“Since then you have been raised with Christ…” (Colossians 3.1a)
As I write you from month to month, I normally don’t preach in my articles. However, this time might be different. I’ve been reading in the book of Colossians, and I’ve gotten stuck on several phrases in this third chapter which is prefaced by “since then you have been raised with Christ”. That phrase right there should be enough for us to “camp out” for a while. Since we have been raised with Christ, it must mean that we were buried by some means. I’m physically alive, so Paul is not talking about my physical resurrection, but he’s speaking of my spiritual resurrection. So, all that know Jesus as Savior and Lord are new persons. (II Cor. 5:17) It’s like Lazarus when he walked out of his grave. We’ve walked out of our spiritual graves into new lives in Christ.
As I continue reading the next verses, these phrases appear, “set your hearts on things above”, “set your mind on things above”, and “your life is now hidden with Christ in God”. It’s pretty clear that Paul wants the believer as well as the body of Christ to understand the direction in which our lives should take…fixed on Christ. Are we fixed on Christ every second, every minute, and every moment of every day? To be honest with you, I have my moments when I’m not as focused as I should be. This leads me to set my mind and heart on earthly things. When my mind and heart are set on earthly things, that’s when I begin to falter in my faith and my walk in the Lord.
So, as we move toward the days of Thanksgiving, yes, enjoy time with family, enjoy the food, but do not set your mind and hearts on earthly things. Set your mind and hearts on things above remembering that our lives are now hidden with Christ. As Colossians 3.4 states, “Christ, who is your life”, let’s allow Christ to be our lives!
May the Lord bless you all as you celebrate this special Thanksgiving time of the year!
Until next month,
Bro. Lyle