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*The New Life: *
*Colossians 3:1-4*
*Introduction*
There are all sorts of things that grab our attention.
They cause us to focus on them, think on them, desire them and so forth.
Some things are designed to entice us: Billboards, TV commercials, radio broadcasts—entice us to buy or desire certain items.
Some things are designed to warn us: Street signs—STOP, YEILD, R X R; sirens—Police, Fire, Tornado.
Such things are designed to focus our attention.
Proper focus is essential.
Without it, we can veer off course.
* A ship with a faulty compass will crash on the rocks.
* A pilot with blurring vision will crash his plane.
* A Christian w~/o focus will fall into dangerous snares
Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified” (1 Thes 4:3).
In order to lead a sanctified, holy life that is pleasing to God our attention must be on the things of God.
In order to stand against the lustful desires of this world, the believer needs to focus on Christ.
In order to fully enjoy the peace and love and joy that can only be found in Jesus Christ, the believer must look to the Source, Jesus Himself.
In the new life of the Christian, four essential truths keep us grounded and our attention where it should be, on Christ: His power, His provision, His possession, and His promise.
I.
We have Christ’s Power (v.1)
Paul begins with an “if…them” expression which is crucial to the text.
We might think that an “if” statement would suggest uncertainty on Paul’s part but it does not.
He does not mean that a person who is a believer may or may not be raised up.
On the contrary, he assets that it is because they, already being believers, have been raised up with Christ.”
Have you ever said to someone: If you go to the store, get me such and such.
We often mean “when” or “since” This is what Paul is saying: Since you have been raised up with Christ.
He does this because he is going to tell us what ought to be true of us as followers of Christ.
To be “ raised up with Christ” is to be co-resurrected with Christ.
Since Christ rose from the grave, so shall we.
But more than this, we are even now living in that resurrection power.
John 11:25-26 “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.”
Rom 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
Col 2:12 we were “raised up with Him through faith in the working of God”
It is by the power and authority of Christ that we are raised up.
Notice that it is with Christ.
We are only raised because Christ is raised.
We have received His power
*Question*: What should be true of the follower of Christ?
In response to the ‘if” statement mentioned above, there are three actions that we should take hold of; three tasks that should grab and focus our attention.
These things involve what we focus our attention on.
As followers of Jesus Christ, being raised by His power, we should be directed in specific ways.
*Set our hearts* on the things of God (v.1)
Paul uses the phrase “keep seeking;” the Gk zeteo, can be translated—seek, search for, investigate, study, consider
The word “heart” actually is not in the original Greek.
But the idea behind seeking is a persons conduct, his or her actions; in other words, one’s heart.
This is why the translators of the NIV use “set your hearts,” because it is a matter of the heart that Paul is addressing in the first part of this verse.
In the Sermon on the Mount, our Lord Jesus Christ makes it clear that our hearts should be focused on the things of God and not on the things of this present world.
Matt 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied”
Matt 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”
In affect, what our Lord is saying is that we are to be a people who have a spiritual appetite for the things of God.
Christ is concerned about our inner motivations, inward desires; the secret longings within our hearts.
* *
*Set our minds* on the things of God (v.2a)
Paul uses the phrase “set your mind;” the Gk phroneo, can be translated—think, reflect, set one’s mind on
* *
Like the appeal above to the heart, Paul now takes it a step further and addresses the inner workings of the believer.
Before a person can act appropriately, that person must think appropriately.
The two go together.
To illustrate this point, think of a set of railroad tracks.
Heat and mind, thought and action, they are the two rails on that track.
They are by all means distinguishable from each other but are completely inseparable.
I think this is why the translators of the Kings James chose to translate verse 2 like this “Set your /affections/ on things above” (emphasis added).
That which we think highly of, we will then act on.
So if our thoughts are on Christ, then also our actions will reflect it.
*Set our hearts and minds are against* the things of this world (v.2b)
Notice the contrast here.
So that there is no doubt where our focus should be, Paul says think and act accordingly with your whole being on the things of God.
The things of this world draw our attention away from Christ.
As believers in Christ, we need nothing more than Christ.
We need no earthly philosophy, legalism, asceticism, mystical experiences—none of these will lead us to a full understanding of what it means to be a Christian.
In fact, they will draw our attention away from the source and power of our salvation—Jesus Christ.
In verse 1, we see that Paul says that heaven “the things above” is “where Christ is.”
It would be impossible for us as believers to think and act appropriately if we did not have a God who had the power to give us the strength to do it.
When Christ completed the work of atonement, He ascended into heaven, and as Col 3:1 tells us, He is “seated at the right hand of God.” Christ’s work is completed.
Since every believer has received the privilege of being raised up whit Christ, which only comes by His power, so too, are all believers strengthened in this present age by that same power, Christ.
We have to keep in mind that Christ created all things and He sustains all things.
Therefore, by that power He enables us to think and act according to His princliples.
It is so tempting when we hear co-workers, family members, people we meet on the street, to engage in their kind of thinking and act the way they do.
No one wants to be left out of a discussion.
So how do we avoid falling into gossip, swapping dirty jokes, indulging in small indiscretions, we put on the mind and heart of Christ!
II.
We have Christ’s Provision (v.3a)
Secondly, Paul tells in the first part of verse 3 “you died.”
What does it mean that I died?
I am walking around, breathing, talking, moving…so how can I be dead?
Very simple, we are dead to the “things that are on earth.”
The things on earth as we saw above are opposed to the things of God.
So naturally, if the believer has Christ’s power to move away from that kind of thing there must be arson for it.
Just as Christ work of atonement has raised us up to a new life in Christ, it put to death the old one.
We were “dead in our transgressions and sins” but now we are “dead” that way of life!
He died so that we could love!
The provision that Christ gives us is His grace.
Let’s think about grace or a moment.
It is a free gift.
Literally, grace (Gk charis) means unmerited favor.
We did nothing to earn it.
We cannot earn it; we cannot lose it; we cannot do anything to pay it back!
Imagine you could something good for God.
Any good that we could do could never be enough to pay God back for what He has given us.
It would be like offering a few pennies to pay the nation debt.
In response to Christ’s provision what should we do?
Offer up our praise and adoration to Him.
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