Chico Alliance Church
“A Heavenly Focus””
Today I want us to spend our time thinking about Paul’s second application of the co-death and co-resurrection with Christ principle found in Chapter 3.
Paul said all things all lawful. Christ declared all things clean. The issue now becomes one of pleasing God out of love for Him and profit for us. If you love me you will keep my commandments. Not all things are profitable. When it comes to law, you’re dead. When it comes to relationship with God and life in the kingdom you are alive in Christ.
THE COMMANDS
1. Keep seeking the “up things”
“Since you have been raised up (at a point in time) with Christ,
keep seeking (continuous action) the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
God did not leave us in a state of neutrality. He raised us up with Christ. He gave us new life.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
Paul urges these Christians to keep “seeking” the things associated with their new life. Keep seeking the eternal things. Keep seeking the things associated with Christ who presently sits at the right hand of God.
“Set” means “to seek or strive for earnestly” (cf. Rev. 9:6; 1 Cor. 7:27). Fixing their attention decisively toward “things above” involves centering their lives on the ascended (Eph. 4:10), glorified (John 17:5; Phil. 2:9) Christ, who is seated at the right hand of God (Ps. 110:1; Luke 22:69; Acts 2:33; 5:31; Rom. 8:34; Eph. 1:20; Heb. 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22). This is His seat of divine authority because He has defeated the forces of evil and death (Heb. 2:14-15).
Paul encourages these believers to direct their energy and resources to seeking eternal things.
“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.”
God will take care of the rest. This new way devotes time and energy to discovery and exploration of the new life.
2. Keep thinking about the “up things”
“Since you have been raise up with Christ
set (present) your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth.”
Not only does Paul urge an active pursuit but also urges a continual meditation on the things associated with this new way of life.
1. History and Oldest Sense. “set your mind,” means “diaphragm,” regarded as the seat of mental and spiritual activity, then “mind” or “understanding.” The compounds reflect the intellectual focus, usually means “to think” or “to plan,” and the nouns “thought,” “thinking,” or “reason.”
The parallel is quite clear in the original language.
• the “up things” seek after
• the “up things” meditate on
Paul emphasizes an eternal focus in contrast to an earthly focus. Jesus reproved Peter and Satan for failing to keep a clear focus.
He rebuked Peter and *said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
Before we go on to further motivation to keep our focus correct let’s explore a bit more what a heavenly focus looks like. It is up not down. It is up not earthly. It is where Christ is now seated at God’s right hand of authority.
So we are talking about the spiritual dimension of things. We are talking about things basically as yet unseen. 2 Cor 4:13-18
Through the Scriptures and the eyes of faith we have the opportunity to see the unseen.
Although is may be blurry to us, nevertheless we see it.
We see the attributes of the eternal God. Love, mercy, grace, faithfulness, wisdom. We see Jesus. We see truth. We see light. We see hope. We see holiness and righteousness. We see the ways of God.
In contrast to the course of this world and the ways of this world we see God’s kingdom.
In contrast to the temporality of the flesh we see the eternality of the spirit. When Paul urges these believers to not think about the things upon the earth, he is not waging some sort of anti-matter campaign, as were some in his day.
Some were advocating that anything material was evil and either to be ignored as of no account or avoided as something evil. Paul is urging a concentration on the things of the spirit. He is urging a new focus. It is no different than is urged all over the Bible.
Don’t be conformed to this world but be transformed. (Paul)
Love not the world or the things in the world. (John)
AS obedient children don’t be conformed to the former lusts but be holy like your Father. (Peter)
Where as the Law demanded conformity apart from reason our new life urges transformation based on renewed understanding and thinking. Paul lifts our focus to our new identity in Christ. The old you died. The new you lives to walk in newness of life. That is the very reasoning Paul goes on to reinforce once again. He zeroes in on a motivation based in the present and a motivation based in the future.
THE MOTIVATION IN THE PRESENT
FOR you have died and your life (new life) is hidden (perfect) with Christ in God.”
You died at the moment you were joined to Christ’s death and resurrection. And now your new life is hidden with Christ in God. The word “hidden” carries the idea of secrecy and security. It is a perfect passive verb indicating a past reality that continues in the present. The passive indicates it is something done to us. Our new life was established with Christ in God.
Concealed and still concealed from the world.
Protected and still protected from the world.
There is a reality about the new life given us at the moment of salvation that is presently in the spiritual dimension. It is like living in two dimensions. We are on this earth yet there is an aspect to our new life that already exists in the eternal dimension.
Ephesians made this concept clear in chapter 2.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-7
In many of these passages God includes a present motivation as well as a future motivation. God provides a down payment now of things to come. Even though it is only a partial realization it is real nonetheless. God also promises the whole thing at the return of Christ.
MOTIVATION IN THE FUTURE
“And when Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Christ in you the hope of glory. Christ with you. Christ for you. Christ beside you. Christ before you. Christ around you.
APPLICATION
Since our new life finds its source in the eternal, shouldn’t that be where we focus our attention?
This continual refocus on the eternal is the basis of all renewal and life-change.
1 Peter 1:13-19
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3
CONCLUSION
We must realize what God accomplished. The wonder of our salvation must be God centered. It was God who brought such a great work on our behalf. So often the verbs associated with the work of salvation applied to us are passive verbs.
Paul seeks to protect this church from a rehashed legalism. Anytime we try to come to God on the basis of some good work of ours we have lapsed into the old system. A merit system must be purged from our heart for its basic foundation is pride.
By grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves lest ANY man should boast.
Any attempt to earn favor with God on our own merit is a sign of arrogance and ignorance. Arrogance to think that we could do anything to earn so great a salvation. Ignorance of what God actually did for us by our death and resurrection. Hebrews 9:11-14
The Christian life is not adherence to a list of do’s and don’ts but a death and life experience that changes us from the core of our being to wholeheartedly serve a living loving God. Paul made it clear that the focus of His new life was daily faith and trust in Christ.
For when I tried to keep the law, I realized I could never earn God's approval. So I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ. I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not one of those who treats the grace of God as meaningless. For if we could be saved by keeping the law, then there was no need for Christ to die. Galatians 2:19-21 New Living Bible
It is imperative that we know who we are in Christ. That is what Paul wants to do here. Like telling someone not to be a baby or to act your age. It is simply an encouragement to realize who you are now and act accordingly not to continue to act like who you were.
Since we have been raised up with Christ into a glorious new kingdom…
Since the living Christ lives in us through the Holy Spirit…
Since our new life was hidden with Christ in God and still is…
Since a life lived on the level of the flesh is unprofitable for the kingdom and us…
• Let us continually seek the eternal things associated with our new King.
• Let us continually think clearly and meditate on life in the eternal.
How?
Develop a personal and family mission statement by which you will govern your life.
Explore how to rearrange your present life style according to your mission statement.
Commit to spending time exploring (seeking) your identity and new life in Christ.
Pursue deeper relationship with the King through daily conversation.
Stop trying to keep the law.
Hold fast to Christ in 98.
