NOV 20

Colossians 3:1
Memorise Colossians 3:1
“…seek those things which are above…”

Having completed his warnings against false teachers in chapter 2, Paul proceeds to teach the Colossian church about progressive sanctification. This is a new section in which he gives the practical applications for all that he has taught them in the first two chapters. Starting with Colossians 3:1, he exhorts them: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” The word ‘if” tells us plainly that salvation comes before sanctification: there is no point talking about how to turn over a new leaf if one is not saved in the first place. We who are saved i.e. risen with Christ (see Colossians 2:12), must then strive to become more and more like Christ. We must therefore not just acknowledge Christ as Saviour, but also as our Lord, who has risen before us and is now sitting at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. Since our Lord is in heaven, we too must seek Him and His heavenly kingdom, rather than be concerned with the vain and temporal things of this world. We must worship God the way He wants, not the way we desire or man desires of us. Our motive for holiness is not to appear holy before man, but because Christ is our role model. We who one day will rise up to heaven should plan for our heavenly home in eternity, rather than be concerned for our temporal life and abode here.

I wonder how many of us truly seek the kingdom of heaven after we are saved. Before we are saved, we are concerned about whether we have a place in heaven. Yet after knowing that our place there is certain, we then seem to think about heaven less. I am always encouraged by the brethren in our Golden Years Care Group (fellowship group for members in their senior years), for their thoughts are often about heaven. In contrast, I very seldom hear about heaven from those in our Teens ministry. Yes, young people will sometimes talk about Christ and becoming more like Him, but they seem to be far more interested in things here on Earth. How much do you desire to see the face of Christ your Saviour, and to be reunited with all your saved friends and loved ones who have gone before you? How often do you tell your unsaved friends and loved ones about heaven and hell? How often do you think that your days here in this mortal life are numbered, and you look forward instead to eternal life?

Thought: Why do I not think much about heaven?
Prayer: May I look forward to heaven more and more each day.