This blog post marks the 2nd of a 3-part miniseries regarding 3 commands for the dead church member. The first command we looked at is to “seek those things”. The second command we will be examining in this post (“set your affections”) is also from the Bible text Colossians 3:1-4 as follows …
v. 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
v. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
v. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
v. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
According to v. 3, born-again Christians are “dead”. This is because, in the mind of God the Father, He has positioned us in His mind as being forever associated with His Son Jesus. Because Jesus died and rose from the dead, in God’s mind so have we! Therefore, in one sense we are dead church members! We have died to our old way of life that was under the judgment of our holy God.
Because this is true, God wants us to do 3 things as “dead” church members. The second is in this post and it is …
II. We are risen to COMMIT (“Set”) v. 2
Verse 2 says, because in God’s mind we have already died with Christ and have risen with Him, we are to “set”. But what does that mean?
A. Defining term
The phrase “set your affections” comes from just one Greek word. It means to think and create one’s personal opinion on things.
We all have opinions on things and as you know, they can be very emotional. They form the basis of our convictions. That is why this command uses the word “affections”. It refers to those opinions that we hold dearly.
B. Dictated citizenship
Continue reading v. 3:
“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3)
As a born-again Christian, you are in Christ, and He is in Heaven at the right hand of the Father. In God’s mind, we are positionally in Heaven. Now dial in your mind to the same frequency as God. Think of yourself as being there with Him. The night before the Lord’s trial and crucifixion, Jesus prayed intensely to His heavenly Father. It is most interesting what He said in the middle of His prayer:
“I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (John 17:14)
Christian, you are only a guest here in this life. Your real citizenship is in Heaven. There is no dual citizenship offered in Heaven. You chose, Heaven or this present world with its consequences.
If you have chosen Heaven by accepting Jesus as your personal Saviour, stop setting your affections on the things of this earth. It’s ok to be opinionated as long as your opinions are established out of God’s heavenly Word!
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17)
C. Divine results
To help us set our affections in order focus on Heaven rather than earth, God presents us with a great promise:
“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:4)
This is referring to a future event that is guaranteed to happen “When Christ … shall appear”. It hasn’t happened yet, but God promises it will.
It would be amazing to watch Jesus Christ make His glorious appearance to this needy world, but He won’t be alone “then shall ye also appear with him”
This is not referring to the Rapture of the church as Christ does not make an appearance in that event. In the Rapture, Christ is as a thief in the night. In the Rapture, in the twinkling of an eye (speed of light), Christ calls His church back home.
V. 4 is referring to the Second Coming or Second Appearing of Christ to the surface of this earth. When Christ returns, He promises to return with His church. As the citizens of the world look upon Christ, so shall they also look upon us at this time, because Christ lives, we live in Him, because Christ reigns, we reign with Him.
Therefore, don’t let this present world snare you with earthly opinions. Focus on God’s Word and our future reign with Christ. One day we will reign with Him in glory. By the way, “glory” is not a place, it’s a people. It’s a people who have been glorified by the translation of their mortal bodies into eternal perfect bodies!
Challenge
Seems we get all hung up about making an appearance to the lost of this world. God wants us to focus on the future appearance we will be making for 1,000 years!
Just think about how many times we could have been witnessing the gospel instead of spreading our opinions of the Illuminati and one-world governments.
We are to be warning people that it is their personal sin that will eternally destroy them. No individual has ever gone into Hell because of wicked government laws, but many people die daily out into a lost eternity simply because they would not submit to Christ. The world needs a witness, be that witness!
Are you opinionated? If so, what are you basing your opinions on? Is it a favourite preacher, a favourite author, or perhaps a favourite celebrity? May I encourage you to open the Scriptures and explore and seek God’s amazing revelation? And as you seek, set your affections on things above not things on the earth. You will never be sorry!