I won’t spend a great deal of time with an introduction since I spent a bit of time on it last week. By way of reminder, I started out by asking a question… “how do you handle life?”
Thats kind of a loaded question. It actually has two different aspects to it, one passive and one active. On the one hand, I am asking how do you deal with the various aspects of life as they come? As you are confronted with difficulty in life, things that cause anxiety, perhaps separation from someone/something that you love, perhaps things that are beyond your control, or that you just don’t understand. How do you deal with those things?
On the other hand, I am asking how you manage life in general. On what principles do you operate? How do you actively make decisions about life? What drives you? What motivates you?
I said that your answer to that question “how do you handle life” is going to be based on how you think about life. Its really a matter of what you think you are here for. And how you think about life is based on how you think about Christ. This is because Christ is both the source and Lord of all life.
Therefore it stands to reason that we must constantly wrestle with how we think about Christ. Because our thoughts about Christ will determine how we think about life and also how we handle it. Those who have right thoughts about Christ will have right thoughts about life and will be capable of managing this life well. Those who have incorrect thoughts about Christ will have incorrect thoughts about life and how to handle it well. And thats what we all want, after all. We want to live our lives well. No one wants to come to the end of their life and realize that they have totally wasted their time and have squandered the opportunities that the Lord had given them.
Death is certain for us all and difficulties abound in life. We can be faced with death or any number of difficulties at any point in our life and so for that reason, we must carefully consider how we intend to handle it.
Jesus Christ is Lord and Supreme over all and therefore is sufficient for all and every need that we may have. And only in knowing Him as Lord over all, not just for gaining a new life but also for living it; will we be equipped not only to handle the many issues of life as they come but also to truly handle them well.
We began looking at Paul’s letter to the Colossians. In chapter 2:6-10 and 3:1-4, I said that there are three questions that Paul addressed to the Colossians in order to encourage the believers to remain faithful to Christ, the Christ in whom they had believed for salvation. First he addresses why it is important to think rightly about Christ in 2:6-8. And here we noticed that it is important to think rightly about Christ because spiritual growth only takes place by growing in our understanding of who Christ is. Paul describes our growth in Christ as if we are a tree which is firmly rooted in the ground that is the gospel and which continues to grow as its roots grow deeper through faith in the Word of God. And that faith will necessarily overflow with gratitude towards God in Christ. And he said also that it is important to think rightly about Christ because of the false teaching which is contrary to Christ or anti-Christ. There was, and is today, an abundance of philosophies that run contrary to Christ. Those things which seek to take attention off of Christ as the source and sustainer of life; and which essentially rob the believer of the blessing of holding fast to Christ and to Him alone.
This brings us to our next point in which Paul addresses the question “What should we think about Christ?” He answers this question in vs 9-10 of ch 2. And finally we’ll notice what difference our understanding of Christ should make in how we handle our lives.
So what should we think about Christ? Notice Col 2:9-10 with me again:
“For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made full, and He is the head over all rule and authority…”
The question of what we should think about Christ is key to our proper application of this text. All of what Paul says hinges on this very point. We notice two things from these verses. First and very simply, we must consider Christ as fully sufficient of Himself. And second we must consider ourselves as fully supplied in Him.
Now that Christ is fully sufficient in Himself should be obvious to any believer. Because anyone who has truly trusted in Jesus Christ, knows that he has trusted in the LORD. Jesus Christ is the LORD. Notice his careful wording, “For in Him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form…” The “for” is an explanation of his previous comment, that the false teachers that he is warning against are teaching what is “not according to Christ.” The Christ that the false teachers were espousing was less that God, less than the Lord. This false Christ was at the most a strong angelic being that had emanated from God, but was in no way to be viewed as fully divine. And for that matter, trusting in Him had no ability to save from the power of sin in their lives; thus the need for strict regulations and other religious observances in order to make up what was lacking. Last time I talked a little more about the views held by these heretical teachers, so I won’t spend long on it tonight.
Paul here is pressing them to understand that what these false teachers is espousing is contrary to the Christ in whom they have believed for salvation “for/because” in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form. In Christ. In His person.
For those who are listening to this and who are perhaps trying to figure out what Christianity is all about; it is not about a set of abstract principles or facts to believe in so that you may be right before God. Christianity is about a person. It is about a man. It is about a man who is fully man, but who is also fully God. And who God, the One who created us, has declared the lone Savior of humanity. Salvation is all about the Lord Jesus Christ. And there are no facts, there is no other name and there is no other person by which we may be saved other than by trusting in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and Him alone.
“in Him, The fullness of deity dwells, in bodily form.” Again, the Christ of the false teachers was less than God. Here Paul says that the fullness of deity dwells in Him. Not half deity. Not some deity. The fullness of deity. He is not saying here that all of who God is dwells in Christ’s body. What he is saying is that Christ is fully God. And there is a difference. God exists in three persons. And each person is fully God, the Father, Son and Spirit. But each, of themselves does not fully encompass all of God. He is three distinct persons, but One God. Richard Melick Jr, in his commentary on Colossians said it very succinctly this way “Jesus is every bit God but does not exhaust the dimensions of deity” (Pg 255).
Paul also mentions this idea of the “fullness” in chapter 1:19. This is another beautiful passage in which Paul expresses Christ’s supremacy over all things. I read this passage at the end of the message last week. Listen again to his words, I’ll start with v 9, where Paul makes the Colossians aware of his prayer for them in Christ,:
Colossians 1:9-20
9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.
13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
In vs 9-12, again we see Paul’s passion for ministry and his love for the body of Christ. And also his emphasis on growth as a product of knowing Christ more fully. And how that, knowing Christ more fully, ultimately leads to thanksgiving, gratitude and praise of God as we truly comprehend the greatness of God’s blessing toward us. Namely that in vs 13-14 “He [God] has rescued us from the domain of darkness and has transferred us into the Kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.”
And He goes on to explain to us who His beloved Son truly is, and how great he is. And he does this by explaining the Son’s relationship to God in v 15, to all of creation in vs 16-17 and also to the church in v 18. And finally we see in v 19, why all of this is so; because it was the Father’s “good pleasure that all the fullness dwell in Christ and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself…” and it goes on in v 20. I mentioned Richard Melick’s commentary (New American Commentary) before and concerning this passage he said that Christ is here described as Lord of Creation (general) in vs 15-17 and Lord of the New creation in vs 18-20.
Unfortunately we don’t have the time to go into an in depth explanation of this passage, we’d need at least another night for that. But the point is that God has declared and designed that Christ be Lord over all. Over all created things, whether they have good standing with Him or not. All created things are subject to Christ. He summarizes it in vs 17 and 20 that “He [Christ] is before all things and in Him all things hold together…and again that “through Him…[He] reconciled all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross…whether things on earth or things in heaven.”
In Him is all the fullness of God’s authority. In Him is all the fullness of God’s power. In Him is all the fullness of God’s wisdom. In Him is all the fullness of God’s grace and God’s truth. In Him is life.
Jesus understood this of Himself and taught it.
When Philip said to Jesus “Lord, show us the Father…” Jesus responded “Have I been with you for so long and yet you have not come to know…(who?) Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father…” John 14:8-9.
In John 5:14, the Jews were persecuting Jesus because he healed on the Sabbath and Jesus responded to them “My Father is working until now, and I myself am working” and for that reason, it said they sought to kill him; because he was “making Himself equal with God.”
By this, Jesus was not saying that he was merely equal in purpose with God, as Jehovah’s witnesses will say. But that He is God in essence, just as John called Him the “Word, which was with God and which was God.”
In explaining that He is the true bread of life which comes down from heaven, Jesus said “He who eats my flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day…as the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of me”
Here Jesus was saying that just as the Father gives life and He lives in the Father; so those who believe in Him as sent from the Father; will also live in Him.
He said, “I am the door, I am the good shepherd, I am the way the truth and the life; I am the resurrection and the life. I am, I am, I am. Who did God reveal Himself to be to the children of Israel through Moses? He said, “I am who I am.”
The One who was, and who is and who is to come. The alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end. The first and the last. The source and sustainer of all life is none other than Jesus Christ. He is the LORD!
Any teaching. Any teacher. Anyone who stands before you, whether it be here or anywhere else and claims to know anything about the true and living God. Anyone who wears a robe, anyone who wears a priets colar. Anyone who claims to be a minister and a servant of God; who does not proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord over all of God’s creation, as God in the flesh; is to be accursed! Reject Him. Refuse Him. Cast Him out from your midst. He is a false teacher. He is a false prophet. He is of the spirit of the anti-Christ. And you should reject anything, I mean anything that he or she says. I don’t care how many other things they may say that sound right. If they don’t get that right. Then they are to be rejected. For we have not learned Christ in that way. The Apostle John wrote to the church in I John 4:1-3
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.
The teachers against which Paul was warning in Col 2 were rejecting the reality of Christ as Lord over all of God’s Creation and Christ as God in the flesh. Again, our verse in Col 2:9 said “in Him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form.” It was not enough for them to say that Christ wasn’t fully God. But they also claimed that Christ had not come in the flesh.
If Christ has not come in the flesh, then He has not truly been crucified, and if He has not truly been crucified, then He has not truly died in the flesh; and if He has not truly died in the flesh; then He has not truly been raised in the flesh. And if He is not raised then neither are we. That is in part of Paul’s argument in I Cor 15. Some were denying the physical resurrection from the dead as a fact. But Paul argues that if that were not the case then Christ were not truly raised in the flesh. And if Christ were not raised in the flesh then our faith in Him was in vain; because our spiritual and eventual physical resurrection is based on God uniting us with Him in His physical death burial and resurrection.
We are saved only by virtue of our being made new “in Him.” Paul is saying, in other words that we must not only think of Christ as being fully sufficient in Himself as Lord and God over all creation. But that we must also think of ourselves as being “fully supplied” with all that we need for life in Him.
Back to vs 9-10 of Col 2, Paul said that “in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him we have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule an authority”
The word translated “fullness” in v 9 with reference to Christ’s deity has the same root of the word translated “complete” with reference to us in v 10. In Christ is all the fullness of deity. In Christ we are therefore made full. We are made complete. We are fully supplied in Him. There is nothing that we lack for our new life. In verse 11-13, we are described as being “circumcised in Him” meaning that the control of the flesh and sin over us has been cut off; he says that we were “buried with Him and raised up with Him” through faith in God’s work. Meaning that we have died to sin and have been raised to have a new life before God. Just to name a few other “in Him’s”
In 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Phil 3:9, he says that we have been made the righteousness of God, in Him
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
In Eph 1, we are “chosen in Him,” “redeemed in Him,” “given insight into His will in Him,” and sealed…in Him.”
Ephesians 1:3-14 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation– having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
In Him, we know the love of God, John 3:16.
In Him, we are given fellowship with one another and the Father I John 1:5-7
In Him we can have confidence at the coming of Christ I John 2:28.
What more do we have need of? The penalty of sin has been paid by Christ. There is nothing more that we need to do in order to be “right” in God’s eyes. The power of sin over us has been broken. There is nothing more that we need to do in order to overcome sin’s control over us. And in Him, we shall finally escape the presence of sin; when He returns for us. Christ is Lord over all of God’s creation. According to Romans 8:31-39, there is no other created being that can help us. There is no other created being that can hurt us. There is no other created being to whom we should turn. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Him.
There is no other created being’s philosophy, thoughts, commentary, inclinations, self help or the like that we should turn to in order to know how to live this life well. We are in the One who is full of all that is God. All of God’s wisdom. All of God’s power. All of God’s authority. And He makes full all who turn to Him and Him alone in faith.
Are you full today? Are you? Are you trusting in Christ, in whom is all the fullness of Deity. In whom is all of God’s wisdom for right living, in whom is all of God’s power for right living, in whom is God’s forgiveness, in whom is God’s authority over all, even over that which is unseen. Even in the spirit realm. Or are you trusting in something else?
Satan would love for nothing but to keep you trusting in yourself or in some other thing for sufficiency. He would love for nothing but to cause you, Christian, to put your faith in something other than Jesus Christ to manage your life. We sing “on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand…” But do we always do that? Satan is on the prowl, throwing whatever he can at us in order to cause us to put our trust in what is futile and passing. We are in a spiritual battle. And quite often the battle is in our mind and our hearts. It is on the level of our passions. But God is the victor! Amen! Pastor Leake just went through a series in Eph 6 on the Whole Armor of God and that which is to protect us against the schemes of the devil. How do you think the armor is effective? The only way the armor of God is effective is if God has authority and power over those whom He is fighting.
I remember growing up and hearing different things about God and different things about satan. I used to think of satan as on the same level as God. That they were two equally powerful beings. One fighting for good and one fighting for evil. And that either of them could win. But thats complete and utterly foolishness. The God who created all things can in no way be subordinate to that which He has created. He must have control over it. The creator by definition must be greater than what is created.
And so God and the One whom He has appointed Lord, His Son, Jesus Christ is Supreme over all things. Amen?! And this One, the One who is Sufficient in Himself; not man’s thoughts, not man’s practices; can make you full with a vibrant and abundant life that you are searching for; but only when you are united with Him by faith, have died to your old self and are given new life to live for the glory of God. In Galatians 2:20, Paul says “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself up for me.”
And so we come to the final question that Paul addresses in order to instruct us in how to life the life that Christ gives and to live it well. He already told us why we must think rightly about Christ, because growth is in Him alone and in order to combat the abundance of heresy that exists; he showed us what we should think about Christ, namely that He is fully sufficient in Himself and that we are fully supplied in Him and now in Col 3:1-4, he’ll tell us how what we know of Christ should make a difference in our lives. This final question gets at the heart of our purpose for this study. I asked, “how do you handle life?” I could just as well have said “how we should we handle life?” We should to handle life in a way that reflects our belief that our life is hidden in Christ who is Himself with God.
Colossians 3:1-4
Colossians 3:1 If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
How should what we know of Christ make a difference in how we live? Another way of saying this is how can you know if you are living in a way that reflects your life in Christ. One who truly knows what life is, that life is knowing the Source and Giver of life; will have a certain type of life. Their life will be different from those who do not know or believe in Jesus Christ. He says two things:
First he says, knowing that we have been raised with Christ should motivate to seek and to think of the things of heaven, rather than the things of earth in v 1-3. And second, knowing that we have been raised with Christ should motivate us to live as though true life will only be found in heaven in v 4.
Knowing that we have been raised with Christ should motivate us to seek and to think of the things of heaven and not what is on the earth.
Paul begins this section by reminding us that we have indeed been raised up with Christ. The “if” that begins this section may well be translated “since” because the true believer is united with Christ through His death burial and resurrection, as he mentioned in the previous section. Since that is the case, Paul says that we ought to be concerned with both “seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” and also “setting our minds on the things above.” That is, in essence, where we are.
Again, the believer’s of Paul’s day were faced with heretical teaching which sought to take focus off of Christ as necessary for salvation and practical Christian living. Their faulty teaching naturally produced faulty living. They sought to impose strict regulations and other religious ceremonies and observances as a means of providing grace and growth to believers. It was not enough for them simply to have put their faith in Christ and to trust in Him for grace to live this life. They felt the need to add more. In Paul’s view, however, there was no basis for salvation or practical Christian living apart from understanding who Christ is.
Who Christ is, and more specifically in these verses, where Christ is ought to form the basis for our motives and actions in our daily lives. We are to be actively “seeking and thinking of the things above [and specifically] not the things that are on the earth.” Furthermore the reason for this is because “our life is hidden with Christ in God.”
So what did that mean? Most Christians would probably agree that we should be seeking the things above. But what did that mean for them? As Paul goes on to explain, he puts the seeking of what is above in the context of the relationships that we have below. In other words, we show that we are seeking what is above and thinking on what is above; by how we act and interact with each other. After all, faith works, and works consistently with what is believed. Listen to what James had to say about the nature of true faith and its actions:
James 2:14-18 14 What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. 18 But someone may well say, “You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
Remember also what John said, in the passage that I read earlier, concerning the outworking of our faith in Christ:
1 John 3:10-18 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; 12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not marvel, brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
True faith in Christ, a life that has been united with Christ, a life that is seeking and is concerned with what is above is a life that loves. It is a life that actively and tangibly loves others. In all of the varied relationships of life, in all circumstances and at all times; the life of one who has truly trusted in the Lord of life, who is Jesus Christ and been united with Him is a life that loves and particularly one that loves what He loves. Paul covers the whole gambit of relationships that we may have in the following verses. He talks about relationships among members of the church in verses 5-17, he talks about relationships in the home in vs 18-21, he talks about relationships in the work place in vs 22-4:1. And finally, he talks about relationships that we have with unbelievers in 4:2-6.
I’d like to survey those relationships mentioned in 3:5-4:6, in the context of our study, and the exhortation that Paul gave to remain steadfast to Christ and to avoid the philosophy and empty deception of this world. Again, our main question for this study is “how do you manage life?” Here, we’ll get at the heart of that question to draw some application based on what we’ve learned so far. As we go through, I’d like to address some traditions and philosophies that we must beware of and also what we should do to honor the Lord of our life as He would have us.
First, Paul starts off by describing the nature of our relationships to those in the body of Christ first. We are “in Christ” and therefore the most important relationships that we have are those within the body of Christ. That might seem like a shocking statement to some. But I think that the reason why it is so shocking is because we have bought into the “traditional” view that “blood is thicker than water.” Now, you biologists out there are probably cringing right now hearing this. But its true. In this case, the notion that blood is thicker than water is wrong. Why?
The relationships that we have in Christ are eternal. The relationships that we have in Christ are so because of our joint relationship with God through Christ. We have family in the flesh, who we are perhaps close to and who we love dearly. However our first and primary duty is to the family of God. God is most concerned with His family. God is at work in this world, today, through His family. God is in the business today of building His family. God is making His name known and great through His family.
Our family name will last until we have breathed our last. Its importance will last until the last person who knows it forgets. But the name of the Lord is enduring. Amen?!
Its funny to me when I had my first two children, that each time people asked me repeatedly did
you want a boy or were you upset that you didn’t get a boy? Part of the reason for that is that
people assume that you want a boy in order to carry on the family name. If you have girls,
they’ll probably get married and lose your last name. And so if you’re a “dodo” as some have affectionately name it (dad of daughters only) then you’re in trouble. You got no one to carry on the family name. Well, I’m not a bit concerned about my family name. If I never have a boy, I won’t be a bit concerned about that. Because my name is not the name which saves. Amen? My name is not the name that is above every other name. My name is not enduring.
Are you concerned with what concerns God and Christ? Are you concerned with the family of God? Do you make it a priority? Do you go to church? Do you go regularly? Do you make a point of gathering together in fellowship with other believers? We are commanded to do so according to Hebrews 10:25, so that we may encourage one another. Is that important to you? If the Lord of life is your Lord then it should be.
Do you give, regularly and consistently to the church? Do you give generously? Pastor Alan gave a very good sermon on the principles of giving this past Sunday, so I won’t labor the point. I will say; however, that the example that we are given in the New Testament from the first believers is total surrender for the sake of the body of Christ. They gave all that they had. Every single penny. Yes, I’m talking about money. They gave it all for the good of the entire body of Christ. Because they understood that we are a body, a community and a family. Have you…do you give your all for the body of Christ or are you merely concerned with making your own name great and being a blessing to your own family in the flesh? If He is your Lord, then you should give all that you are able for that which He is concerned with.
We are going through I Corinthians and Pastor Leake has spent a number of Sunday’s going over passages which discuss spiritual gifts and how they are to be used for the benefit and blessing of the body of Christ. You were saved by Christ. You were buried with, and raised with Christ. Your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Are you concerned with and seeking what concerns Christ? If you call Jesus Christ, the Lord, then you should be concerned with the Lord’s business.
Are you using the gifts that He gave you to serve His body? Are you? Are you passionately serving His body? Are you approaching service to the body of Christ in the same way that Paul did, not concerned with how difficult it is, not concerned with how time consuming it is; but only concerned with serving because you know that this is your sole purpose for being here…that is to bring glory to God in Christ. And we do that together, in His body. If you have been raised with Christ; then you ought to seek and set your mind on what is above, and that begins as we actively and passionately serve the body of Christ for His glory. If He is your Lord, then do what He says. Serve His body.
Second, he mentions our relationships within the home. I mentioned before that our relationships in the body of Christ are the most important relationships because those are eternal. Our relationships within the home are also important, obviously because this is where we are likely to spend most of our time. Thats just the way it is. Thats the way our society is made up. At the beginning of the church, people were often rejected from their families for naming Christ as their Lord. Its still like that in some other parts of the world in which we live today. But for us things are different. We are more independent. The family is the central unit of our society and that is not necessarily a bad thing. But for that reason we are to be just as careful as we live out our faith in the Lord of life among them. Husbands and wives, parents and children make up the central units of the home. And it is those that he directly addresses.
This is a hot topic today, and it has been for some time now; but there are clear and distinct roles that God has determined for men and women in the home. The man is the head. The woman is his support. She is his body, just as Christ is the head and the church is His body according to Eph 5:22-33. Women do you submit? Husbands, do you lead? Its pretty simple really. Women submit. Men lead. Just do it. If you don’t do it, you are being disobedient and sinning against the Lord of life, the One who has given you life and who has authority over you. Don’t believe the lie and philosophy of this world that equality in role is equality in essence. You are no less a woman, a man and a child of God because you choose to obey Christ and submit to God’s prescribed roles. In fact, you affirm your identity as a child of God when you obey. Children, do you obey your parents? Do you? Do you obey your parents or do you obey your friends? Do you listen to your boyfriend, girlfriend, best friend, teacher, favorite athelete or musician? Do you obey them or do you obey your parents? If you are not obeying your parents then you are sinning. And if you call Jesus Christ Lord; and do not obey your parents then you are a liar and His truth is not in you.
Of course this assumes that parents are teaching their children what is right in the eyes of the Lord and not what is right in the eyes of the world, hence the exhortation that fathers do not exasperate their children in v 21. Parents do not teach your children the philosophy of this world that says that they must excel in education so that they can get the right job and car and home and be successful. Those things are passing. Teach them that in all of their getting, that they should get understanding and wisdom from the Lord. Prov says it is as valuable as choice silver in Prov 4:7; 16:2. Teach them the beauty of a heart submitted to the Lord of life. Teach them the beauty of a life that is passionate about those things that will last and not the passing pleasures of the world. Teach your girls to adorn themselves on the inside with a quiet and gentle spirit before the Lord. And teach your boys to look for girls who are not merely concerned with their external appearance. I’m convinced that one of the reasons why we don’t teach our children to value Christ over the glories of the world is because deep down we desire for them to make a name for themselves. Because in making a name for themselves they will make our name great. We look for our second chance in life through them.
I pray daily and often for my children to do well in this life. I pray for myself and my wife that we would continue to view them as a stewardship that God has entrusted to us for a time. They are not “ours.” They do not belong to us. We did not bring them into this world and we have no control over how well they do or when they leave it. They are the Lord’s. They were brought into the world for the Lord’s pleasure. And so we ought to point them to Him at every opportunity.
How do you deal with pain in your child’s life? They have to go through it. You can’t shield them from all pain (Neriah at the drs.) How can you deal with disappointment or waywardness? They are the Lord’s. Turn them over to Him. He is their God, whether they realize it or not and they must reckon with Him. And it is only in Him that they will find peace in life and direction. Our job is to point them to Him, not to worldly goals or success.
I’m almost out of time here, so I’ll just mention that he also speaks to our conduct at work and before unbelievers. Namely that in our interactions at work, whether as employers or employees, ought to be based on the fact that we are servants of Christ. And that our reward ultimately comes from Him. And with regards to unbelievers we must always be mindful of our actions and attitudes around them so that we might have the right words to say for their benefit. There are other things that I could mention by way of application. I wish that I had time to talk about politics, for example, and how foolish we are to feverishly run about with our heads chopped off every 4 years concerned that we get “just the right guy” in office. All I’ll say here is that without the Prince of Peace, there will be no peace on this earth. We need to be looking forward to His return and His reign. See 1 Tim 2:1-8.
We need to seek the things above. And we show that we are seeking what is above as we are concerned with what is important to Christ. Namely that His love is manifested in our relationships. But he also says in v 4 that we should view our true life as that which is found in heaven.
“When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory”
There is so much that could be said here. As much as Paul magnified the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ in His preaching to the lost, he magnified the coming of the Lord Christ in His exhortation to the body.
In 2 Cor 5:8 he said that we are to be encouraged to know that being “absent from this body, is to be present with the Lord.”
He said in Phil 1:21, “for to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” In ch 3 he said “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus,” he exhorted us to “have this same attitude” and that there are those who were “enemies of the cross of Christ…who [did not have that same attitude, but] had set their minds on earthly things…and that our citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly away for a Savior”
In his description of the Thessalonican believer’s repentance in I Thess 1:10, he said that they were “waiting for [God's] Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead and who rescues us from the wrath to come.”
To timothy in 2 Tim 4:7 he said “i have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day, and not me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (Dr. Talley)
Where is your life? Is it here? Is it now? What are you looking forward to? A long life? A fun filled life? A stuff filled life? Life can and does come to an abrupt end at any moment. Do you know the Lord of life? Do you know the One who has created all things and who upholds all things by His own power? Do you know the Lord?
If you know Him; then you have no reason to fear death. And in fact, you should be looking forward to His return. Maybe you don’t look forward to death itself…separation from loved ones…a situation beyond your control…the confusion of it all; but you should look forward to being in the presence of your Lord. Because if He truly is your Lord; then you should know that your life, your true life, that truly abundant life is hidden with Him in God. And that it is only when He returns, that you’ll be able to experience glorified life to its fullness in Him.
How do you handle life? How do you manage it? Do you feel like you’re just getting by? Is it sometimes too overwhelming for you? Well, do you know true life? In John 17:2, Jesus said “this is eternal life, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent.” True life comes from knowing the true God and His Christ? If you don’t know them and you are tired of living a dull and hopeless life; then repent from your sins, and turn to the Lord who is the creator of life. Call upon Him for new life which only He can give. Trust in His Name and in the new life that He offers to those who come to Him. And for those of you who have His new life, live like it. Do what concerns Him. Be about His business. Serve your Lord. Amen?!
