High Truths

This morning I am reading from Paul's letter the Colossians 3:1-3 NIV:

[1] "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. [3] For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

Since my reflection yesterday was about the throne of God, I found these verses very encouraging.  Paul is encouraging us to think about Jesus seated on the throne, to set our hearts on eternal or heavenly realities.  He wants us to realize this isn't just figurative language, but actual spiritual reality, and it is our reality, although we may not be able to fully comprehend this truth. 

To grasp the truth revealed in the statement "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ", which is the foundation of the next couple verses, we must go back to Paul's writing in the previous chapter - Colossians 2:9-15 NIV:

[9] "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, [10] and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. [11] In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, [12] having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 

[13] When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, [14] having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. [15] And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."

Paul is speaking of our flesh, our sin nature, which was put to death with Christ Jesus.  It is essentially an eternal event, that when we receive salvation, here  symbolized by baptism, that eternal act is applied to our lives, to the totality of our lives.  We experience this, by way of our faith in Him.  The circumcision he speaks of is a cutting away of that flesh, our sin nature.  Essentially, it dies when it passes through the death and resurrection of Christ. Again, we access this through our faith in Him.  If this makes no logical sense, welcome to this side of eternity, for some things are not comprehendible this side of heaven.   

It is one of the great mysteries that God desires to restore us to full Edenic relationship with Him.  He does this through applying Jesus' sacrifice to our lives, effectively putting to death that which is the result of the first Adam, our sin nature, and raising us to new life, with the result of the second  or last Adam's (Jesus) actions being applied to our lives (see 1 Cor 15).  It is this application of Jesus' resurrected life that is applied to us, and which Paul is speaking of in verse 1, of chapter three.  We are raised to life, with Jesus, as His sacrifice and resurrected life has been applied to us, and where He goes, we go, for we are now hidden in Him.

This is why Paul urges us to set our minds on such things, to set our hearts on things above, for as we reflect, meditate, and embrace these truths, even if we don't fully understand them, we will receive greater revelation, and we will receive the benefits of living from this reality.  As I was writing that last bit, the idea of former prisoners or former slaves being set free came to mind.  They often struggle to fully grasp and fully live their new reality, their new freedom.  It takes time for this new reality to be fully understood and enjoyed, and again, this is why Paul encourages us to set our minds and hearts on such things.  There are those former prisoners, and former slaves who never really break away from their captive mindsets, and there are many Christian's that are equally struggling to live in their new reality. 

Thus, I am encouraged this morning to allow these high truths to settle in my heart and in my mind.  I am encouraged to lay hold of these, to apply them to my thinking.  I am hidden in Christ, and I am seated where He is seated, for where He goes I go.  None of this is my doing, but rather the desire and purpose of God!  His invitation in this all, is for me to embrace this reality and live in intimate relationship with Him!  Lord, help me to understand more fully this great mystery.  Help me to experience this reality in my life!  Help me to set my heart and mind on things above!

Amen!!