COLOSSIANS: STABILITY BY CHRIST'S ALL-SUFFICIENCY AND SUPREMACY

Part XI: Stability In Living In Aligned To Our Heavenly Destiny

(Colossians 3:1-4)

I. Introduction

A. Today's unsettling, insecure world has led many believers to become unsettled and insecure, so in contrast to today's world, we believers need to focus on the stability and security we have in our Lord.

B. The Colossians epistle presents Christ's all-sufficiency and supremacy in ways that settle and provide security, and one way it does this is by teaching the believer's stability in living in alignment with his heavenly destiny.

C. Colossians 3:1-4 teaches this truth, and we view it for our insight and edification (as follows):

II. Stability In Living Aligned To Our Heavenly Destiny, Colossians 3:1-4.

A. In Colossians 2:1-23, Paul had directed his readers to avoid bondage to false ideologies of this world due to the believer's spiritual identification with Christ in His death and resurrection:

1. Paul had taught that the believer is complete in Christ so that he need not find alleged, false fulfillment by involvement in vain human philosophy, Colossians 2:8, 10.

2. He had taught that the believer's death to the Mosaic Law had freed him from bondage to it, Col. 2:11-17.

3. He had taught how Christ as the the believer's Head had freed him from legalistic mysticism, Col. 2:18-19.

4. He had taught how the believer's death with Christ had freed him from legalistic asceticism, Col. 2:20-23.

B. Accordingly, Paul needed to fill the void of all of these errant forms of bondage with what the believer should have as his liberating and healthy focus and affection, so he supplied it in Colossians 3:1-4 (as follows):

1. Since the believer is so spiritually, positionally identified with Christ that he is freed from the world's false philosophies, the Mosaic Law, legalistic mysticism and legalistic asceticism, he is positionally already risen with Christ Who is seated at the right hand of God the Father in glory and honor, Colossians 3:1a, c.

2. Accordingly, he should set his heart (zeteite) on things above where Christ is thus enthroned, Col. 3:1b. (Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 680) The believer's "striving" should thus be for what matters to the God of heaven and for His eternal rewards as opposed to the vain things of this earthly life, Ibid.

3. The believer should also set his mind (phroneite) on things above, thus "concentrating" on the values of eternity in heaven with a holy God rather than making the things of this earth his focus, Col. 3:2; Ibid.

4. The reason for shifting one's striving and concentrating from this earthly life and its things to the future life in heaven is that the believer has already positionally died in Christ, and his life is "hidden" with Christ in God, meaning he is spiritually secured and concealed in the Lord, prepared to be glorified in the open in the eternal state to come, Colossians 3:3; Ibid. When Christ who is the believer's positional life will be manifested in His Second Coming, then will the believer in Christ also be manifested in glory, Col. 3:4.

C. We have an illustration of the application of this truth in Christ's Matthew 13 parables of the Kingdom:

1. In giving the parables of the Kingdom in Matthew 13, Jesus' last parable on the householder in Matthew 13:51-52 depends on understanding all the previous parables in the chapter, Matthew 13:51.

2. Thus, a scribe, an expert in the Scriptures, who was instructed in the things of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 13:52a,b), was like a householder who brought out of his treasure of Scripture for his hearers things both new and old, implying newly revealed truths Jesus had taught as well as Old Testament truths.

3. Jesus had mentioned in Matthew 13:43 how the righteous would shine as the sun in the Kingdom, alluding to Daniel 12:3-4 where godly believers will peruse Scriptures, increasing in knowledge and thus turning many to righteousness so that they will be rewarded by shining with God's glory as the stars forever.

4. Christ expanded on this perusal of Scripture in the parables of the Hid Treasure (Matt. 13:44) and the Pearl of Great Price (Matt. 13:45-46), noting God will greatly reward disciplers in eternity who had taught Old Testament (old treasures) and New Testament (new treasures) of the Kingdom from having perused Scripture, acquiring knowlege of these truths and using them to turn many to righteousness.

5. These truths are to be learned at the cost of everything in life (Matt. 13:44b, 46b), so teachers are to invest all their resources to gain knowledge of and instruct others on Old and New Testament truths that disciple people for the Lord. This requires a heavenly affection and concentration as taught in Colossians 3:1-4!

Lesson: The believer is so intimately positionally identified with Christ in His death, resurrection and glorification, his every striving and concentrating in this life should logically be for the things of his blessed heavenly destiny.

Application: May we believers in Christ strive for and concentrate on our future with the Lord in heaven!