Colossians 3:1-17 A Primer in Christian Living
All Scripture is God-breathed and useful, but there are some Scriptures that we can consider the Himalayan mountaintops of the Bible. In the next few months, we will be looking at a series of great texts that inspire and move us - the "Himalayan Heights" of God's Word.
Today's Reading: Colossians 3:1-17
Colossians 3:1-17 is a step by step guide to Christian living. It is a series of 12 commands, each of which builds on the previous one, laying out how we should live as followers of Jesus Christ. Each day, read the entire 17 verses, then meditate on the verse or verses that are the focus passage.
They describe what I call "Christ-active living." Too often, we are reactive - we treat others as they treat us, or have our moods and behaviors governed by the circumstances of the world. Some people seek to be proactive, determining their own attitudes and moods, certainly an improvement. But we are to be Christ-active - our lives guided and determined by the work of Christ in us. Because of what Christ has done for us and in us and through us, we do not have to react to others or even determine life for ourselves. We focus on Christ. We live for Christ. He is all in all.
There are three phases in this process. The first phase, verses 1-4 is an upward look, "Heaven in my heart and head." Phase 2, verses 5-14, is about taking off the clothing of sin and putting on the new clothing of righteousness, "Out with the old, in with the new." The third phase, "The Final Four" covers verses 15-17, and spells out four key Christ-active attitudes.
We begin, today, in Phase 1, with step 1 - "Heaven in my heart."
1 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.Background: Wouldn't it be great if there was a step-by-step manual to the Christian life, a tutorial that gave us the instructions we needed to live as Christ intended? The 17 verses we will study over the next 2 weeks do exactly that. In the original Greek language, there are 12 imperative - commands that give us a primer on living the Christ-life.
They describe what I call "Christ-active living." Too often, we are reactive - we treat others as they treat us, or have our moods and behaviors governed by the circumstances of the world. Some people seek to be proactive, determining their own attitudes and moods, certainly an improvement. But we are to be Christ-active - our lives guided and determined by the work of Christ in us. Because of what Christ has done for us and in us and through us, we do not have to react to others or even determine life for ourselves. We focus on Christ. We live for Christ. He is all in all.
There are three phases in this process. The first phase, verses 1-4 is an upward look, "Heaven in my heart and head." Phase 2, verses 5-14, is about taking off the clothing of sin and putting on the new clothing of righteousness, "Out with the old, in with the new." The third phase, "The Final Four" covers verses 15-17, and spells out four key Christ-active attitudes.
We begin, today, in Phase 1, with step 1 - "Heaven in my heart."
Through the Bible Readings: 1 Samuel 27-28, Luke 21:1–24, Psalm 56:1–8, Proverbs 12:9-10
If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings.
Devotional: Heaven in My Heart
Have you ever grown frustrated with a group of people who were supposed to be sharing a meal together, or enjoying one another's company, but their heads were down, looking at their phones? They are looking down and so they cannot see each other, they miss what is most important. In the same way, we often walk through life with our eyes down, missing the work of God in this world. We see the problems, we see our failures, we see all the wickedness, but we do not see the brightness of God's glory.
The first command Paul gives to those who walk to walk in spiritual power is to "seek the things above." Our minds and hearts must be focused on the things of God and what he is doing in this world, not on the things of earth and the sinful things happening here.
There is a condition for this command. "If you have been raised with Christ," a description of basic Christianity. In the New Testament, the resurrection is the central truth. Because Jesus died for our sins and rose up from the dead, we have been raised with him to walk a new life. We have been indwelled by the Holy Spirit and now our lives are supernatural. We have been seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus and nothing is the same as it was.
Because Jesus Christ died for your sins (and you died with him) and because he rose from the dead, you have risen with him to new life, so that now you can live a new life dominated by the ever-present reality of the Christ who dwells in you and is your hope of glory!
The question today is whether you will live your life focused on the "things above" or whether you will settle for "things below." Above, God is seated on the throne, but here below, we battle to sit on the throne and rule ourselves and others. Above, everything focuses on God and he receives the glory, but below, it's all about me and I focus on myself. Above, glory is given to the Lamb who was slain and purchased men for God; Below, the Lamb is ignored, often scorned, even ridiculed. Above, God's truth reigns, but here below, the lies abound.
Have you ever flown on a cloudy, rainy day? All around, things are gloomy and dark, but then you shoot down the runway and begin to point to the sky. You bump and rumble your way through the clouds and discover the sun is shining and everything is bright, above the storm. The first key to life is focusing our hearts on God and putting him first, rising above the darkness of this world into the glory of God. He must have first place in my heart regardless of what is happening in this world.
Father, help me today to live with my heart focused on you. May my passion and my will choose to glorify Jesus Christ in all things.
Think and Pray:
Is your heart more heavenly or earthly?
Where is your focus - the things of God or the things of this world?
Where is your focus - the things of God or the things of this world?
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