Col 3:4 | KingComments | STEP | . The last verses of the last chapter dealt mainly with the fact that you died with Christ. You saw how important that is. Now we see the other side of the coin. Not only you died with Christ but you also have been raised up with Him. If you have been raised up with Him – the word “if” is not to be understood as an option, but as an absolute certainty – then you are transferred into a new world. Previously you were living in a world which had only a cross and a grave for Christ. There you served sin. Now you live in a world where everything is about Christ and where you are serving Him. Now you are freed from every form of slavery. This certainly does not mean that you are free to do anything you wish. Perhaps you have learnt through trial and error where such experiences lead to. You certainly do not want it at all. No, you are given this Christian freedom to serve Christ. Serving Christ begins with the fact that you are seeking those things which are above. Why? It is because Christ is there. Keep seeking the things that are above does not mean that you should always be dreaming of heaven. It means being focused on Christ and living Him out on earth. You can compare this with an ambassador in a foreign country. He promotes the interests of his own country. He is not sitting there on a comfortable chair thinking about his beautiful homeland. It is a constant seeking with effort of all forces. By seeking after things that are above your life is formed here. It is more and more showing the character of your life that is above and that promotes your service and testimony. It is a striving to know all the attributes of the glorified Christ. Your knowledge of all His glory will keep you from all the commandments and teachings of men. One of the essential elements of the Christian faith is that Christ is seated at the right hand of God. This faith determines our Christian position. We have much in common with the faithful of Israel, but we have a big difference here. They did not know a glorified Man in heaven with Whom they were made one. We do! . This knowledge therefore determines our life and position on earth. The fact that Christ is there determines where our interests are and where we must focus our attention. Unfortunately many Christians are not aware of this and they live as an earthly people of God – looking for things on earth. In such cases they consider it right to enjoy all the beauty that is found on earth. It also can happen that they campaign for the equitable distribution of all the beautiful things on earth. For the first, they want a good job and a high standard of life. For the second, one can make a political effort. With both categories of people, there is no thought of the fact of being joined to Christ in heaven. You can’t help but start thinking of the things that are above if you are aware that that is where all your real possessions are to be found. You can’t say that of the things that are on earth. Here you are only a steward of those things. You must leave behind everything when your time on earth is over. You cannot take them to heaven. Therefore it is stupid that you cram your head and heart with earthly things. You are warned in several places in the Bible about setting your heart on earthly possessions ( ; ). One who is engrossed in earthly things expresses the fact that the Lord Jesus has no place in his life ( ; ; ). Earthly things do not necessarily have to be sinful or worldly. Earthly things are often the things that God has given. Marriage, job and rest are all good things. But if life consists only of those things then your view on Christ is blocked and you no longer live with Him. Then you are like someone who looks for copper instead of gold because you think copper is as valuable as gold. We do not consider someone like that as being wise, yet many Christians are living like that. Faith transfers many future things to the present, and the present things to the past or the future. Faith sees things that cannot be seen and lives in it. Earthly mindedness caused sadness with Paul ( ) and also with the Lord Jesus. . Again it is said that “you have died” to this world and that your new life does not have a single link with this world. In this world Christ is not only absent but He is also hidden ( ). Your new life is also hidden to the world because Christ is your life. It is unknown to the world. What was the last thing the world saw of Christ? It was that He hung dead on the cross and was in the grave. With that everything seemed to be over. But faith looks beyond the grave and sees the resurrection and glorification. If He is your life, then the world gives you the same place it gave Him. The world understands nothing of the motives which guide you because it does not know the source; it is hidden to it. You are still here to bear witness to Him Who is hidden to the world. There is nothing left to improve on the world itself. Any attempt to improve anything in the world overlooks the fact that Christ is rejected by the world and is now hidden to the world. Among the Corinthians there were believers who felt the need to exert political influence. They desired even to be rulers ( ). But for the believer who belongs to the church the time of ruling is still future. . The characteristic of the believer’s life is that it is with God and that it will be revealed soon. Now the world does not know us but it certainly will later ( ). That change does not happen by the acceptance of Christian principles, thanks to political efforts, which could create an environment in which Christ can feel at home. No, when Christ is revealed in glory, He will judge the evil in the world in righteousness. He thus creates the perfect conditions for His government which would enable the thousand year long reign in justice and peace. When He is seen openly in the world, the high point of your union with Him also becomes visible. You are made one with Him in His death, in His resurrection, in His present hiddenness and in His appearance before the entire world. When Christ is revealed, you also will be revealed with Him. Then the world will see the hidden source of the life you lived on the earth. For He Who will be revealed then, is already your life on earth now. Now you live in this world as someone who is dead to the world. By this you prove that you do not have any expectation from this world. This means for here and now only rejection and suffering. That will change the moment you are revealed with Christ in glory. Then the time of rejection and suffering will be over and you certainly will have a position and task in the world. You will get to reign with Him and share in His glory. This revelation of Christ with all His own is something different from His return for His church. Of the latter the world will not notice anything ( ). After the Lord Jesus has taken the church away for Himself as His bride, the marriage of the Lamb will take place in heaven ( ). Then He will reveal Himself to the world with His bride following Him ( ). This is His appearance in glory. Then every eye will see Him ( ) including you along with all those who will come with Him ( ). Now read Colossians 3:1-4 again. Reflection: How do you seek and what do you think of the things that are above?

‏ Colossians 3:4

Christ, Who Is Our Life

Col 3:1. The last verses of the last chapter dealt mainly with the fact that you died with Christ. You saw how important that is. Now we see the other side of the coin. Not only you died with Christ but you also have been raised up with Him.

If you have been raised up with Him – the word “if” is not to be understood as an option, but as an absolute certainty – then you are transferred into a new world. Previously you were living in a world which had only a cross and a grave for Christ. There you served sin. Now you live in a world where everything is about Christ and where you are serving Him. Now you are freed from every form of slavery. This certainly does not mean that you are free to do anything you wish. Perhaps you have learnt through trial and error where such experiences lead to. You certainly do not want it at all. No, you are given this Christian freedom to serve Christ.

Serving Christ begins with the fact that you are seeking those things which are above. Why? It is because Christ is there. Keep seeking the things that are above does not mean that you should always be dreaming of heaven. It means being focused on Christ and living Him out on earth. You can compare this with an ambassador in a foreign country. He promotes the interests of his own country. He is not sitting there on a comfortable chair thinking about his beautiful homeland.

It is a constant seeking with effort of all forces. By seeking after things that are above your life is formed here. It is more and more showing the character of your life that is above and that promotes your service and testimony. It is a striving to know all the attributes of the glorified Christ. Your knowledge of all His glory will keep you from all the commandments and teachings of men.

One of the essential elements of the Christian faith is that Christ is seated at the right hand of God. This faith determines our Christian position. We have much in common with the faithful of Israel, but we have a big difference here. They did not know a glorified Man in heaven with Whom they were made one. We do!

Col 3:2. This knowledge therefore determines our life and position on earth. The fact that Christ is there determines where our interests are and where we must focus our attention.

Unfortunately many Christians are not aware of this and they live as an earthly people of God – looking for things on earth. In such cases they consider it right to enjoy all the beauty that is found on earth. It also can happen that they campaign for the equitable distribution of all the beautiful things on earth. For the first, they want a good job and a high standard of life. For the second, one can make a political effort. With both categories of people, there is no thought of the fact of being joined to Christ in heaven.

You can’t help but start thinking of the things that are above if you are aware that that is where all your real possessions are to be found. You can’t say that of the things that are on earth. Here you are only a steward of those things. You must leave behind everything when your time on earth is over. You cannot take them to heaven. Therefore it is stupid that you cram your head and heart with earthly things. You are warned in several places in the Bible about setting your heart on earthly possessions (Mk 10:24; 1Tim 6:17). One who is engrossed in earthly things expresses the fact that the Lord Jesus has no place in his life (Mt 16:23; Rom 8:5; Phil 3:19).

Earthly things do not necessarily have to be sinful or worldly. Earthly things are often the things that God has given. Marriage, job and rest are all good things. But if life consists only of those things then your view on Christ is blocked and you no longer live with Him. Then you are like someone who looks for copper instead of gold because you think copper is as valuable as gold. We do not consider someone like that as being wise, yet many Christians are living like that.

Faith transfers many future things to the present, and the present things to the past or the future. Faith sees things that cannot be seen and lives in it. Earthly mindedness caused sadness with Paul (Phil 3:18) and also with the Lord Jesus.

Col 3:3. Again it is said that “you have died” to this world and that your new life does not have a single link with this world. In this world Christ is not only absent but He is also hidden (Jn 8:21-23 ; Jn 13:33). Your new life is also hidden to the world because Christ is your life. It is unknown to the world.

What was the last thing the world saw of Christ? It was that He hung dead on the cross and was in the grave. With that everything seemed to be over. But faith looks beyond the grave and sees the resurrection and glorification. If He is your life, then the world gives you the same place it gave Him. The world understands nothing of the motives which guide you because it does not know the source; it is hidden to it. You are still here to bear witness to Him Who is hidden to the world.

There is nothing left to improve on the world itself. Any attempt to improve anything in the world overlooks the fact that Christ is rejected by the world and is now hidden to the world. Among the Corinthians there were believers who felt the need to exert political influence. They desired even to be rulers (1Cor 4:8). But for the believer who belongs to the church the time of ruling is still future.

Col 3:4. The characteristic of the believer’s life is that it is with God and that it will be revealed soon. Now the world does not know us but it certainly will later (1Jn 3:1-2). That change does not happen by the acceptance of Christian principles, thanks to political efforts, which could create an environment in which Christ can feel at home. No, when Christ is revealed in glory, He will judge the evil in the world in righteousness. He thus creates the perfect conditions for His government which would enable the thousand year long reign in justice and peace.

When He is seen openly in the world, the high point of your union with Him also becomes visible. You are made one with Him in His death, in His resurrection, in His present hiddenness and in His appearance before the entire world. When Christ is revealed, you also will be revealed with Him. Then the world will see the hidden source of the life you lived on the earth. For He Who will be revealed then, is already your life on earth now.

Now you live in this world as someone who is dead to the world. By this you prove that you do not have any expectation from this world. This means for here and now only rejection and suffering. That will change the moment you are revealed with Christ in glory. Then the time of rejection and suffering will be over and you certainly will have a position and task in the world. You will get to reign with Him and share in His glory.

This revelation of Christ with all His own is something different from His return for His church. Of the latter the world will not notice anything (1Thes 4:15-17). After the Lord Jesus has taken the church away for Himself as His bride, the marriage of the Lamb will take place in heaven (Rev 19:7). Then He will reveal Himself to the world with His bride following Him (Rev 19:11-16). This is His appearance in glory. Then every eye will see Him (Rev 1:7) including you along with all those who will come with Him (2Thes 1:10).

Now read Colossians 3:1-4 again.

Reflection: How do you seek and what do you think of the things that are above?