Above-Week 2

Colossians 3:1–14 NIV

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Set Your Minds on Things Above, Not on Earthly Things

Last week we talked about how spiritual discipline was not routine - it was resurrection.

Paul says - set your heart on things above, not on earthly things

This doesn’t mean - think about those things too, in addition to others.

We need to stop focusing on earthly things - not just bad earthly things

Bible - where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. So stop putting your heart on things here.

This is easy (at least, easy to understand) for bad things.

It’s… not so easy for ‘good’ things in our lives.

We need to understand - Paul is not saying, completely give up, ignore, don’t have anything to do with stuff in the world. He’s saying - don’t let your heart focus HERE. Don’t place your treasure HERE.

Because your life isn’t here.

Your life is IN Christ and WITH Christ

We think purely in the HERE and NOW. Because we can see it.

Paul says - that life we think we have, we need to remember two things:

Jesus HAS our life with Him. When he appears, we’ll appear with him - and in glory.

Jesus IS our life. Looking at everything we have here - Jesus is our actual, real life.

Get rid of everything that competes for the throne of your life

This list paul gives:

Colossians 3:5 “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”

They’re bad things, but Paul uses this word idolatry (DEFINE)

With each of these things (and it’s not an exhaustive list), they are about shifting what is on the throne of our lives.

Each one is ultimately about saying, this is a bad thing, but I NEED it, so I’m gonna take it.

Paul says - you used to live this kind of life. A life that was about serving different things than God.

Paul’s message isn’t ‘this stuff is bad, so skip it’. Though that’s true. His message was, this isn’t your life anymore.

Paul reminds us - because of these things (and all things that take God off the throne), the wrath of God is coming.

This is a scary thing. And this isn’t about limits on forgiveness. There’s no limit to forgiveness. It’s about that battle in our lives to deny ourselves in order to follow God.

These things will draw us away.

The wrath of God is still falling on sin. While everything has been forgiven, sin still exists. evil still exists.

So paul basically says, these things are going to perish. These buildings are going to collapse - so make sure you’re not in them when they do.

How do we do that?

Let freedom in Christ be your bond towards others

Clear out the bad character:

Get rid of anger, malice, slander, filthy language, lies.

This list is ultimately about division. That’s why Paul says - You can’t do these things, because there’s no longer any dividing lines.

Colossians 3:11 “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”

Paul says - dividing lines pop up when Jesus isn’t all in your life. (No gentile or jew - but christ is everything and is in everything).

Take up the good character:

Practice compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with each other, forgiving each other, and loving each other.

Notice how each one of these relates to restoring relationship.

But this is more than simply restoring relationship. It’s about understanding that the cross of Christ bought our way to free access to God - and we have no right to cut someone else out who God has accepted.

We create divisions when we’re not getting something from someone else.

If we get everything from Christ - what more do we need from others?

The end result is glory

Colossians 3:4 NIV

When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

We gloss over this part too quickly. This is a promise available to everybody.

This is what he calls us to. This is what we discipline ourselves towards. Not just this idea of denying ourselves for no reason. Jesus will one day come in glory and perfection - and we’re invited to that party.