Chapter Thirteen
Colossians 3:1-4 Recalibrate Your Thinking
3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Most people have heard the phrase, “You’re too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good.” Obviously, this is not a Biblically correct statement, as it is the opposite of what the Bible teaches. We might call that, “upside down reasoning.” In much the same approach Paul used in writing many of his epistles, he begins to focus on how a Christian should live. However, before he gets into the substance of that subject, he first calls our attention to the need for every Christian to realign their perception of reality to match God’s perspective of life. How do we do that, the world is all that we know, right? We need to recalibrate our thinking and our sight. Just as science has opened our eyes, especially in the last two hundred years, to see and understand things that we could never had known without science, the Word of God should be applied to our everyday thinking. Without God’s Word to enlighten us, we will never be able to see God’s perspective and in turn, God’s priorities.
We should begin our quest by listening to the Master, our Lord and Savior, Jesus. The gospels are full of stories and lessons about how we should think and understand things from God’s point of view, as an example, we will now briefly explore one chapter from the book of Matthew before we continue with Colossians chapter three. Here in Matthew chapter 16, we read about Jesus helping His disciples see differently as well, to recalibrate their thinking and sight, from the earth to heaven.
Matthew 16:1-4 The Demand for a Sign from Heaven.
Jesus had been in public ministry for a number of years by this time. All the while, He had performed many miracles and taught many lessons, but yet there were some Pharisees and Sadducees that wanted more ‘evidence’. Needless to say, their thinking was not in alignment with God. They were convinced, undoubtedly the result of faulty teaching that they themselves received, that Jesus was not from God. They simply could not think beyond their earthly reasoning, even though God’s Word that was available to them (what we call the Old Testament) gave ample proof that Jesus was indeed in fulfillment of prophecy.
Matthew 16:5-12 Leaven Corrupting Teaching,
The disciples forgot lunch again! Even though they should be aware of who Jesus was by this time, especially after the two recent mass-feedings, they were still thinking like men. They undoubtedley heard what Jesus said but they were apparently hungry at the time. For probably the same reason we shouldn’t shop while being hungry, the disciples couldn’t understand that Jesus was talking about the leaven (an idiom that is consistently used in the Bible for sin or corruption) of the disruptive and ungodly teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees, not food. It is extremely important that when God’s Word is taught that it be taught from God’s perspective and not from man’s earthly interpretation of what they think it means. (see 2 Timothy 3:16)
Matthew 16:13-20 Peter Professes the Truth.
Jesus asks His disciples what others are saying about Him and then asks them what they thought. Peter makes a bold statement that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God! Jesus applauds Peter (okay, not literally), saying that not only was that true, it was revealed to him from His Father. In an often-misunderstood statement, Jesus tells His disciples that the church will be built on the teachings that He has given to His apostles. Peter (from the Greek word ‘petros’ meaning a fragment of a rock or small stone) is one of Jesus’ apostles which are being referred to collectively as the rock (Greek word ‘petra’, a large rock, can be translated as ‘bedrock’), Jesus taught His apostles and they, in turn, teach others, making them the foundation of the church (apostolic movement). Peter actually answered correctly and must have felt pretty good after receiving praise from Jesus!
Matthew 16:21-23 Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection, but Peter Knows Better!
Jesus gave a private debriefing to His disciples on how He was going to die followed by when He was going to rise from the dead. However, Peter disagreed, he had a different idea on how prophecy was going to be carried out, so he rebuked Jesus. In words that Peter probably wishes he never heard, Jesus told him he was a hindrance. What was Peter’s problem? He was not thinking about the things of God, instead he was thinking of things of man. Note how fast Peter went from euphoria to being absolutely wrong, being on a Spiritual high and then the next moment being scolded for being in the way. We can do the same type of thing, we can go from feeling good about our relationship with Jesus to then grumble about something insignificant or perhaps worse, such as going from a wonderful time of praise, to rejecting Jesus when given an opportunity to witness to someone. We are humble when our eyes are on Jesus, relying on Him for everything, however, the moment we start feeling pretty good about ourselves is the moment our enemy will strike. Fortunately for us we can turn back to Jesus and seek forgiveness, which He will always lovingly provide.
It is interesting to note how Jesus rebuked Peter with a firm, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matthew 16:23b, ESV) While we are sinners ourselves and are responsible for our own thoughts and actions, we cannot blame Satan for all our woes and misdeeds. But we can see here that Satan is the chief instigator behind misinformation, especially in regard to God and the Word of God. Much of what we see and hear in this world was fashioned by Satan to lead people away from Jesus. This is a vital for us to understand if we are going to be successful in recalibrating our thinking.
Matthew 16:24-28 Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus.
Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, is this counter to what Paul said about asceticism? No, humility from denying ourselves pleasure is a false humility that ultimately leads us to greater self-pride and arrogance that relies on our own abilities. Paul made it clear that asceticism will not stop the indulgence of the flesh (see Colossians 2:23). Jesus calls us to deny the things of the world so that we can focus on Him and surrender to Him. God’s perspective is upside down from the world’s point of view. If we seek to save our lives or follow the ways of the world we will lose, but if we jettison those earthly things and way of thinking to serve Jesus, we will find real life and will be repaid when He returns.
Jesus noted how the Pharisees and Sadducees, in justifying their own beliefs, were in error and how their teaching passed that error on to others. Even Peter, who one minute was absolutely correct in his response to Jesus, was completely wrong shortly afterwards. We need to have a godly perspective in all things and during all times, not just when we think about God or when we are in church. Our minds must always be on the things of God.
Paul, on a number of occasions wrote about the need to recalibrate our thinking. For example, in Romans 8:4-8, Paul wrote about the conflict between our fleshly nature and the Spirit. His conclusion was very straightforward, “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8, ESV) As humans we might think we can outsmart God by acting one way and thinking another, but we are only fooling ourselves. If our minds are set on things of God, we recognize the futility of exchanging the eternal for the temporary.
Paul also addressed in his epistle to the church in Philippi, the need for us to do nothing out of self-ambition or conceit, but to consider others of greater importance than ourselves (see Philippians 2:1-5). This is a key lesson in order for us to fully understand the need for us to teach and to evangelize (see Matthew 28:18-20 and Ephesians 4:11-16). Later in the same epistle Paul says we should forget what lies behind and strain for what lies ahead. As Christians, Paul is calling us to grow in maturity and to follow Jesus, we are to think like citizens of heaven, since that is what we truly are (Philippians 3:12-4:1).
If we see the world through the lens of God’s Word, we can see not only the truth but we will also begin to understand what really is important in the world. As we grow in Him, our priorities will be recalibrated as well.
The answer to the question of what is real, is understandably elusive as we are all inundated with false ideas and illusions, especially since the physical world is all that we can see, hear and touch. However, the answer of what is truly real can only be found in Jesus, He made it very clear that as a Christian we are to, “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37b, ESV, Jesus was quoting Deuteronomy 6:5, see also Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:21-2). When our minds are on God (and that would be referring to one hundred percent of the time, after all that is what ‘all’ means), there would be no time for anyone or anything else, nor would there be any space available for anything other than God! That means we are to stop thinking of just ourselves, we need to learn about God and what pleases Him from the Word of God, plus we need to deny the world from being allowed to influence our relationship with Jesus. As Christians, we should desire absolute intimacy with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Now Back to Colossians Chapter Three
Many versions begin verse one with an ‘if’, it may be best understood with a ‘therefore’ or a ‘since’ as this refers back to when Paul previously wrote: “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:12, ESV). Since we have been raised with Jesus, we are to seek (Greek word ‘zēteē’, a present tense verb referring to an ongoing action of looking, wanting or strongly desiring something) those things that are important to God, we might call it a “heavenly perspective.” Paul clarifies the location he is talking about by saying it is where Jesus is, namely, “sitting at the right hand of God.” This phrase is not necessarily a physical location of Jesus as He is the One that is holding everything together (see Colossians 1:17) and He also resides in each of our hearts (see Ephesians 3:17). So, what does the phrase, “sitting at the right hand of God” mean? Let’s look how it is used, it tells us that He is sitting in a place of honor, authority and power (see Luke 22:69; Acts 2:13; 5:31; Ephesians 1:20; Hebrews 1:3 and 1 Peter 3:22), a place where He is continually interceding for us (see Romans 8:34) and a place where He serves as our High Priest (see Hebrews 8:1). In a sense, the phrase can be considered a form of ‘identity’, much like how the words, “I Am the One who brought you out of Egypt,” were used in the Old Testament (for a few examples, see Exodus 20:2; Leviticus 22:33; Deuteronomy 5:6). To illustrate, look at the story of Stephen talking to the Jewish leadership in Acts chapter seven, when Stephen was being stoned he looked up and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God (see Acts 7:56, note that Jesus was standing to receive Stephen into heaven). But the phrase also identifies the period of time before Jesus returns (that would be the period we are in now), we read in Psalm 110:1, “The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”” (ESV) Note the use of the all capital letters in the first ‘LORD’, making it actually the name of God, not the Hebrew word for ‘Lord’ like the second word ‘Lord’ is (this is called the tetragrammaton, the four-letter name of God). In this verse, we hear God the Father offering His Son Jesus to sit at His right hand while He waits for right time for prophecy to be fulfilled before He returns to finalize the conquering of the enemy (see Revelation 19 to read how He returns).
Paul then says we are to set our minds on things that are above. Since there are no special binoculars, telescopes, nor technology of any sort that can help us see or help us understand heaven or the mind of God, we rely on the Bible. God gave us everything we need to know in His Word. Paul further emphasizes that we are not to set our minds on things here on earth. What things on earth? Well, the list is nearly endless, but high on that list would be careers, education, status, money and politics. We once defined ‘evil’ as anything that takes our mind or attention off God. Here again, anything that takes our eyes off Jesus, including poor teaching from well-intended instructors, can lead us in the wrong direction. We need to consider heaven our destination and realize that this world is only temporary, so Paul is trying to get his readers to look up and get an eternal perspective.
Not only do we need an eternal perspective for ourselves, we need to consider eternity whenever we interact with our family, friends, associates and our neighbors. Don’t forget the edict Jesus gave every Christian in the Great Commission (see Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15-16) and His instructions on how to do that in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (ESV) Combine these with the words of encouragement Paul gave the Philippians, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3, ESV), we quickly realize that in setting our minds on things above, requires us to reach out and help others find Jesus. However, Paul tells us here that we need to leave the world behind in order to reach the lost people of the world (see 1 John 5:1-5). Our hearts must be on the things of God (we can’t fake what’s on our hearts, God knows).
3:3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Paul then tells us that we have died (see 2 Corinthians 5:17) and that our lives are hidden with Jesus in God. Paul notes that when Jesus appears, we will also appear with Him in glory. Our new life is concealed to the world at this time, the Apostle John explains it this way: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3, ESV) Undoubtedly Peter would add: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5, ESV) Who we really are will be revealed in the last days, beginning when Jesus appears.
In verse four Paul adds an interesting parenthetical statement, he identifies Jesus as the One who is your (or ‘our’ in some translations) life. Jesus is not only the Creator as Paul stated in Colossians 1:15-17, He is life! Life is truly all about Jesus, if you leave Him out of your life, or worse yet, allow something or someone else in His place, you have a big problem! Okay, I agree, that’s an understatement, that would easily be the worst thing that could ever happen to you. Truly disastrous, still an understatement but closer in describing eternal hell.
Is Jesus your life? Can you say the following words with the same boldness and confidence Paul wrote them? “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20, ESV) Paul also wrote, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21, ESV)