Cultivating Heavenly Affections

Colossians 3:1-4

My sister’s in-laws inherited a lion statue - it was of a striding lion. It was cast in bronze, but it was oxidized and had a deep black and green patina. They didn’t like it very much and they didn’t know what to do with it. It didn’t fit any of their decor, so they used it the best way they knew how to - as a door stop. One day, they noticed the signature Vidal carved onto the base. So they decided to get it appraised. They were told it was one among a few other lions cast in 1868 by Louis Vidal, a blind French sculptor. It was worth a few thousand dollars and famous.

As you can imagine, that sculpture found its way from the floor to the mantle. They even thought about polishing it to restore its original glory - but they were told the patina - that oxidized hue - made it worth even more. They looked at it daily, they noticed the precision, the artistry, the way the muscles of the lion were cast. They appreciated it and saw its beauty. What was once worthless to them, now was worthy - even the dark oxidized hue. It became a conversation piece. Their treasured find.

Christ is the same. When we were unbelievers, he didn’t matter to us. Perhaps to some here, he also doesn’t matter much. But when you see what he has done for those who believe, your attitude to him changes and devotion for him increases.

These past weeks, we’ve been looking at how the Christian grows when he sticks close to Christ. Unfortunately, we rely on substitutes - things we think bring growth, but actually stunt it - like legalism, mysticism, or ritualism. Others find comfort in their religious knowledge, spiritual disciplines, respectable family, good job, or good results. But these things don’t make us acceptable. Only Christ does. But Paul knows we focus on these substitutes. That’s why he says in verse 1 - “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above.” To grow, we must change our way of thinking and cultivate a heavenly mindset. We must lift him onto the mantle, to see his value.

Today’s being idea is this - as a believer, I have a high and exalted position in Christ and I must realize this and live with this mindset. There are 2 truths to realize, and 1 command to keep from this passage. Firstly, we must realize our high status in Christ. Secondly, we must understand our deep connection to Christ. And thirdly, we must cultivate heartfelt affections of Christ. Now, I’m not working through this passage linearly, but I’m drawing out Paul’s argument in categories.

Firstly, we must realize our high status in Christ. Verse 3 tells us clearly - “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” We are dead. But verse 1 says, “If ye then be risen with Christ.” We are also alive. The Bible frequently uses this analogy. We have passed from death to life. The old is gone, the new is come. We are dead to sin but alive in Christ. Romans 6:11 tells us clearly to think this way - “Likewise reckon (ye also) yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” We must realize our high status in Christ.

So we must realize we are dead. Paul uses this analogy to explain that we’re no longer what we once were. Death is the end of a phase - everything dies in winter. But when spring comes, there’s new life. So for Christians, we must leave behind our old life of sin. How?

By realizing that we are dead to our sins and sinfulness. Verse 3 says - “for ye are dead.” Romans 6:6-7 explains it - “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.” Paul’s argument was this - Jesus was crucified. If you believe, your sinful nature is crucified with him. And if it has been put to death, we shouldn’t serve sin. We’re freed from the power of sin. The Bible pictures us as slaves to sin. Imagine we are handcuffed to sin - he leads us to bad places, encourages us to do wicked things. But we are taken and crucified with Christ. Sin has no more power over a dead person. Count yourselves dead to sin.

What else are we dead to? We are dead to the idea that we can be righteous by our own effort. We remember Colossians 2:20, “Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world.” We saw this last week - many believe that by keeping laws - whether ritualistic or legalistic - like don’t eat, drink, or touch this or that - we can please God. But because we’re with Christ, we are free from the anxiety of not measuring up. The Pharisees wanted people to measure up, to meet their standard. But in Christ, this way of living and thinking was not open to dead people. A break with the past had taken place.

But we are not only dead. We are alive. Colossians 3:1 says “If ye then be risen with Christ.” This phrase is in the passive voice. In other words, we didn't make ourselves alive, but God made us alive. It was done to us. Ephesians 2:4-6 is clearer - “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ…and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

When we were dead in sins, who was the one who made us alive? God. Who raised us up with Christ? God. Who has exalted us and seated us with Christ? God. And according to Colossians 3:1, where is Christ seated? At the right hand of God, a place of highest honor. Meaning, God has made us alive and gave us a place of honor. And we did absolutely nothing to obtain that high status. No rituals, no legalism, nothing. Good family, good grades, good job? No. The only thing we did was believe and have faith. But what is faith? It is a gift of God, Ephesians 2:8-9.

This is something we must realize - that we are dead to sin and made alive in Christ. Frequently, we live with the idea that we can’t overcome our sins. We are not acceptable enough. And we become morose. But the battleground is the mind. Sin doesn’t have to control us. We are alive and made acceptable. We have a high status. We can live victoriously in Christ. How?

Secondly, we must realize our deep connection to Christ. Colossians 3:3 says that our lives are hidden in Christ. The word hidden is literally the word crypt or tomb. We are entombed with Christ. Sounds morbid, but the idea here is that we are connected to him; enveloped by him, safe in him. Once we were enslaved to sin but now we are tied to Christ. Even the prepositions in verses 1-4 give us the idea of connection. Verse 1 - you are risen “with Christ”, to seek heavenly things “where Christ” is; in verse 3 your life is intertwined “with Christ”; and verse 4 you will be “with Christ” “when Christ” appears. With Christ, where Christ, with Christ, with Christ, when Christ - the emphasis is pretty clear. If you are a Christian, you have a deep intimate connection with Christ.

Also, verse 4 tells us that Christ is our life. Have you ever heard people say - Oh! My life is over. Why? Because they lost their job - they identified so closely with their job. My life is over when they failed their test - because they were defined by their grades. Or my life is over after a terrible diagnosis - because if they don’t have their health, they have nothing. It could be a break up, a divorce, your handphone smashes to bits. But here, there’s a radical realization. Our grades, jobs, health - these things don’t define us. Why? Because Christ is our life. In Galatians 2:20, Paul described it best when he said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” My life is not over! I’m a Christian!

But how does this intimate connection of life play out in terms of Christian growth? For many, we think the Christian life is about duty. And if we do, we miss the point. I remember long ago, I was in London for 2 months, by myself. I had a cousin who lived in London and we met up frequently. We were single men. Another cousin, married not too long, came for a work conference. And we met up, had such a great time that we asked him to extend his trip. And he said, “you guys don’t understand. I’m a married man.” Now, he didn’t say this out of duty - like his ball and chain required him to be home. He said it like he longed to be home with his wife - what she wanted to do, he wanted to do; what she wanted to eat, he wanted to eat; he probably had some gift from Harrods he wanted to pass to her. Because of our relationship with Christ, our deep connection to him, he is our life.

And out of that life, we are led to live, not out of duty, but intimacy. You and I can’t live the Christian life without abiding in Christ. We can’t worship without a Christ-ward focus. We can’t have the Lord’s Supper unless we think about Christ. We can’t have true fellowship if we’re always promoting ourselves. We can’t find true pleasure in work unless we do all things to the glory of God. We can’t obey God with that old rule keeping mindset. And if we were to deny ourselves sinful activities, or be holy in our dressing, or be kind in our words - it’s because we have a new identity.

Let me use an example to apply this. The handphone. Young people, handphone is okay. You will agree with me that it's the addiction. The old mindset says - “okay fine! I’ll give it up because I have to. But I struggle with it. I love it still. What’s wrong with being enslaved?” The new mindset says - “I know the handphone is not the issue - it’s the enslavement to it, where all other parts of life is affected. Help me Christ! And yes, Christ gives me strength to surrender it. I am dead to sin! He will help me be free from the control of my flesh. I will walk in the spirit and look to him to put it down and live life.”

Let me speak to us parents. The old nature will say, along with nudging your teens’ ribs - “Yes, you hear the pastor? I am responsible to keep order in the family and to make sure my family conforms to the Word of God! I have to be fierce! I have to nag!” But the new nature will say - “What my children struggle with, I also struggle with. I am dead to sin - to my anger, to my lust for absolute control at home. I must live to Christ - that his gentleness will be my gentleness. That I must know how my poor children are enslaved by this addiction. Help me Lord to guide them with love and to show them freedom to live life.”

If parents and children live in this new mindset, there will be victory. And children, unless you truly believe in Christ, and cry out to him for his salvation, so that you are dead to sin and alive in him - you will never have this mindset. And parents, this mindset can be nurtured if they see the change in you.

Young people - try it. Try living in that mindset, and you will have victory over your addictions. Parents - try it. Know that you have been saved from being a shouter at home, to one who is like Christ.

The battleground in the mind first. Do you realize your high status? Do you realize your deep connection? You do not need to do things, resist sin, the old way. How?

Cultivate heartfelt affection for Christ. That’s the command we see here, and the third point. Verses 1-2 say, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Here we see that we have 2 commands.

Firstly, we are to change our way of thinking. Paul tells us to set our affections on things above and not on things on the earth. The way you think and desire ultimately affects the way you live. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” That’s why Paul tells us to renew our minds. Romans 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

You must cultivate the desire to be holy. Where Christ is in heaven is without sin; where we are on earth is sinful. We need to have a desire to be holy. Are you living in sin? Is there secret sin in you? Are you doing something in your room late at night? Is there someone you shouldn’t be talking to? Are you spending money sinfully? Are you doing anything to control your temper? Do you play soap operas in your head and replay past hurts and vengeance scenarios?

Not only is your mind in the gutter, but how will you ever expect to grow in Christ? If you are dead to sin, why are you living any longer by indulging in it? If you are risen with Christ and intimately connected to him, how can you bring your bitterness for another into your intimacy with Christ?

I’m all for Christian liberty - it’s good that you have the freedom to this and that. But have you ever stopped to think that while you can do them, may be you shouldn’t do them. And we often use liberty poorly - we end up sinning. While secular music is certainly not wrong - why would you be listening to Cardi B or whoever? You shout out from the roof - we are free from manmade rules! But do you shout out equally as loudly that you are free from sin to be holy in Christ? Maybe you take comfort in the fact that you read the puritans and marvel at their theology - but do you adopt their desire to be holy? For all the advances that you make in doctrine and knowledge, is your character more like Christ?

Even when it comes to our worldly pursuits. Like maybe sports or studies or whatever. Eric Liddell, the famous Scottish Olympian was passionate for running. He said, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast! And when I run I feel his pleasure.” He ran for Christ. That is why he refused to run on the Lord’s Day. When asked why he didn’t run, he didn't say - “well, I just have to.” Rather, he said, “Many of us are missing something in life because we are after the second best, I put before you what I have found to be the best – one who is worthy of all our devotion – Jesus Christ. He is the Savior for the young and the old. Lord, here I am.” Set your affection on things above. He loved the things of Christ, the commands of Christ, he loved the Lord’s Day. It was not a chore for him.

But we must remember the effort we are to put in. Paul says in verse 1 - “seek those things which are above.” Or literally, it is “keep seeking those things which are above.” It’s not just a mindset change, folks. We all agree - I don’t think anyone will disagree that we should put Christ first. The mind agrees. But there needs to be effort to seek and to keep seeking, and when you don’t want to seek, just to keep seeking.

In the coming weeks, as we look at Colossians 3, Paul tells us how we are to live for Christ. He teaches us how to be holy. How to stop lying, stealing, start telling the truth, and giving. How to abstain from immorality. How to have family unity. How to be a good boss and employee. Not in the old I must not do it to be accepted by God mindset, but in the new I am alive in Christ - why should I live for sin mindset. He tells us how to love our spouses, to submit to them, to love our children and submit to our parents. This is where he gets practical.

But if you don’t have the heavenly mindset, the change in your way of thinking, you will look at all of these instructions that he gives as just rules to keep, impossible, difficult, unreasonable, unattainable - I will never be acceptable to God, I will never please God.

But if you have this mindset that you are dead to sin - it has no more power over you; you are alive in Christ - you have a high status as God’s child; you are closely connected with him - that what he wishes for, you also wish for; he is our life. When you value this kind of life, this new mindset, it becomes your new way of living the Christian life. “If ye, then, be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above.”

Christ is dead for you. His scars on his hands, his feet, his side - they all show the love he had for you to rescue you. And God raised him to heaven. There he sits at the right hand of God, with the scars on his hands, feet, and side - things that would normally be marks of imperfection - tarnishes - these are precious to us. Because these were the means by which we have been saved. May this heavenly realization propel you to live for him.

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