Everything which would keep him from fully obeying God and fully surrendering to Christ must be surgically excised. You cannot live after your flesh and inherit the kingdom of God. And so, don't provoke your children so that they get discouraged. Certainly they have no relation to me now risen with Him. Keep your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. Hence he infers that we must seek those things which are above. But He is the Christ that God raised from the dead and seated in heavenly glory. He it is who works in the various gifts of Christ, welding them together, so that it may be truly Christ through His body. There is a kind of person who is the slave of his passions (palkos) and who is driven by the desire for the wrong things (epithumia, G1939) . The Greek looked down on the barbarian; and to the Greek any man who did not speak Greek was a barbarian, which literally means a man who says "bar-bar." He was proverbially the savage, who terrorized the civilized world with his bestial atrocities. The apostle will not sanction such an amalgam, but refuses it; and we must remember that in these exhortations it was the Lord acting by the Spirit in His servant. It was not so unmingled an address as where he views them simply as they were in Christ. This is the meaning of "perfect." And as He is the image of the invisible God, so is He the first-born of all creation; for the Holy Spirit here brings together a kind of antithesis as to Christ in relation to God, and in relation to the creature. As for the apostle he lays before them another point. Observe, To seek heavenly things is to set our affections upon them, to love them and let our desires be towards them. But they are to be the people in whose midst the glory of Jehovah will take up its abode. Now he may have the blessed enjoyment of communion with Christ, but it is a Christ crucified on earth. The Christian owns his death in his very baptism; and what is wanted is not effort to attain, but the Spirit's power in acting on the truth by faith. . Besides, Christ is the first-born of all creation. Proud, fallen nature is satisfied even by these efforts to put down the body; whereas God would have the body to have a certain honour in its own place, and that of the Christian is the temple of the Holy Ghost. ". You have seen the clouds gather in the sky and settle on the hills. It becomes something which is entered into not merely for the convenience of the husband, but in order that both husband and wife may find a new joy and a new completeness in each other. The essence of idolatry is, in fact, the desire to have more. Thus it begins, not with the incarnation (for sin was not yet judged, nor man brought to God), but with the cross, with redemption. Even antichrists are not from without in their origin. But, even in making your living, if you will do things heartily as unto the Lord, it will open up many opportunities for you to witness. And so he lists these things and he says, "Look, the wrath of God is coming upon the earth because of these things. If it is the desire for money, it leads to theft. And if I am still living after my flesh, the ritual of baptism is not only negated, but all that I might say is also negated. Simple, isn't it? No man, I will not say anticipated, but approached in thought such a portion for souls on earth. The apostle exhorts us to set our hearts upon heaven and take them off from this world (v. 1-4). Treasures are often hidden for the sake of keeping them safe. He does not say that they may be healthy, and merry, and rich, and great, and prosperous; but that their hearts may be comforted. There was passion and evil desire. Men's Ministry Home Women's Ministry Home Children's Ministry Home Pastor's Ministry Home. Analysis. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he has done: and there is no respect of persons ( Colossians 3:25 ). Ought I not to wait to enter the same glory with the Christ of God? There is no feature of the present day more remarkable than the success with which Satan is massing as it were, his forces, bringing together at the very same point, where they are wanted, these two parties; that is to say, the heavier arms of human tradition, and the lighter ones of man's philosophy. Does not this still abide true? Not Adam, but Christ is the standard Christ who is God as well as man; "where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all." Whatever insinuates it denies that He has adequately provided for His church here below: this He has surely done in every form in His word. Utterly impossible that man should see Him who is invisible: he needed one to bring God down to him, and display His word and ways, and Christ is that one image of the invisible God. But assuming that the parents love the Lord and you have a Christian home, children, obey your parents in all things; this is well pleasing unto the Lord. If it is the desire for prestige, it leads to evil ambition. (433) See Calvin on the Corinthians, vol. Not to be a man pleaser, "Oh, the boss is coming. Besides, when men, thus slur over its true force, and would extract consolation where God intends warning, it is a proof not of firm but of weak faith. Clifton James was his official "double" and was studying him during a rehearsal for D-Day. But Paul goes on: "The day is coming when Christ will return in glory and then the Christian, whom no one recognized, will share that glory and it will be plain for all to see." To the Ephesians, the Holy Ghost is treated as a divine person acting for the glory of Christ, but this in the saints and in the church. Hence it seems to me not in whom, but rightly "wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God." But the apostle meant not so much to administer consolation to these Colossian saints as to caution them. There is a certain kind of constant criticism which is the product of misguided love. Can we do it, asking for his help?" It was they that yielded to these feelings of hostility. "For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea." The story goes that a French merchant purchased an enormous 112-3/16-carat diamond. It is not merely the life of a Christ that lived in this world, but the life of Him that was lifted up on the cross, and bore my sins there. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Judge these same things, and they may become of some account to the glory of God. Christianity never in this world offers escape from hard work; it makes a man able to work still harder. He explains this duty (Colossians 3:2; Colossians 3:2): Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. Now you make your living over here. This may seem a strong statement, and I wonder at none feeling surprised, till they have rigidly examined it with the scriptures; for probably no one could believe it unless he had proved its truth. In this phrase, however, all that the apostle asserts is in relation to the invisible God. Therefore, as it seems, does He call away undividedly to Christ. The Holy Spirit brings in that which completely judges and sets aside all such speculations. When the Christian was baptized, he put off his old clothes when he went down into the water and when he emerged he put on a new and pure white robe. Can anything be sweeter than this genuine simplicity of affection and mutual interest? It, therefore, represents more fully than any other of Paul's epistles his doctrine of the person and preeminence of Christ. He who probed it all cannot be endured. He earnestly presses to mutual love and compassion, ver 12-17. He is also the power of all their growth in understanding the things of God. CHRIST OUR LIFE ( Colossians 3:1-4 continued). They that do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Philosophy is an idol of man or nature, a blind substitute for the knowledge of God. As she rebels, then he's got to show that he's macho. Impossible that He could be aught but the first-born. The first two chapters present Christ's person and work and the last two His peace and presence. . Who has been overlooked in the comprehensive and active grace of our God? Tradition never manifested the true God. An *apostle is a person whom God sends to lead Christians. This is the legitimate mysticism of Paul. Be not deceived; submit not yourselves to creeds, to books, or to men; give yourselves to the study of God's Word, derive your creed and the doctrines of your faith from it alone, and then you will be able to say: "Should all the forms that men devise Assault my faith with treacherous art, I'd call them vanity and lies, You're living in a new dimension of life, the spiritual dimension of life. And as he becomes cold, then she feels all the more insecure and she has to challenge all the more. And perhaps this may be the key to what we are next told: "And ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea." As believing in Him, this is our place. Colossians 3:2 Vincent's Word Studies Set your affection () Lit., be minded, think. The universe goes on as before, the lower creation at least subject to vanity; but God (and it is like Him) hastens to use His victory, though not yet as far as outward things are concerned. He it is, the Holy Spirit of God, who we are warned not to grieve. There was no Christianity i.e., no deliverance of man and setting him in the Second Man before Christ became first-born from among the dead. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all ( Colossians 3:11 ). They may wear the semblance of being altogether hostile to each other: they are both of them only hostile to the truth. And. (ii) The really new thing about the Christian ethic of personal relationships is that all relationships are in the Lord. Why be found running from the substance after the shadow? They were the chosen people; they were the dedicated nation, they were the beloved of God. May He make and keep us faithful! Sometimes we say of a man, "Music is his life--Sport is his life--He lives for his work." Paul only. Do we look for such a happiness, and should we not set our affections upon that world, and live above this? May the word of Christ dwell richly in you with all wisdom. ", It is no use denying the plain truth "when ye lived in them;" it is blessed to know that we are dead now. And what was to be done? thesis, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1992); John A. McLean, "Did Jesus Correct the Disciples View of the Kingdom?" Chapters present Christ & # x27 ; s Word Studies set your affection )... In you with all wisdom as she rebels, then she feels all the.. Able to work still harder believing in him, this is our place the last his... What we are warned not to wait to enter the same glory with Christ... To evil ambition the Christian ethic of personal relationships is that all relationships are in sky... They are to be a man, `` Did Jesus Correct the Disciples View of the of. 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