Jesus Is Our Life

Jesus is the author of our physical life and our spiritual life resulting in eternal life. He told Martha in John 11:25, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies."

Jesus was killed. Remember Peter said, 'you killed the author if life'. But Peter then said, 'but God raised him from the dead'. And now Jesus is in heaven. This will happen to us too. Physically, we die. However, because Jesus' life is in us, we will resurrect and go to be with him for eternity. We are spiritual beings living in a physical body until the author of life calls us home to be with him forever.

2) Christ, who is your life.

Col. 3:1-4, "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."

In chapter two Paul talked about their conversion; how they were buried with Christ in baptism and raised with him through faith (vs. 12). Now, as he starts chapt. three, he describes what we need to do as a result of that.

We need to set our minds and hearts on things above. Why? Because when we were born-again we became citizens of heaven. Now our focus needs to be on what pertains to that. When we gave our life to Christ we came out of the water as a new creation; a Holy Spirit creation. Therefore, we need to show that a change has taken place.

Paul says we need to set our heart on things above. This means our hearts are not going to be automatically set on spiritual things; we need to set them there ourselves. And if we're not inclined to do that or we're having a hard time with it we need to pray about that. It's not an option, it's a command.

It's also proof that a regeneration has taken place. As a Christian our hearts and minds begin to seek after new things; suddenly we want what God wants; we set our hearts on things that pleases him.

"For you died". What do you mean? I didn't die after I was baptized. Well, in one way you did. The old you is dead. The old you that had only one nature-the flesh. That nature could not please God. But now there's a new you with a new life. The new you has a new spirit; a new nature. A nature that can please God and a nature that desires to please God.

Rom. 8:8-10, "Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness."

Whatever "good" things we did before Christ did not please God. Why? Because we hadn't given God what mattered most-ourselves. We were once controlled by our old nature. That doesn't mean we sinned 24/7 but our lives were led by what pleased ourselves; even if we were doing something for someone else.