Colossians 3.1b-The Christian Must Diligently Seek After the Things Above Because They are Raised with Christ
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday April 10, 2016
Colossians: Colossians 3:1b-The Christian Must Diligently Seek After the Things Above Because They Have Been Raised with Christ
Lesson # 67
Colossians 3:1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. (NASB95)
“Keep seeking the things above” is composed of the (1) definite article ho (ὁ), “the things” (2) adverb anō (ἄνω), “above” (3) verb zēteō (ζητέω), “keep seeking.”
The verb zēteō means “to diligently, earnestly and tenaciously search after something, sparing no effort or expense, for the object sought is of the highest value.”
This word is directly related to the Colossians’ identification with Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and present session at the right hand of the Father.
Therefore, this verb indicates that Paul is commanding the Colossians to continue making it their habit of “diligently, earnestly, and tenaciously seeking after” Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and present session at the right hand of the Father.
The present imperative form of the verb zēteō is a customary present imperative whose force is for these faithful Christians in Colossae to simply continue making it their habit of diligently seeking after the things above.
The definite article ho is functioning as a substantive and refers to the spiritual blessings which are associated with the believer’s union and identification with Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session.
It is also a reference to the holy standards and spiritual values which characterize God and His people.
Colossians 3:1 Therefore, if, and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that each and every one of you have been raised up with Christ and we agree that this is true. Then, continue to make it your habit of diligently seeking after the things above, where Christ is, as an eternal spiritual truth existing in a state of being seated at God’s right hand. (My translation)
These faithful Christians in Colossae whom Paul was addressing in this epistle were already obeying this command in Colossians 3:1.
This is indicated by two passages in this epistle.
First, if you recall, in Colossians 1:3-5, the apostle Paul informed these faithful Christians in Colossae that he gave thanks to the Father in prayer for them after hearing about their faith in Jesus Christ and that they were practicing the love of God with one another.
Then, in Colossians 2:5, he asserts that he was rejoicing over the fact that they were disciplined and specifically their dedication which was produced by their faith with regards to their union and identification with Jesus Christ.
So in Colossians 3:1, with the first class conditional statement, Paul is seeking to persuade the Colossians to continue remaining faithful to the gospel and continue rejecting the teaching of the Judaizers as well as to live the Christian way of life.
He does this by reaffirming something both he and the Colossians were both convinced of, namely that they were identified with Christ in His resurrection.
So based upon the fact that they were identified with Christ in His resurrection, Paul wants the Colossians to continue to making it their habit of diligently seeking after the things above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
What Paul is commanding the Colossians to do is to continue making it their habit of diligently, earnestly, and tenaciously seeking after Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and present session at the right hand of the Father.
This would involve appropriating by faith this identification with Christ.
“The things above” is a reference to the spiritual values and holy standards which characterize God and His people and which standards are met by the believer when they appropriate by faith their identification with Christ.
It is also related to the spiritual blessings associated with the believer’s union and identification with Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session.
Thus, Paul is exhorting the Colossians to make every effort to experience their sanctification which would be the result of appropriating by faith their identification with Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father.
This would fulfill a two-fold purpose: (1) To experience the spiritual blessings associated with this union and identification resulting in the glorification of the Father and spiritual growth. (2) To experience and manifest God’s holy standards and values in the Christian’s life.
So he is teaching the Colossians that they must live their lives on earth consistent with whom God made each of them to be.
In other words, they must live their lives on earth in a manner which is consistent with their union and identification with Christ.
Now, Paul’s reference to Christ being seated at the right hand of the Father in Colossians 3:1 is a reference to the session of Jesus Christ.
In the Old Testament the expression “to sit at the right hand” of someone suggests a sharing of royal authority and power.
Psalm 110:1 The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” (NASB95)
In this passage, the Messiah, i.e. Christ is invited to sit at the Father’s right hand.
Therefore, it was a place of honor.
The writers of the New Testament taught that the Father rewarded Jesus Christ in His impeccable human nature to sit at His right hand as a result of His obedience to His will in going to the cross to provide salvation for sinners through His spiritual and physical deaths.
This is called in theology, Christ’s “session.”
The “session” of Christ pertains to the glorification of our Lord’s humanity at the right hand of God the Father.
God the Father rewarded the resurrected impeccable human nature of Jesus Christ for His voluntary substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross by bestowing upon Him the sovereign rulership over all creation and every creature.
So God the Father promoted the incarnate Son of God to the highest ranking position of power and authority in the cosmos.
There are many passages which refer to the session of Christ at the right hand of the Father (Matthew 26:64; 28:18; Mark 12:36; 14;62; Luke 20:42; 22:69; Acts 2:25, 33-34; 5:31; 7:55-56; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:27; Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1-4; 1 Timothy 6:15; Hebrews 10:12; 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22; Revelation 3:21; 4:2; 17:14; 19:16).
The session of Christ is also related to the believer’s position in Christ.
The believer can experience deliverance from and victory over indwelling sin, Satan and his cosmic system by appropriating by faith the teaching of the Word of God that they have been crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ (Romans 6:11-23; 8:1-17; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:5-17).
They will permanently experience this identification with Christ at the rapture of the church (Romans 8:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Ephesians 4:30; 1 Corinthians 15:50-57).
So the believer is identified with Christ as He is currently seated in heaven.
The believer is now positionally higher than angels (Heb. 1 and 2).
Romans 8:34 teaches that our Lord intercedes for the believer as a part of His session at the right hand of God the Father.
He intercedes for the believer in prayer when Satan accuses the believer of sin (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25; Revelation 12:10).