Things Above Colossians 3:1-4

Years ago, Guy Pearce starred in a film titled Memento. In the movie, Pearce plays the role of a man named Leonard Shelby who tries to track down the person who murdered his wife. But Shelby’s search for his wife’s killer is complicated by the fact that he suffered a blow to the head by the person who murdered his wife – and as a result, he suffers from anterograde amnesia. Because of this, Shelby struggles to remember anything for more than a just a few minutes. To compensate, he creates a sophisticated system of notes, Polaroid photos and tattoos in order to help him remember facts that will help him find his wife's killer. His ultimate goal is to exact revenge. In the film, Shelby’s efforts to solve the crime are further complicated by a few shady characters. These people tell Shelby lies about his past and his true identity.

In a pivotal scene in the film, a character by the name of Teddy says to Shelby, “You don't know who you are anymore.” Shelby responds, “Of course I do. I'm Leonard Shelby. I'm from San Francisco.” Teddy says, “No, that's who you were. Maybe it's time you started investigating yourself.” Following this, Shelby experiences a series of revelations that causes him to begin questioning himself – and this eventually leads to the film's shocking conclusion.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we’re sometimes a lot like Leonard Shelby. What I mean is - we forget who we are. We forget our true identity in Christ. Our culture has conditioned to believe that our identity is defined by what we achieve – so we chase after things like wealth, fame, power and success. We’re told these are the essential ingredients of a happy life. But the Bible tells us that our true identity is something we receive as a gift from God.

This morning as we continue our study of Paul’s letter to the Colossians, I’d like to talk about our identity in Christ. Why is understanding our true identity in Christ important? How should this impact the way we live? Let’s open our Bible’s to Colossians chapter 3.

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Colossians chapter 3 marks a transition point in this letter. In chapters 1-2, Paul addressed a number of important doctrinal issues. He did this to correct false teaching that the believers in Colosse had been hearing. We learned last week that false teachers in the church promoted elements of philosophy, mysticism, asceticism and the worship of angels. Scholars tell us this was an early form of Gnosticism. The believers in Colosse were confused about the things that were being taught. So, Paul wrote this letter to reaffirm the message of the gospel and to remind the Colossians about their identity in Christ.

Now – in verses 1-4 of this 3rd chapter, Paul tries to impress upon the Colossians that because they are new creations in Christ – this should have a positive impact on the way they live. And so, from verse 5 of this 3rd chapter – through the end of this letter, Paul talks about things we must put off as followers of Christ (immorality, impurity, evil desire, anger and wrath) and he then talks about the things we must put on. Paul explains how the Christlike qualities of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience can impact relationships for the good. Following on, he talks about the relationships between husbands and wives - parents and their children – and masters and slaves. In all of this, Paul tells us that godly living will impact our attitude, our ambitions, our affections and our outlook on life.

Chapter 3 begins with these words: If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. There are four important truths that Paul underscores in this passage. Write these down in your outline. In verse 1, he tells us that:

1. We have been raised with Christ. Please note the tense of Paul’s language. He isn’t talking about a future event – he’s talking about a present reality. We have been raised with Christ! This, by the way, is a familiar theme in Paul’s writing. In chapter 2 and verse 12 3

Paul said: ….you were also raised with him through faith…” What does this phrase mean? It means if we have received Christ as Savior and Lord, we share in the victory of His resurrection. It means there is a new power working in our lives – God’s resurrection power – and this power enables us to walk in newnesss of life.

Paul writes similar words in Ephesians 2:5-6: Even when we were dead in our trespasses, 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. What is Paul saying in this passage? Among many things, he’s saying that a person who is dead in sins cannot resurrect themselves. God must do it for them. Spiritual regeneration is an act of God. Paul says we have been raised with Christ.

We find the second truth in verse 3. Paul tells us that:

2. We died with Christ. Paul says in verse 3: For you have died. This is another phrase we’ve seen before in this letter. Paul said this in chapter 2 – verses 12-13. When the Bible says we have died with Christ it means we have died to our old way of living. We have been severed from the old life. Paul explains this reality this way in 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

A number of years ago in Dearborn, Michigan – an employee of the Ford Motor Company was terminated from his job. A few days after he was fired, he returned to the Ford plant with a gun and he took his foreman and some of his former fellow workers hostage. There was a tense stand-off for several hours. One of the workers taken hostage was a bi-vocational pastor of a church in Detroit. The pastor pleaded with the man to release the hostages and to surrender – but the man became more angry and agitated. He pointed his gun at the pastor and screamed, “I should just kill you!” The pastor calmly replied, “You can’t kill me. I’m already a dead man.” The Bible says we have died to our old life – and we’ve been raised to newness of life in Christ. We find another truth in verse 3. Paul says:

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3. Our life is hidden with Christ in God. What does this passage mean? New Testament scholar Dr. F.F. Bruce points out that the phrase “hidden with Christ” is a play on a familiar Greek term “hidden in the earth.” In ancient Hellenistic culture, when a person died and was buried – people commonly said that person was “hidden in the earth.” It’s quite possible that Paul was playing off that familiar phrase.

Think about the word “hidden” for a moment. The word “hidden” implies concealment and safety. Let me share a simple illustration. Imagine you’re holding a business card and you put it somewhere in the middle of your Bible - and you then close your Bible and hold it shut. That’s a picture of what it’s like for a Christian to be hidden with Christ in God. We’re enveloped, surrounded and protected by God.

I think you would agree - it’s sometimes hard to feel secure in a world like this. We worry about our health – or we worry that someone may harm us or someone we love. We worry about our financial security. We sometimes wring our hands with anxiety and ask, “What if I lose my job? What if I experience some kind of financial reversal? What will I do?” This world militates against our sense of security. If you don’t feel very secure this morning, pleased be comforted by the fact that your life is hidden with Christ in God. Beloved, we’re not insecure if God is looking after us!

What did Jesus say about our security? Look at John 10:28: And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. Our life is hidden with Christ in God.

4. We will appear with Christ in glory. Look at verse 4: When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Paul is pointing us toward that final day when all of the sadness and struggles of this life will be over – and we will be with the Lord. The Bible tells us that a day is coming when we’ll be like Christ. 1 John 3:2 says: Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

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You may be going through the trial of your life this morning. You may feel incredibly vulnerable – but the Bible says that our destiny is secure. Paul says that one day we will appear with Christ in glory. What does this mean? It means we are people of hope!

Let’s take a moment to connect the dots. When we put these four truths together, we find that God has everything in our life covered. Our past is covered. We have died and have been raised to life in Christ. The present is covered. Our lives, at this very moment, are hidden with Christ in God. We are being kept secure by God. And God has the future covered. He promises that we will appear with Christ in glory!

Now – the question this passage invites us to ask is: How should we live in light of these glorious promises? Paul gives us two exhortations. In verse 1, he says: a. Seek the things that are above. The NIV says, set your hearts on things above. Let me ask a question: In any given day, how often do you think about Christ? Do you think about His love for you? Do you think about how much you matter to Him? Do you think about spiritual things? I’m not trying to bore you with grammar, but the verb set or seek is a present tense imperative. Paul is talking about the discipline of keeping the things of God continually in focus.

Dr. John MacArthur wrote these words in his commentary on Colossians: “The believer's whole disposition should orient itself toward heaven - just as a compass needle orients itself toward the north. To be preoccupied with heaven is to be preoccupied with the One who reigns there – to think about His purposes, plans, provision and power. It is also to view the things, people and events of this world through His eyes and with an eternal perspective.”

I have to confess - I’m not very consistent in keeping my focus on heavenly things. I find myself thinking and fretting a lot about the things of earth – the busyness of my schedule – my next appointment my problems – my next purchase – my next gig – how well my favorite 6 sports teams are playing at the moment - and so on. Please don’t misunderstand where I’m going with this. I’m not saying that these kinds of thoughts and interests are inherently sinful. What I’m saying is that the person who follows Christ no longer sees these things as if they’re the only things that matter in life! b. Set our mind on things above. Paul then says in verse 2: Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Please turn in your Bible to Romans chapter 8. I’d like to read verses 5-6: For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Notice how many times Paul uses the word mind in this passage. He uses the word mind four times.

We live in a world that loves options, but Paul says in this passage that there are only two ways to live. We can live according to the flesh or we can live according to the Spirit. Those are the only two choices. Paul says that unbelievers are habitually disposed to destructive thoughts – and those destructive thoughts will eventually lead to spiritual death and separation from God. Conversely, those who live according to the Spirit have their minds controlled by the Spirit of God – and they experience life and peace.

I believe this: If you spend time in fellowship with Jesus Christ, He will change the way you think! Paul said to the church at Rome: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Years ago, a writer by the name of Harry Blamires paid a huge compliment to C.S. Lewis. Blamires said that C.S. Lewis “…loved God with his mind.” That may sound slightly bizarre to some of us. In evangelical church circles, we speak more about loving God with our heart. But do you remember what Jesus said in Mark 12? The first and greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all of your mind and strength.

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Satan has declared war on us and that battle is waged, chiefly, in our minds. Satan knows that if he can control our thinking – he can control us. That’s why Paul tells us to be vigilant in 2 Corinthians 10:5: We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Paul is talking about being disciplined in our thinking. If the thoughts we have are good, wholesome and helpful - let them in - if not, demolish them.

In the film “A Beautiful Mind” – is the true story of a brilliant mathematician named John Nash. Russell Crowe plays the part of Nash in the film. Sadly, John Nash struggled with paranoid schizophrenia. Throughout his life, Nash heard voices in his mind. These irrational thoughts are very real to him and play on his darkest fears. He eventually realizes that he can’t listen to them. In the film, he turns to his friend and says: “I’m not different from you. We all hear voices. We just have to decide which ones we’re going to listen to.”

I know a number of people in our church who have intentionally set boundaries with regard to what they will allow to enter into their minds. They’re not legalistic about it – but they have made a personal choice that they’re not going feed on the junk food of the world. I bumped into a great passage last Thursday afternoon. Hebrews 3:1 says: “Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus.” That’s terrific advice - don’t you think? There’s an old prayer which says: “Lord, saturate my thoughts with truth, and let your Word in me abide; then thinking on the pure and good, may my whole life be edified.”

What can we take away from this passage? There are stacks of promises in these four verses. First, Paul wants us to know that we are forgiven. We have died to our old life – and have been raised to a new life in Christ.

Second, he wants us to know that we’re secure in our relationship with God. Our lives are hidden with Christ in God. The Bible tells is that nothing can change that. Paul said in Romans 8: For I am sure that 8 neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Third, Paul wants us to understand that we’re people of hope. One day we will appear with Christ in glory. All of this means we can live with assurance.

In 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge was completed. At that time, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world – costing our government $77 million dollars to build. In the first phase of construction, very few safety devices were used – resulting in the deaths of 11 men who fell off the bridge into the icy waters below. The toll was so significant – something had to be done. Joseph Strauss, the architect and engineer of the bridge project, came up with a brilliant plan. The plan was this. Strauss had a large safety net made. The net was stretched out beneath the workers as they built the bridge section by section. This safety net proved to be an excellent investment because it saved the lives of 19 men who fell into the net before the construction was completed. Moreover, construction work went 25% faster. Why do you think that was? It was because the workers were relieved of the fear of falling to their deaths.

My friends – no matter where you are today – no matter what you’re going through – God’s loving arms are stretched out beneath you. Deuteronomy 33:27 says: The eternal God is your refuge and His everlasting arms are under you. We can live without fear because we are saved – we are secure - and we are kept safe by His mighty power.