed and to overcome ongoing indwelling sin in this old [passing away] world and fallen encasement [tent] of the body”
The Image
We were created imago Dei, and in the Fall that was marred; but in Christ we are renewed, according to the imago Dei, the image of the One who created us! There is no eternal distinction, each person who is a new creation is being renewed in Him image. Same clothing. Temporal differences still exist in the fallen world, but when He takes us home, the transformation will be complete.
Christ is the firstfruits (remember chapter 1), the beginning, the only man (as God-man) yet to be in a glorified body. While here in this body, we are being, yes-even continually being, renewed. Every now and then, when you examine yourself to see if you are in the faith, this is part of what we examine: am I being renewed to the true image?
Here Comes the Action
And yet, even as Paul directs us in how to behave–giving commands that God’s people will walk in–he asks us once again to keep our action rooted in our identity in Christ. Who are you? Holy, beloved, chosen of God. Since this is you–put on…
12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Put on a heart of… Put on the heart you have seen and known to be in Jesus Christ. Consider from the Gospels, which at the time of Paul’s letter were not yet written, yet they were spoken, handed around in tradition, brought around by the apostles, by those traveling with the apostles and others who took up the call, such as Apollos.
How did Paul himself receive this gospel? Remember his blinding experience? Read Galatians and Acts looking for his own description of his learning. The Gospels were not yet written, Paul received his knowledge firsthand from Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. We dare not try to fill in the blanks of what the encounter was like, how long, etc… What Scripture tells us is enough, but we know he learned, and then spent time meditating on all he received. Coupled with his amazing grasp on the Old Testament, Paul handed down a gospel in which the churches could see Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of all human desires, of all Old Testament promises, of all that we have been waiting for, longing for, in need of.
Paul was not handing down a ‘how to’ program, but a call to put on the heart of Christ, in communion with Him, in knowing Him and loving and believing Him. And then beyond all, put on love. God is love–do not err by trying to separate love from God. We have His love dwelling in us by the Spirit Himself who dwells in us.
Romans 138 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9 For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Seeking “things” above?
What things? My life? All that I need? All that I long for, that He has revealed as ‘good’ and ‘true’ and eternal? Yes, beloved! Am I sad? Why am I not seeking the solace of His love and consolation? From above, where He is seated? And yet, when we seek Him, what does He remind us? That He is always with us here in this temporal world, and has indeed made His abode in us, has spread His tabernacle over us.
This week, as you ponder how to set your mind on things above, to seek Christ and seek your life hidden in Christ, where He is seated, consider this passage from Revelation. We seek the One who is worthy of all praise and honor and glory, the One who came in the likeness of sinful flesh, and was raised from the dead in a new glorious fleshly body, taking that flesh into heaven, as our forerunner. He who sits on the throne, in glorified flesh, will hear our prayers, make intercession for us, and one day bring us home!
Revelation 7 …9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,
“Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying,
“Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” 14 I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. 16 They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!!! The Spirit and the Bride say, Come!!!
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash