Relentless Pursuit of the Things Above

Transcript

GR 984
9/21/1997
Relentless Pursuit of the Things Above
Colossians 3:1-4
Gil Rugh

Colossians chapter 3 in your Bibles.  Chapter 3 of this letter to the Colossians marks a transition in emphasis in the book.  It's characteristic of the apostle Paul to spend the first parts of his letters laying a clear definite theological, doctrinal foundation for what he is saying.  He wants to be clear that these believers understand the truth of who Christ is, of what He has done, of their relationship to Him.  And then he proceeds to unfold the outworking of that theology in the way that they live their daily lives.  For example, in the book of Romans, through the first eleven chapters, Paul unfolds in great detail the wonder of the salvation that God has provided in Jesus Christ for fallen, sinful human beings.  Then when you begin chapter 12, he says:  I urge you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, proceeding to say:  and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed.  Now we sometimes make these divisions and call one doctrinal, the other practical, but I think that is too firm a line.  What you really have is the theology expressed in the doctrine and then the theology expressed in the life.  They tie together inseparably.  So it's a matter of the emphasis that is given, rather than a distinction in what is being said, because the emphasis on the details of how you are to live your life become meaningless if it's not rooted in the theology that has been taught.  Ephesians has the same kind of breakdown; the first three chapters are an unfolding of detail in regard to doctrine and the theology that we must understand.  Then beginning with chapter 4, he says:  I, therefore, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of your calling.  So our conduct as God's people is to be an outflowing of what we are in Jesus Christ.  It is to be a living out, if you will, of our doctrine, of our theology.  In the letter to the Colossians, chapter 3 marks the transition.  In the first two chapters, Paul has carefully gone over material relating to the person of Jesus Christ, that He is God in the flesh, and in Him, all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form.  It was in Him and through Him that God has provided reconciliation for the creation, and particularly for those who experience redemption in Jesus Christ.  He's talked about how we are identified with Christ and our being in Him and His death and His burial and in His resurrection.  Now with Chapter 3, he will begin to emphasize more strongly how we are to live in light of this theological truth, what is to be the expression of this truth in our conduct and our behavior.

You know, I think a tragedy in the evangelical church today is that we have bypassed the doctrine and theology of the Word.  We want to just be told what to do, how to do it.  The most popular radio programs, the most popular books within the Christian circles are the how-to’s.  I mean, how should I conduct myself? Give me five steps to this, seven steps for that, twelve steps for this.  We want to be told what to do, how to do it, which becomes a form of the very things Paul condemned at the end of chapter 2:  legalism, asceticism, and mixed in, mysticism.  We need to understand when we simply tell people what to do, how to do it, but it's not rooted and grounded in the truth, in life-changing theology, it's just a form of legalism.  People obeying rules, regulations, and guidelines.  Some popular speakers, writers, teachers in evangelicalism today pride themselves on saying, "We don't get into the theology of these things."  They're just helping people what - by telling them what they ought to do.  I'm not saying there's not some value, things to be learned, and common sense, expressions and so on.  But I'm saying nothing really is accomplished if it is not first rooted and grounded in sound biblical theology so that that theology becomes part of the life and so that my life then becomes an expression of the transformation being brought about by the indwelling Spirit through the indwelling Word of God.  So often people say, "I, I need something practical, I need something practical."  That's why I don't like the distinctions between this is doctrinal, this is practical.  The doctrine is practical because that's what is to be lived out, expressed in our behavior, and the reason so many professing Christians today are having trouble living their lives is they have no doctrinal foundation.  They are trying to conform to an external set of rules and regulations and guidelines.  They are back under law, and that's failure.  So we must have ourselves firmly rooted and grounded in biblical doctrine and theology and not lose sight of the things that are talked about in chapters 3 and 4, are inseparably joined.  They are the outflow of the theology that's already been taught.  One commentator put it this way, "Nearly every new formula for Christian living or secret of success is an effort to capitalize on the dissatisfaction of Christians who have somehow failed to understand what the Bible teaches about the Christian life."

So we come to chapter 3 of Colossians.  Paul is going to begin to show the expression of biblical truth, of biblical theology and doctrine in the lives of God's people.  Chapter 3 begins with the statement:  if then you have been raised with Christ.  This is the positive side to what was said in chapter 2, verse 20:  if you have died with Christ.  We've seen this emphasis repeatedly.  We have died with Christ; we have been raised with Christ to newness of life.  As we noted when we studied chapter 2, verse 20:  if you died with Christ does not imply a doubt, but Paul assumes this is true because he's writing to those who profess faith in Jesus Christ.  And if you have truly placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin, you have been identified with Christ in His death, in His burial, and in His resurrection.  Look at chapter 2 of Colossians, verse 12: “Having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him, through faith in the working of God”.  Buried with Him.  Raised up with Him.  Verse 13: “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions.”  Dead, buried, raised, alive.  Back up to Romans chapter 6.  Romans chapter 6 is a detailed unfolding of this truth of our identification with Christ in His death and resurrection.  In fact, I would say, if there is one chapter that supersedes all others on the subject of living the Christian life, I would say it's Romans chapter 6.  If you're a Christian struggling with problems with sin, and so on, I'd say go to Romans chapter 6 and read it and re-read it and memorize it and dwell upon it and put it into practice and forget all the books and all the how-to’s and all the six steps and twelve steps and four steps.  Romans chapter 6, verse 5: “If we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.”  They go hand in hand.  We died with Him, we are raised with Him.  Knowing this, that our old self, our old man was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.  So our death with Christ freed us from the old life, broke the power of sin, Satan, and the world over us, set us free, but it set us free not to live our own lives our own way, but set us free now by giving us new life in Christ, the life of Christ in us.  Verse 11: “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ.”  Now it's a life lived unto God and in the power of God.

Come back to Colossians chapter 3.  There are two commands given in these opening verses, and really verses 1 to 4, where we're going to focus our attention, form a transition from what he has been saying in the first two chapters into what he will say in the rest of chapter 3 and chapter 4.  He'll pick up what was said and move us on to where he is going, and he gives two commands and then he will give the reasons for obedience to those commands.  Let me note the two commands for you and then we'll look at the details of them.  The first command is keep seeking the things above.  Keep seeking the things above.  The second command is the first part of verse 2.  “Set your mind on the things above.”  Now those are the two commands that are demanded of those who are raised with Christ.  Then he will give the reason again with verse 3:  for this is what has happened to you.  Look at that first command.  “Keep seeking the things above.”  It is a present imperative and so we have it translated, keep seeking.  Some think that it is to be the continual pursuit and goal of our lives.  We are to be in continual pursuit, continually seeking the things that are above.  These things will be further defined by what he says in the rest of the verse.  It refers to heavenly things.  More specifically, it refers to the things that characterize Christ, who is in heaven.  His character, His will are the things that we are to be relentlessly pursuing, to be a part of our lives, to be expressed in our behavior and in our conduct.  He'll mention some of these down in verse 12: “So as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another.”  Verse 14: “Put on love.”  Verse 15: “Let the peace of Christ rule.”  Verse 16: “Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you.”  Verse 17: “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”  These are the things that are the things above.  These are the things that are characteristic of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  These are things that are to be the goal and pursuit of our lives as His people.  Now, we'll see more of this as we look further on.  We are to be relentlessly pursuing the things above, heavenly things, specifically the things of Christ, His person, His character, His will.

Note how he goes on in verse 1:  the things above, further defined as where Christ is.  But where is Christ? Well, Christ has ascended, following His resurrection, to heaven, and so, that's why I say these are heavenly things, the things characteristic of heaven, the character of the God who inhabits heaven.  The will of the God who inhabits heaven, in particular, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is our Savior.  Keep seeking the things above, where Christ is.  And we're going to see in a moment, we are identified with Christ - that's been emphasized repeatedly through the first two chapters, that we are in Him, we are with Him.  God is working through Him.  And this identification with Christ will shape everything that we are and that we do in this life.  Christ is not only in heaven, He is in the most exalted and honored and privileged position in heaven.  He is seated at the right hand of God, there in heaven.  Seated at the right hand of God.  It's the position of honor, of authority, of privilege.  The background for this expression, seated at the right hand of God, is in the Old Testament, in the Psalms.  You can jot down Psalm 110, verse 1.  We won't turn there right now, but let me read it for you.  “The Lord says to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”  And this will be brought together by Paul because the "until" will come to the fore in verse 4, when the realization of this promise of God:  You sit at my right hand until the time when everything will be subjected under Your feet.  He'll talk about the coming of Christ in verse 4.  This Psalm 110, verse 1 is one of the most often-referred to passages in the New Testament.  One writer catalogued, I believe it was 33 references to Psalm 110, verse 1 in the New Testament.  Jesus drew attention to it, connecting it to Himself in Matthew chapter 22, verses 41 to 46.  And then throughout the New Testament the New Testament writers continually emphasize Jesus Christ has been exalted to the right hand of God in heaven.

Turn back to Acts chapter 2.  We pick up with the preaching of Peter on the day of Pentecost when the church began.  And again you see how important our theology is in the way that we live our lives.  We have a Savior who suffered and died, was buried and raised, but that's not all.  He ascended to heaven and was seated at the right hand of God in glory.  Peter presents the truth of His death, burial, and resurrection on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2.  Then in verse 33, he says: “Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of God.”  Then he quotes in verses 34 and 35, Psalm 110, verse 1.  That's the present situation.  He has been seated at the right hand of His Father in glory until such time when He will return in glory to take possession of everything.  Now note verse 36: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ.”  So you see, He was exalted to the position of supremacy.  He is the sovereign Lord.  He is the Messiah of Israel.  Make no mistake; just because He was crucified - that fits with the prophecy of Psalm 110.  He is seated at the right hand of God in glory until He returns to take possession of the creation, everything being subjected to Him.  Chapter 5 of Acts, verse 31, Peter presents the truth of the death and resurrection of Christ.  Then saying in verse 31 of Acts 5: “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”  So His exalted position at the right hand of God in glory is mentioned numerous times.  You could chase down the cross-references through your Bible and see the repeated emphasis.  We as God's people must be clear that the Savior who loved us and died for us, who was raised from the dead, has ascended to glory and is exalted in the presence of God in the position of honor and sovereignty, and so we serve Him and are to manifest His rule in our lives and the beauty of His character in all that we do.

Come back to Colossians chapter 3.  The first command is what is to be the pursuit of our lives.  I wonder, if we take a poll, and the easiest way to do it is say, I wonder if we'd ask those whom you work with, who have contact with you, may we ask your children, what is the true pursuit of your father's life, of your mother's life? What do you think they are seeking more strongly than anything else? I wonder if there would have to be a pause to mull that over.  Or would they know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the pursuit of my parent's life is to have the character of Christ developed in them, to live lives that are obedient and thus honoring to Him in every way?

Paul then gives a second command:  set your mind on things above.  Again, another present imperative.  This is something we are constantly to be doing.  Important, these commands aren't something you do and then they're done.  This is something I have to apply myself to continually.  I'm to be continually pursuing after heavenly things.  I am to be continually setting my mind on things above.  One person made the distinction between these two things this way:  the “keep seeking” referred to the concentration of your energies and activities; the “keep thinking” or “placing your mind on these things” refers to your thoughts and to your attention.  Both my energies expended and the thoughts of my mind have the same focus:  things above, things above, things that come from and are characteristic of the new life we have in Christ, which is His life, so are characteristic of Him.  What fills my mind? Come back to Philippians chapter 4, just a page or two back in your Bibles just before the book of Colossians.  Philippians chapter 4, verse 8: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”  The things to occupy our minds, to reckon and consider in Philippians 4.  Here, what we fix our mind on, things consistent with the character of Christ, things consistent with heaven.  So we're not talking about here, seeking heavenly things, thinking on things above, oh, we just fill our mind with what heaven will be like, constantly looking forward to the time we'll be in God's glory in heaven.  That's all fine, but what he is talking about here are things that impact our life lived here now directly, that we desire to see the character of Christ implemented in our lives in the way we live here.  What we think about is to be consistent with that character.

Back up to Matthew chapter 6.  The contrast to this in Colossians chapter 3, verse 2 is set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on the earth.  So that's the contrast.  I am not to be thinking about the things of this earth.  And I have to constantly work on that because the world is constantly bombarding me and appealing to me.  It wants to fill my mind.  It tells me that this is what I ought to be looking forward to, this is what I ought to have to make my life complete, this will give me happiness, this will give me security, and as that becomes the focus of my mind, pretty soon it becomes the pursuit of my life.  Jesus in Matthew chapter 6 was addressing a similar issue.  He said in verse 19, we're in the Sermon on the Mount: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”  You see the focus of our lives is to be heaven, heavenly things, and things that have value in the sight of heaven, not earth.  And He goes on, verse 24: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and wealth.  For this reason, I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on,” the clothing you'll wear.  And then He goes on to tell you God provides for the birds of the air.  He clothes the flowers of the field with all their beauty.  So verse 31: “Do not worry then, saying ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’”  Verse 33: “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  Similar idea.  I fill my mind with the things characteristic of my God, His will for me, His work in my life.  The things of this life are to be nothing to me.  I don't have to worry about them.  He has it all under control.  You see, we have so much fear and concern and hand-wringing today because we have bad theology in the churches.  My kids are grown, so I use my grandkids.  You know, we have little grandchildren.  They don't have any reason to worry about whether they'll have food provided or clothes.  Their parents will provide it.  If their parents don't, their grandparents will.  I mean, it would be foolish for these little kids to be fussing and fretting about what they're going to eat tomorrow.  That's in someone else's hands, who will provide for them.  Well, you know, there can be failures on the human part, but you understand who our heavenly Father is, how completely in control He is.  The appeal of the world to me is always, well, have you provided for tomorrow? Think about what could happen, and on and on it goes and I say, wait, that's a different line of thinking.  That is a way of living that is pursuing a different end.  We as believers must stand out in the world like the proverbial sore thumb.  We think differently and we are pursuing something totally different.

Now in Colossians, back in Colossians chapter 3, as we move into the chapter in future studies, Paul will develop a strong ethical content in this as well.  Verse 5: “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.”  See, these things are not characteristic of heaven, of the character of our Savior, so they are not to be part of us.  In fact, Paul will use this expression at the end of verse 2, don't set your mind on the things on the earth, he uses that in Philippians chapter 3, verse 19.  Those who oppose the gospel and Paul's ministry are those who set their mind on things on the earth.  But he says you see those things are in conflict, they clash.  And so when you have your mind set on things above, you are in conflict with the world.  You're pursuing heavenly goals; you are in conflict with the world.  He elaborates on this with the reason he gives in verse 3.  He gave two commands:  what we are to seek after, what we are to think about.  Why? For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  You see how we come back to our theology again? You've died.  That means you've died to the things of this earth.  So you don't set your mind on the things of this earth.  I mean, the analogy is crucial.  The person who has died doesn't have another thought about what he's going to eat for supper and so on.  We have died, so how could we have our mind set on the things of this earth? How could we pursue the things of this life? You see what it is? It's a denial of our theology. Now because of weak theology in the church, Christians are pursuing all kinds of things that aren't things above.  Their minds are filled with things of the earth, not things above, and they wonder why their life is confused.  So they become dissatisfied.  So they begin to look for people who will give them quick fixes.  Give me a book that will tell me how to live.  Tell me the twelve steps that will make me a successful parent, that will take away my worries, that will...and you say, wait a minute, you just don't abandon your new life, which is rooted in the truth of the Word of God.  You have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  You have died and you're alive, but your new life is not your old life.  That's the point.  You died, but you have life, but this was life which is hidden with Christ in God.  It's a totally different life.  It is with Christ in God.  This "hidden" - your life is hidden with Christ in God - is a perfect tense.  Now the two commands in verses 1 and 2 were perfect tense commands.  Perfect tense denotes something that is to be continually going on.  The perfect tense denotes something that happened in the past and the results continue on in the present.  So it is ongoing in its effect.  I was hidden with Christ in God the moment I believed in Him, and that continues to be my condition.  I am hidden with Christ in God.  That's true of me every moment of every day, hidden with Christ in God.  Now that shapes then everything I am to do.  This new life I have is hidden with Christ in God.  Of course, it's going to have a different way of thinking.  Of course, it's going to have a different pursuit.  It's hidden with Christ in God.

Turn back to John chapter 10.  This does denote our security.  Similar in emphasis is Matthew chapter 6 that we looked at, where we are secure in that relationship with Christ and completely taken care of.  When you are with Christ in God, you are perfectly secure, safe in every way.  In John chapter 10, different analogy, the shepherd taking care of the sheep.  But I want you to note the connection in verse 28, verse 27 for the sentence: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them.”  This life is the subject we're talking about.  As we'll see, Christ is the life; Christ Himself is eternal life.  He not only gives eternal life; He is the eternal life that He gives.  “They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.”  What I want you to see here for our connection in Colossians - to be in Christ's hand is the same thing as to be in the Father's hand.  He said at the end of verse 28:  no one shall snatch them out of My hand.  The end of verse 29:  No one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.  When you were in Christ's hands, you were in the Father's hands, for Christ is in God.  So we are hidden with Christ in God.  That's where our life is.  We are in Christ, who is in God.  Christ has His very being in God.  Even though He was born into the human race, all the fullness of deity dwelt in that human body.  So He is God, and He has His being in God, and we are in Christ, and in Christ, we are in God the Father, kept perfectly secure and safe.  It also, we should note, back in Colossians chapter 3, says we are hidden, concealed, with Christ in God.  The world does not recognize Christ, did not know who He was, does not know who He is.  The Scripture also says, the world does not recognize us as the children of God.  Let me read you 1 John chapter 3, verse 1.  I'll read it for time: “See how a great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God, and such we are.  For this reason, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”  So we are hidden with Christ in God.  The world does not recognize us as the children of God because the world does not recognize Christ as the Son of God.  We are hidden with Christ in God.  So we ought not to be surprised and bewildered that the world does not understand, the world does not sit up and take notice we are the children of God, that the world is antagonized toward us.  We won't take time, but you can read John 15.  In there Jesus said the world will hate us because it hates Him.  It does not recognize Him for who He is, but the world hates us.  Satan is opposed to us.  So there is that opposition, but we fail to be recognized.  This hand-wringing, oh, if we just lived properly, the world would appreciate us, and you get the idea there's going to be worldwide salvation because the problem is we as Christians will just live in a proper way - and we should live in a proper way - but the impact of godliness on the world will be to create more conflict, more hatred.  Jesus Christ was the most perfect godly person who ever walked the earth, and they could not tolerate Him.  They could not stand Him.  So we wring our hands and say, something must be wrong, people are always saying bad things about us.  They're always criticizing us.  They're always looking to tear us down.  It must be we don't have a good testimony.  Maybe it's because we do have a good testimony.  Remember Jesus? Why do you want to kill Me, a man who told you the truth? That's the problem.  He told them the truth.  The more clearly your life is identified with Christ, the more clearly our lives manifest His character, His person, His righteousness, and His will, the more intense will be the conflict and the opposition from the world around us.  The failure to have solid theological foundation is causing many in the church today to change the message of the church, to change the behavior of the church, to try to be more like the world so that they are not offended by us, and thus we'll be more effective in reaching them.  Sounds like a great plan.  The only problem is it's not a biblical plan.

Your life is hidden with Christ in God.  Verse 4: “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with Him in glory.”  Keep the complete picture before your mind.  You have died with Christ.  That severs your connection to the old ways, to the world, the flesh, and the devil.  You have been given new life with Christ in God, the life of God.  As Peter wrote, we have become partakers of the divine nature.  When Christ, verse 4, who is our life (you know what, He just doesn't give us life, He is our life), is revealed, then we will be revealed with Him in glory.  This is the fourth time in these four verses the name Christ has been used.  There is an emphasis.  It does use "Him" a fifth time, but he uses the name Christ, Christ, Christ, Christ.  He is the focus.  I am in Him.  I have life in Him.  He is my life.  I am to be living His life in the world today.  The book of Galatians chapter 2, verse 20, a verse that many of you have memorized.  I have been crucified with Christ.  There's my death.  And it is no longer I who live.  There's my life.  But it's not me living.  But Christ lives in me.  You see, He is my life.  I died.  Now I have new life, but the new life is Christ who is life living in me.  And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself up for me.  So in Philippians 1:21 the apostle Paul could say:  for to me, to live is Christ, for He is my life.  Now does it become more clear why my mind must be filled with things above? Why the pursuit of my life must be things above? My life is the life of Christ.  Could there not be a radical change in me that marks me off from the world? Then Colossians says:  when Christ, who is our life, is revealed, we will be revealed with Him in glory.  That's when we will be revealed.  I'd like the world to see.  And we like to think there's going to be something happen today, and all the world's going to recognize me for what I am.  I want to tell you, it's not going to happen until Jesus Christ is revealed in the fullness of His glory from heaven, and He returns to take control of everything.  Then we will be revealed, manifested and unveiled before all creation as the sons of God.  That's when the transformation will take place before all creation, but we will be manifested before all as the sons of God.  

Back up to Romans chapter 8.  We're talking in the same kind of context in Romans chapter 8.  We don't have time to go back, but the first part of the chapter, and coming down verses 9, 10, 11.  Our death with Christ, our new life in Christ, the power of the Spirit who indwells us, living out the life of Christ in us.  So verse 12: “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh,” but to live by the Spirit.  Verse 18: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.”  The picture here of all creation groaning.  Verse 22:  anticipating the time when we will be unveiled before all creation as the sons of God, for then the curse will be lifted from the creation and creation itself will be set free from the bondage to sin.  But that's the future time.  But it's the hope that we have and we live in anticipation of.  Now the process set forth is not over until that time in our development and growth and pursuit.  Then we will be glorified and able to manifest more fully and completely than ever the character of our Savior in all that we do.  While you're in Romans chapter 8, look down in verse 34.  “Who is the one who condemns?  Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised.”  Note this:  who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.  You see that position in heaven is crucial for us to have fixed in our minds.  It's to shape the way that we live.  So, verse 35: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ?”  Come down to verse 38: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  We are absolutely safe.  We are completely secure.  And we are to live in light of reality that in the salvation we have in Christ we have been placed in Him who is life.  And in Him we are in God the Father.  So we are to have His mind, as 1 Corinthians 2 says:  we have the mind of Christ and so the pursuit, the seeking of our lives, is to be in the context of the beauty of His character, His person, His work accomplished in and through us.  That's the plan.  Now Paul will go on to talk about some specifics in living our lives, but it's all an outflowing, an expression of this truth.  Why is the church having so much trouble today? Why is there so much confusion and turmoil in the lives of people who profess to be believers? One of the problems is many just profess to be believers.  If you don't have Jesus Christ who is life in you and you are not in Him and in Him in God the Father, then you do not have life.  You have the old life and you're trying to mimic the life that only God produces.  You're trying to mimic with your life the life which is the life of God in a transformed person.  That can only bring frustration and emptiness and futility.  If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, sometimes we get lured away from the purity of devotion to Christ and the result is confusion and turmoil.  The answer is not to ask someone to give me a seven step answer.  The answer is to get back to the soundness of the truth of the Word of God and have my life anchored in it.  As Paul is going to say in Colossians chapter 3, verse 16: “Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you.”  So it is manifesting itself in the transformation of my being.  We must keep in mind we are to be continually seeking heavenly things.  We are to be continually thinking upon these things.  Somehow there's the initial phase of our salvation in Christ, where we are thrilled and we can't get enough of God and His Word and our love for the Savior.  But we think we outgrow that.  Well, we used to go to Sunday School.  We used to go to morning service and evening service and Wednesday night and Bible Study, but you know we just don't need it that much anymore.  You know when you will know you don't need it anymore? You will be in His glory.  We should not, we must not, we cannot stop short, satisfied with less.  I fail to appreciate the richness of the life that I have in Christ.  I come to passages of the Word and say, oh yeah, I've read this so many times.  Look how my Bible's marked in that chapter.  Wow.  No sense in reading it again.  I think I've read it till it's worn out.  I say wait a minute, Gil, you're not done.  Praise God for how far we've come, but, oh my, how far I have to go.  Remember Paul's testimony in Philippians 3? Forgetting those things which are behind, I press on toward the mark of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  I don't count myself to have apprehended yet.  Could I stand to you and say I have just about reached complete perfection in Christ.  And my wife would jump up raising her hand, “liar, liar,” and she would be right.  So why do I think, well, I ease off.  I back off.  My pursuit ought to be intensifying as I'm growing and maturing in Him.  Isn't it a wonderful salvation we have? Think about it.  My life is hidden with Christ in God.  That's where I live, I move, I have my being.  That's what I am.  Can that but radically transform the way I live and the way I think? It must, it will because there is power in that life, transforming power.

Let's pray together: Thank You, Lord, for this marvelous plan of salvation that is so complete, so simple, and yet so complex.  Lord, I pray that we as Your redeemed people might not forget who we are in Christ, what You have done for us and to us in Christ.  May, Lord, we thrill to fill our minds with heavenly things.  May we eagerly be pursuing those things.  Lord, for any who are here who do not have Jesus Christ, who is life itself.  Lord, by Your grace, may they come to see that they are sinners, defiled and separated from You, and turn from that sin, their own efforts, their own works, cast themselves upon Your mercy, believing that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for them that they might have life in Him and not only be in Him, but in Him, be in You.  May it be the testimony of this church that we think differently than the world around us, that the goals and pursuits of our life as a church and as people are different from the world around us.  Lord, may we look forward to the time when we will be revealed before all creation for what we are, the children of God, a testimony of Your grace.  We praise You in Christ's name.  Amen.