A Fixed Point of Reference

As we dive into , Paul is shifting gears. He uses a pattern that we see in several of his epistles, and that is to move from the “Indicative” to the “Imperative.” On the technical side of things, those terms “indicative” and “imperative” refer to the mood in which Paul is speaking.

The Indicative mood pertains to verbs that have to do with being, or reality. They indicate what is true, factual reality, matter-of-fact speaking.

The Imperative mood pertains to commands, or requirements. Your mother may have said, It is imperative that you take out the trash immediately.

The principle is this. What we do is based firmly upon who we are. The actions that we take are always rooted in our character and being. It is popular to say, especially in our modern age, that “who you are is not what you do.” This is well-meant, intending to convey that our value does not stem from our mistakes. Certainly, that our value does not stem from our mistakes is true. However, we should be careful not to take statements like that to their full logical end. While what we do does not necessarily dictate who we are, what we do usually does indicate who we are.

i.e. Does swinging a hammer make you a carpenter?

Does driving fast in circles make you a nascar driver?

Does cooking a meal for people other than your family make you a chef?

Does rooting for the Yankees make you a bad person? Yes.

While none of those actions by themselves make you those things, if you are constantly doing those things, that is probably a clear indicator that you are those things.

Here in Our passage, Paul melds perfectly the “who you are” and “what you do.” More specifically, he melds the “who you are” with “how you think.” He addresses our outlook, mindset, or worldview. And he does this for good reason. He wants us to avoid a dangerous error.

Warren Wiersbe put it this way:

“It does little good if Christians declare and defend the truth, but fail to demonstrate it in their lives.” - Warren Wiersbe

Titus 1:16 ESV

They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

Basically, Paul is exhorting us not to be hypocrites. Not to be hypocrites in mind, and not to be hypocrites in action. Our indicative is so powerful and unique that it drives the imperative to new heights.

So today,

For followers of Christ, our new life in Christ demands that our gaze be fixed upon the things of Christ.

An Indicative Condition

An Imperative Command

An Indisputable Cause

An Impregnable Confidence

IV. An Impregnable Confidence

1. An Indicative Condition - Vs. 1a

The word if in the text really is more of a since. It doesn’t cast doubt on the concept of being raised up with Christ, rather it begins to build a foundation upon it.

This idea of being raised up with Christ is one of the most beautiful concepts for us as believers to grasp and take hold of. We want to see it in several scriptures here at the onset. It has to do with our unity with Christ, our oneness with him, and most importantly, the substitutionary atonement that bought our redemption.

Galatians 2:20 ESV

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Here we see that in Christ’s crucifixion, we as believers were crucified with Him in a sense. Paul speaks of our union with Christ in His death, but also our new life with His. It is no longer us that live, but Christ living in us.

Romans 6:3–4 ESV

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Baptism here is figurative, of course, and it is speaking of the reality behind the picture of water baptism. An immersing into the Savior’s death and resurrection. Through our union with Christ, believers have died, been buried, and resurrected in Christ.

John MacArthur puts it this way:

“By saving faith, they have entered into a new dimension. They possess divine and eternal life, which is not merely endless existence, but a heavenly quality of life brought to them by the indwelling Lord.” - John MacArthur

In Christ, we have new life, and we also have all the resources necessary for living out the Christian life.

2 Peter 1:3 ESV

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

Even though Paul is now digging in to the Imperative, the what we must do aspect of the letter, he still emphasizes the absolute necessity and the centrality of Christ in our walk. In these four verses we see Christ mentioned or alluded to 5 times.

Why such the emphasis? Well, remember the philosophy, the empty deceit, the asceticism, the worship of angels, that Paul talked about in chapter 2? People fall prey to these things because they either fail to understand, or fail to apply, the fact that the fulness of Christ is enough for our Christian walk.

Being raised with Christ is the secret to the Christian life. It is the path to holiness and walking with Him. Not some other spiritual means or experience. This is a call not to be ignorant or forgetful of who we are, and when we remember who we are, it informs how we ought to live.

“Is my nature transformed by the Gospel of Christ?”

2. An Imperative Command - Vv. 1b-2

If the sermon ended with point 1, some of you may be happy, you would be on your merry way, eat lunch sooner, get to your chores or nap sooner, but quite possibly be generally unaffected. For too many, this is where the wheels fall of. They learn of the new life in Christ, and even applaud it or feel a sense of appreciation for it, but they fail to see its importance or how it applies to the outworking of their life.

The verb here “seek,” if literally translated, would be read as “keep seeking” or “Continually seek.” If your life is raised with Christ, then it should be marked by a preoccupation with the things of Christ.

Matthew 6:33 ESV

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

This is where we come into our fixed point of reference. Our singular aim, our gaze, our longing, our desire, should be pointed at the things of Christ.

The wording, if we were not careful, could sound mystical. To seek “heavenly things,” the “things that are above,” the “kingdom of God,” is not a mystical pursuit, but rather it is a very concrete pursuit. For to be preoccupied with heaven is to be preoccupied with the one who reigns there.

“Where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”

Seeking the things above is not simply wishing we were in heaven and not on earth, although that feeling does come upon us. Seeking things above is to have our mindset and worldview tempered by the realities of heaven rather than the troubles of earth. It is to have our existence seasoned by the truth of our new citizenship. We are not merely earthlings, but we are citizens of heaven, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

In verse 2, Paul restates the same concept in a slightly variant way, and the analogy is helpful. “set your minds on things that are above.”

In a way of speaking, this is like calibrating our minds. By nature our minds come uncalibrated. I think the engineering term would be “out of whack.”

Woodworking example, chop saw, Starrett square.

How many of you have ever had an event happen in your life that left you totally bewildered, it left you totally wondering why, perhaps even upset or angry. Probably all of us.

Part of having our minds calibrated to Christ and the heavenly things is beginning to view things from a heavenly perspective.

Romans 12:2 ESV

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

“Is my mind fixed on the things of Christ?”

3. An Indisputable Cause - Vs. 3

So we ought to fix our minds on Christ, and we ought to do that because of our new life in Christ, but what is the difference that actually drives this change? Paul answers:

Because you have died.

Galatians 6:14 ESV

But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

MacArthur puts it this way:

“In what sense has the believer died? In the sense that the penalty for sin has been paid. The wages of sin is death, so we must die. By union with Jesus Christ, we die the required death in Him, thus the penalty is paid and sin can never claim us again.” - John MacArthur

It is important to know and understand that while the presence of sin and its power can still affect us, it can never overtake us - it cannot condemn us.

So when the tempter sends you an invitation to indulge in sin and be lost in its power, send back your R.S.V.P. Card with this note: “I am unable to accept your invitation, for I have recently died.”

Not only have we died, but our life is hidden with Christ.

What does it mean to be hidden with Christ in God?

Romans 8:38–39 ESV

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The great Scholar A.T. Robertson makes this note:

“So here we are in Christ who is in God, and no burglar, not even Satan Himself, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.” - A.T. Robertson

“Is my life’s trajectory pointing to my position in Christ?”

4. An Impregnable Confidence - Vs. 4

Sometimes commands in scripture can seem daunting. They often can seem discouraging and, if we become distracted from the main thing, they can seem pointless. But here as Paul closes the paragraph, He reminds us that there is great cause for continued effort and labor.

Christ is now seated at his Father’s side, but one day He will return to take his bride home. On that day, the hidden realities of our life in Christ will be brought to full view. On that day, the promises that we believe and rest in will be played out before our eyes. On that day, the difficult trials and the days when we were lost in confusion will be made as clear as possible, then we will know just as we are known.

1 John 3:2 ESV

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

“What we will be has not yet appeared...”

We have a muddied view of our future. It is clear that it will be glorious, perfect, and an end of our struggles, but exactly what it is remains a mystery.

“...but we know that when He appears we shall be like him...”

One thing is sure. We will be made like the one who we have had our gaze fixed upon.

“...because we shall see Him as He is.”

Our confidence is this, the one who began a good work in us will complete it. The one whom our gaze is fixed upon, we will dwell with forever.

Paul refers to Him as “Christ, who is our life.”

Another way we could say that is this, “Christ, who is our everything”

This truly helps us to hone our focus. Other things are necessary and important, but other things are distractions as compared to the one who is everything.

And the other point is this. What will be revealed on that day is already real. We have died with Christ. We have been raised with Christ. We live with Christ. We will appear With Christ.

So the final question we ask is this,

“Is my hope assured in the faithfulness of Christ?”

We are called to live the risen life. But living the risen life does not happen with our mind set on things that distract us. The Son of God is the center of the Believer’s universe.

“Our new life in Christ demands that our gaze be fixed upon the things of Christ.”