Heavenly-Minded (Colossians 3:1-11)

Heavenly Minded
Colossians 3:1-10

INTRODUCTION:
The expression “get your head out of the clouds” refers to someone who has such lofty hopes and dreams and aspirations that he or she might not have their feet planted in reality. You can’t have hopes that extend beyond your ability to fulfill them. A person might not be psychologically prepared, or emotionally prepared, or financially prepared, or spiritually prepared to fulfill what dreams he or she might have. “Get your head out of the clouds.”

But as Christians, Paul tells us here in Colossians 3 that we need to “put our heads into the clouds.” Let me suggest to you that it was not any easier to live the Christian life in the 1st century than it is in the 21st century. It some ways it might be easier, in some ways it is likely harder. But Paul’s intention in the letter of Colossians, as in all his letters, was to encourage Christians to stay faithful to Christ. And staying faithful to Christ begins with knowing the right things, theological facts that come from the heart and mind of God. And staying faithful to Christ means that our behavior, our lifestyles, need to be lined up with those facts. We need to live what we know.

In that regard, Paul has thirty commands in the letter of Colossians. 30 behaviors Paul tells Christians to do. Obviously, Jesus can require behaviors of us without wording them as “commands,” but that is a key indication that God is wanting to regulate our behavior.

Paul will use five of those commands here in our text we’ll look at in this study.

It seems that the church of Christ in Colossae was established by the Christian named Epaphras (1:7; 4:12-13) as well as the congregations in Laodicea and Hierapolis. But apparently Epaphras had gone to Paul, in prison in Rome, with some challenges and he needed Paul’s inspired instruction and advice.

The Christians in Colossae were being tempted by some religious beliefs and practices in their surrounding culture. If we were to study the whole letter, we will observe these components of those challenges:

1) Dietary laws and special holy days from the OT and perhaps even circumcision;
2) Ascetic rules inspired by the mistaken idea that the human body is inherently sinful;
3) Worship of angels;
4) All of which limited the authority and power of Jesus Christ.

We do not know if these temptations stemmed from one system of false teaching - a mixture, a syncretism, of Judaism and paganism, or if Paul is referring to different temptations. The end result of it, though, was that Christians were being tempted to believe that pure, NT Christianity was just not good enough. It was inferior to what else was going on in the culture.

Up to this point, Paul has shown:

1) The fullness of the Godhead dwells in Jesus Christ (2:9);
2) The nature of the false ideas challenging these Christians (chapter 2);
3) All the different aspects of Judaism were a shadow pointing to Christ (2:17).

You recall that in 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul wrote that those who are in Christ are new creatures. When we become Christians, we make a fresh start in life with our past sins forgiven. We have a new outlook, a new disposition, and a better lifestyle to pursue. We don’t live for ourselves and we don’t make fleshly concerns are chief consideration. We are living for Christ and our heart’s desire is to imitate His sinless character as best we can. This gives us a higher dignity and worth than anything this physical life can give. This is also, of course, a constant motivation to grow because to the extent we are not like Jesus, to that extent, we have room to grow.

Let’s study our text…

SEEK AND THINK - 3:1-4:
This concept of “being risen with Christ” refers us back to 2:12. Of course, the parallel text is Romans 6:4.

Baptism shows: 1) Our faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Christ; 2) Our union and identification with Him spiritually. This latter concept is a strong theme behind Paul’s subsequent words in this text.

Our “life” in Christ will end in a glorious body like our Savior’s when He is “revealed.” See also Philippians 3:20-21.

If we have this hope in ourselves, we will purify ourselves, even as Jesus is pure - 1 John 3:3.

So, here is what Paul has said so far:

1) We have “died” to the world when we were baptized into Christ and risen together with Him.

2) If we seek heaven and heavenly realities and if we set our thoughts on those things, not on the earth, then Christ is “our life.”

3) We have been “hidden” with Christ in God. The evil things of the world can’t touch us.

4) When Christ is revealed - and every eye will see Him (Rev. 1:7) - we will also be revealed in glory. Back in Romans 8:19, Paul talked about the “sons of God being revealed” when Christ comes again.

5) This is our motivation to set our minds on things above, not on things of the earth. Really, what is most important?

PUT TO DEATH - 3:5-7:
“Therefore” refers to the previous motivation. The “members of our earthly body” refers to parts of the old man of sin which have been crucified with Christ when we were united with Him in baptism: Romans 6:6.

When we go back to those old sinful behaviors after we have become Christians, we are, in essence, living lives of spiritual zombies - bringing the dead back to life. And dead flesh is ugly, gross, and sticks extremely badly!

How many different Greek words relate to our sexual urges? Jesus requires us to keep those urges under control and express them in contexts that He authorizes.

“Immorality” - porneia - all sexual behavior unauthorized by the holy God. This is the “umbrella term.”
“Impurity” (uncleanness) - All forms of forbidden sensuality - obscene speech, gestures, touch, behavior
“Passion” - An inflamed desire for things of a physical, but sinful nature.
“Evil desires” - Gratifying sinful urges
“Greed” - Self-gratification - a desire for something we don’t have, but we don’t need that consumes our thoughts, our hearts, and our lives. Paul writes especially that this latter problem is a form of idolatry

Pagan religions don’t discourage this type of behavior; rather, it typically encourages this behavior. That’s why people create idols, so they can live the way they want to live.

But, Paul writes that the wrath of God is coming over people who practice these behaviors. Let me point out to you that the wrath of God “is coming” (present tense).

The Christians in Colossae had once lived / walked in those behaviors. Please observe that Paul writes that it is possible to “live” or “walk” in fornication or adultery. Some argue that it is not possible to “live in adultery,” but Paul writes here that is possible. He says they were “living in fornication” before they were united together with Christ.

PUT ASIDE AND DO NOT LIE - 3:8-10:
Earlier, Paul talked about what we might say was “unholy love.” Here, he talks about “unholy hate.” Hatred of sin is holy and is required in the Word.

But hatred of people, even our enemies, is forbidden by Christ. Matt. 5:43-44.

Paul is still talking about behaviors that are part of the “members of our earthly body.” We “put on” Christ at baptism (Gal. 3:26-27), but this also means we need to “take off” certain other behaviors.

Anger - ill will
Wrath - Sudden and passionate outburst
Malice - Holding grudges that motivates us to wish bad on someone
Slander - Bitter and abusive speech; the Greek word “blasphemy”
Abusive speech - language directed at someone else in contempt
Lying - often resulting from a lack of love

Our spirits are being renewed toward knowledge, better knowledge, according to the image of Jesus Christ who has created our new spirits in His image. In 2 Corinthians 4:16, Paul talks about this renewal happening every day.

Once we have been “renewed,” the behavior that should characterize us is found now in 3:12-14…

Take home message: To grow, we have to “shrink:” put off sinful habits.