“Are You Risen with Christ?”Colossians chapter 3 is a great chapter on the Christian life. It starts with the statement, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ...” All the followers of Christ in the New Testament believed in His resurrection from the dead. It is the capstone of the Christian faith. We have a living Savior, Who rose bodily from the grave. Are you (& me) risen with Christ? Yes, if we have repented of our sins, and invited Jesus to be our Savior from sin and the Lord of our life. A transformation takes place when we accepted Christ as our Savior, a change comparable to a resurrection! Our Lord told Nicodemus in John chapter 3 that the change is like a new birth. Becoming a “born again” Christian is not like joining an organization, but rather a life-transforming change. As Philip Doddridge wrote in the Gospel song “O Happy Day!” ‘Tis done, the great transaction’s done - Now rest, my long-divided heart, The Apostle Paul sets forth three traits of the life that is risen with Christ: I. It is a Life of Purpose. 3:1 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.” The word “Christ” is used four times in the first four verses. The theme of this letter to the Colossians is the preeminence of Christ. 1:18,19 Here the Apostle Paul insists that Christ must be preeminent in our lives! And we are to interpret life from Heaven’s viewpoint -- “set your hearts on things above, where Christ is...” Emerson said, “Hitch your wagon to a star.” Paul’s exhortation is to attach yourself to the risen Christ. Verse 2 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” The things of earth are not sinful, but become so if preferred to the things of God above. Psychologists tell us that the happy person and well adjusted person is an integrated one. As Christians, we should integrate our life around a single purpose, that is, to please Christ. Or, as the bracelets which some young people wear -- W.W.J.D. -- What Would Jesus Do? The other day at the gas station the car in front of me had “Focus” on it. I thought, that’s what we should be, focused on Jesus. Someone wrote, “Three things make the worthwhile life: a faith fit to live by, a self fit to live with, and a purpose fit to live for.” While Jesus died to free us from our sins, He also rose again to introduce us to a new life. Over the door of a cabinet maker’s shop in London there hangs a sign, “Living Above.” It notifies his customers that he can be found above his shop, if the door is locked. It is a great thing for a worker to be able to say he is living above his work; that his dreams and hopes and real life are above the level of his day’s toil. He may have to work amid the clods and clutter, but at least he can live above. No matter how lowly a man’s work, his life can be above “where Christ is...” II. It is a Life of Purity. 3:5-14 Since we are risen with Christ, it affects two areas of our lives: our personal holiness, and our fellowship with others. The ancients regarded courage as practically the main virtue. Christians, none the less brave, regarded purity as the main virtue. Our love relationship with Jesus separates us from evil. The world, the flesh (old nature), and the devil can be conquered by the divine power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When the desires of our old nature come, we are to “put to death” and not obey them. It is not a pretty picture of what we are capable of doing if we follow the desires of our old nature, but listen to verse 5ff “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 rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” Oh, said Paul, there is one more thing -- “Do not lie to each other...” Psalm 24:3-6 states, “Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? None of us is perfect. So God said in Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be (white) as wool.” That is why we love Jesus. He died to allow God to forgive us of all our sins, and welcome us into the family of God. Our life does not always reflect that now we are children of God by faith in Jesus Christ, for it is a process by which more and more we reflect the family image. 3:9ff “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self (nature) with its practices and have put on the new self, which is BEING RENEWED in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” This process of holiness takes discipline. We are to work at it with God’s help. Verse 11 speaks of divisive elements in our society, that should not count in the family of God and His Church. “Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, BUT Christ is all and is in all.” See l:27c “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Vernon McGee refers to verses 12-14 as “What the well-dressed Christian will wear.” (Please read.) Goethe said, “We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.” So you’ll notice that love is the outer garment or belt that holds the others in their place. I Corinthians 13:1-3 III. It is a Life of Peace. 3:15,l6 United with Christ we are to “Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart.” This was all that Christ had to give to His disciples. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you: My peace I give you. . .Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Not sleep, but peace --“poise in battle.” Satan likes to stir up trouble among people, but when Christ has the preeminence, He can give peace. Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.” There’s the focus again, on the Lord Jesus -- “set your hearts on things above, where Christ is. . .” 3:1 How does a healthy Christian keep such peace? 3:16 “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom.” A love and study of the Scriptures is essential. The Holy Spirit uses the Word to guide us in our lives every day. Then Paul speaks of the importance of worship, “and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” That’s why we attend a church worship service; to express our gratitude to God and praise His holy Name. The purpose of singing should be for the glory of God, not the display of one’s voice or talent. Verse 17 summarizes and gives us a principle of Christian living. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Here is a good verse to memorize. All things should trace their value to the Lord Jesus, Who “is seated at the right hand of God.” S. D. Gordon in Quiet Talks on Service tells the story of a dear old Christian who was fast approaching the end of her life on earth. In earlier years she had memorized large portions of the Bible. Again and again these buried treasures were brought to mind to cheer and sustain her. But her memory was failing now. As she sat by her window, one jewel remained to comfort her. Over and over she repeated (II Timothy 1:12) “I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.” By and by the failing memory forgot much of that precious verse, but she quietly repeated, “that which I have committed unto Him.” At last the loved ones were gathered about her bed. The end was near, but her lips were moving. Thinking that she might be asking for something, they bent low to catch what she was saying. “Him -- Him -- Him!” was all her memory could recall. She had lost all but one word, but she still had “Him!” NOTHING ELSE MATTERS, if we have Him! A. Theodore Ekholm |
