God allowed several of the Bible characters to get a glimpse of heaven or of God. Jacob, Genesis 28:12-13; Moses and elders, Exodus 24:9-10; Moses, Exodus 33:23; Micaiah, 2 Chronicles 18:18; Ezekiel, Ezekiel 1:26; Ezekiel 10:1; Daniel, Daniel 7:9; Stephen, Acts 7:55; Paul, 2 Corinthians 12:2; John, Revelation 1:12-16; Revelation 4:2. One that stands out is Isaiah. Turn with me to Isaiah 6:1-5. (Read it).

Note Isaiah’s response in verse 5. Today, we might say, “Oh no! I am doomed because I have impure lips and I live among people who have impure lips, and I have seen the King, Jehovah of heaven.” What stands out in this passage? I believe it is man’s sinfulness compared to God’s holiness.

Heaven is the pure, sin-free home of our holy God. In that holy environment, Christ sits on the right hand of God. Open to Colossians 3.

Transition

In Colossians 3:1-3, we find two imperatives that show us how to live purely in a sinful world.

We must seek those things which are above.

  1. Paul addressed this to those risen with Christ.
    1. When a sinner humbles himself, repents of his sin, and trusts Christ alone to save him from hell, he dies with Christ and Christ raises him to new life.
    2. Paul addresses this challenge to those risen saints.
  2. The object is, “those things which are above.”
    1. In the game called a Scavenger Hunt, each team is given a list of things to find (e.g., string, nut, white stone, shell…). The game would never work if the leader simply said, “Go find something.” You cannot find the desired object if you do not know what you are looking for. This applies here!
    2. Our text says that we are to seek those things which are above. Where is “above”? It is where Christ sits on the right hand of God. It is in heaven, in the throne room of Almighty God. What things in heaven are we to seek? Well, what did Isaiah find in heaven? __ Purity and holiness. We are looking then for things that reflect God’s pure and holy character. The things above could also refer to things within the will of God or things that please and glorify God.
    3. Do any other Scriptures give us any clues?
      1. We find an opposite list in verse 5. This list suggests purity and cleanness.
      2. (Philippians 4:8) “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.“
      3. (2 Timothy 2:22) “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.“
      4. (Galatians 5:22-23) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.“
      5. (James 3:17) “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.“
      6. (2 Peter 1:5-7) “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” All of these are qualities that reflect God’s pure and holy character.
        Now that we know what we are looking for…
  3. Our duty is to seek those things.
    1. To seek may mean to look diligently for something. We may need to look for a list of God’s pure and holy character qualities, but God’s character qualities are not lost, so this definition does not really apply.
    2. To seek may also mean to desire, crave or pursue. Ah, this fits. God wants us to desire or pursue His pure and holy character qualities. We are to pursue purity, cleanness, honesty, love, righteousness, godliness, virtue, mercy, impartiality, goodness, peace, joy, longsuffering, gentleness, meekness, self-control, etc. We must pursue God’s character qualities in our own lives. They are to become our personal character qualities.
    3. This word “seek” is also a command. It is not just a helpful suggestion; it is a practical pursuit.
      1. It is an essential pursuit. God commands it.
      2. It is an incompatible pursuit. These character qualities are not compatible with those of your flesh.
      3. It is a potential pursuit. You CAN do it with God’s help.
      4. It is a profitable pursuit. You and others will benefit.
      5. It is an intentional pursuit. You must plan and determine to do it.

We must direct our minds to things above.

  1. Paul first identifies our duty (v.2).
    1. The phrase “set your affection” in today’s vocabulary might be, “direct your mind” or “interest yourself.” The word deals with understanding, wisdom, feeling, thinking, or one’s interest.
    2. God is commanding us to interest ourselves in the things above which we just noted. We must deliberately direct our mind to pure and holy things. Meditate on the qualities of God’s pure and holy character. Focus on them. Think about how you can implement them in your life.
    3. We are NOT to set our affection on things on the earth. The world, the flesh and the devil are actively luring our interest and thoughts to sensual things. We must evaluate our habits of life, including our viewing, our listening, our net surfing, our friends, and our entertainment. Do these reflect God’s character? Do they glorify our pure and holy God?
    4. Would God say that your daily life is characterised by setting your affection on things above? If not, what will you need to delete or change to make that true?
  2. Paul then gives us the reason (v.3).
    1. The reason is that we are dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God.
    2. At salvation, we were crucified with Christ. This set us free from the bondage to sin. Christ then gave us new life in Him. “That life which we now live in the flesh has a hidden source with Christ in God – its infinite fountain.” Eadie
    3. Harry Ironside states, “We have died to all that we once were as children of Adam, and now we do not have independent life as Christians, but Christ Himself is our life. And, while it is true we have this eternal life abiding in us, He who is the source and sustainer of it is hidden yonder in the heavens “in God,” and so our life is safe in His keeping.”
    4. Bob Utley adds, “This concept of hiddenness could relate to (1) protection or (2) the fully shared glory of believers with Christ not yet visible to the world (cf. Col. 3:4).”
    5. Therefore, because our life is hidden with Christ in God, we ought to reflect that fact by focussing our minds on things above and not on things on the earth.
    6. God is not saying that we cannot think about our work or enjoy a hobby. He is saying that we must never forget who we are and whom we represent.

Conclusion

Read Colossians 3:1-3 again.

These verses get right down where we live. They apply to life in our 21st century culture. They disrupt norms in our society. They follow us to our work place. They accompany us to the classroom. They penetrate our headphones. They intrude into our private lives. They even burrow into our hidden secrets. They make demands that we cannot justly overlook. They call us to surrender.

Paul’s two commands in these verses leave us with two questions. (1) Are you daily pursuing those things which are above? (2) Are you daily focusing your mind on the pure and holy things above rather than on filthy and fleshly things on this earth?

If you cannot answer “Yes” to both of these questions, God is calling you to change. You need to use 1 John 1:9 and then the victory steps in James 4:7-10 to get right with God.

Song: Have Thine Own Way – 388
—
Living Pure in a Sinful World
2 July 2023 PM – Colossians 3:1-3 – Col23 – Scott Childs