Colossians 3:1-4 - "If, therefore, you have been raised
up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the
right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that
are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with
Him in glory.
In light of the fact that Christ could come for us at any moment we're instructed to fix our minds on things above, not on things on the earth. This is not our natural tendency. It's easy to get caught up in the things of this world and to put our focus on temporal things, but the Word of God is clear that the spiritual things, the things we can't see, are more real than the things we can. Because the things that aren't visible are eternal whereas the things which are seen are only temporal. This is a strange thought, but in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Paul says - "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." Since this is the case our minds should be fixed on the unseen, the eternal things, the things above, not on things on the earth. In the sermon on the mount in Matthew 6:31-33 the Lord Jesus said - "Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." God doesn't want us to be concerned about the things of this life. He knows our needs and He is faithful to supply those needs. And He doesn't say "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and then seek these things." He says "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Like I said, this is contrary to our natural mindset. But in the same passage that we are told to "set our minds on things above, not on things on the earth." we are also told, "for you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Once we give our lives to Christ our old self is put to death and we are made a new creation in Christ. Only He can put this eternal mindset in us and only to the extent that we surrender our minds to Him. We can continue to put earthly things in the forefront of our minds and pursue vain things if that's what we want to do. But at the judgment seat of Christ, spoken about in 1 Corinthians chapter 3, our lives, our actions as well as our motives, will be tested as by fire and only the eternal things will withstand the fire.
In light of the fact that Christ could come for us at any moment we're instructed to fix our minds on things above, not on things on the earth. This is not our natural tendency. It's easy to get caught up in the things of this world and to put our focus on temporal things, but the Word of God is clear that the spiritual things, the things we can't see, are more real than the things we can. Because the things that aren't visible are eternal whereas the things which are seen are only temporal. This is a strange thought, but in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Paul says - "Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." Since this is the case our minds should be fixed on the unseen, the eternal things, the things above, not on things on the earth. In the sermon on the mount in Matthew 6:31-33 the Lord Jesus said - "Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." God doesn't want us to be concerned about the things of this life. He knows our needs and He is faithful to supply those needs. And He doesn't say "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and then seek these things." He says "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Like I said, this is contrary to our natural mindset. But in the same passage that we are told to "set our minds on things above, not on things on the earth." we are also told, "for you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Once we give our lives to Christ our old self is put to death and we are made a new creation in Christ. Only He can put this eternal mindset in us and only to the extent that we surrender our minds to Him. We can continue to put earthly things in the forefront of our minds and pursue vain things if that's what we want to do. But at the judgment seat of Christ, spoken about in 1 Corinthians chapter 3, our lives, our actions as well as our motives, will be tested as by fire and only the eternal things will withstand the fire.
Paul talks about our mindset again in Romans 8:5-8 where he says - "For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God." We see this same distinction between the fleshly and the spiritual in Philippians 3:18-21 - "For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself." One of the characteristics of the enemies of the cross of Christ is that they set their minds on earthly things. But it goes on to say that we, on the other hand, are not of this world. We are citizens of heaven. And as citizens of heaven we are eagerly waiting for Christ to come in the clouds, call us up to Himself and transform us. When we see Him we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is. Therefore, our minds should be set on things above.
Colossians 3:1-4 - "If, therefore, you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
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