Col 3.1-11

Psg: Col 3.1-11 (http://biblia.com/bible/gs-netbible/Col3.1-11)
Date: 4/23/12

Read

3:1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 3:2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, 3:3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 3:4 When Christ (who is your* life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him. 3:5 So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth:* sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion,* evil desire, and greed which is idolatry. 3:6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.* 3:7 You also lived your lives* in this way at one time, when you used to live among them. 3:8 But now, put off all such things* as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth. 3:9 Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices 3:10 and have been clothed with the new man* that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. 3:11Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave* or free, but Christ is all and in all.

Record

"Keep seeking the things above."
"Keep thinking about the things above."
("You will be revealed in glory.")
"Put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth."
"Put off all such things."
"Do not lie to one another."

Reflect

• "Therefore"
• From chapter 2, we have received Christ by grace, and therefore should live by grace. We have died to the elementary principles of the world.
• Indicative - imperative: Because these things are positionally true about you in Christ, therefore do these other things.
• There is no sense of the reverse - that these things are true about you because you have done these things.
• There is no sense of garnering God's favor through these actions.
• Rather, the rational and good outcome of salvation by grace is the pursuit of Christlikeness.
• Revelation of glory is coming, which brings a telos to these actions.
• So, because of what God did in the past and will do in the future, pursue Christlikeness.
• For the things above, seek them and think about them. For the things that belong here, put them away, put them to death.
• Colossians is in large part about the supremacy of Christ. That figures into the motivation and appropriateness of this exhortation, too. 
• "He is all in all!"
• And therefore, these other pursuits are not. Neither will they satisfy or make me better or give me a better life.
• There is no room for coasting in the Christian life. 
• The assurance of salvation doesn't mean that the intensity of the pursuit changes, but that the object of pursuit does.
• It is not sufficient to avoid sin - the Christian life is about pursuing Christlikeness.
• God will be at work renewing the new man.

Respond

• Change my heart's pursuit! My heart is divided, pursuing my own glory (which you are going to reveal in perfection one day, anyway) and my own joy (which pales in comparison to the joy you have for me), as well as pursuing you and the likeness of your Son. Make my heart singular for Christ! Make it singular for his person as well as for his character in me.
• Thank you for:
• Raising me up in Christ.
• Hiding me in Christ.
• Promising to reveal me in glory.
• Bringing wrath on sin.
• Renewing the new man you've declared me to be.
• For Christ being all in all!