BIB 464: Slides: Heavenly Minded

Heavenly Minded
Colossians 3:1-4

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. 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.

Am I heavenly minded?

• Am I eager to die and go to heaven?

• Am I eager for Jesus to return to earth?

• Do I listen often to Jesus? (Bible reading, sermons, books, conversations, silence)

• Do I talk to Jesus a lot? (prayer)

• Do I think often about Jesus?

• Do I think often about eternity?

Upward and Forward

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord… that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead… forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:8-14)

Halfway house

If you were released from prison to a halfway house, where would your focus be? Would you focus mainly on temporary roommates and on your temporary home? If you were soon to move into a mansion with a billionaire who sets up ex-offenders in a new life, would you like to be in touch with him and think about the mansion?

Scripture speaks of two world-ages (aions). These ages overlap between Jesus’ first and second coming. God’s kingdom is “already/not yet.” During the time between Jesus’ first and second comings, we live in a halfway house. We are set free from sin's dominion and prison is behind us, but we still have a lot of prison thinking to get out of our system, and a lot of people around us who know more about living as criminals and prisoners than living a free, happy, productive life. The purpose of our time in the halfway house is to leave prison life behind and to prepare for complete freedom.

What hinders me from being heavenly minded

• Am I sure Christ is really risen and reigning?

• Am I raised in Christ and alive in Him?

• What desires and distractions crowd out heavenly focus?

• Have I died with Jesus to this world?

• Is Christ really my whole life?

• Can I walk by faith in what is unseen?

• Is my picture of heaven clear and thrilling?

Am I sure Jesus is really risen and reigning?

I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

Am I alive in Christ?

You, who were dead in your trespasses … God made alive together with him. (Col 2:13)

God … made us alive together with Christ…and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-6)

What desires and distractions crowd out heavenly focus?

• Victory for my favorite team

• Getting the latest movie/song/game

• Enjoying a dream vacation

• Money to afford the stuff I want

• Achieving something and making a mark

• Having a happy marriage and family

• Being ready for retirement

Seek, set your mind

• Memorize key portions of the Bible.

• Meditate on Jesus’ words, actions, character, and his present glory and reign.

• Think about Jesus’ return and eternity.

• Set aside daily times to think long and longingly. This will spill over into growing awareness of Christ at all times.

• Enjoy deeper personal knowledge of Jesus and closer bond with Him.

Not on earthly things

Should we deprive our bodies and avoid everyday activities and relationships?

• No, in Colossians Paul rejects “severity to the body” (2:20) and he give directions in personal behavior (3:5-8), in relationships with fellow believers (3:9-17), in family life (3:18-21), in daily work (3:22-4:1), and in conduct toward outsiders (4:2-6).

• Earthly activities and relationships must be pursued with focus on Jesus and eternity.

What is meant by “earthly” or “worldly”?

• World as self-made religion

• World as system of sin

• World of created things, everyday activities and relationships

World of self-made religion

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations? (Colossians 2:20)

World of sinful impulses

Put to death what is earthly in you: sexual immorality… evil desire, covetousness… anger… slander, obscene talk (Colossians 3:5-8)

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

World of everyday living

This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away. (1 Corinthians 7:29-31)

Have I died to this world?

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26-27)

Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:24-25)

Is Christ really my life?

… Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col 1:27)

… strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (Eph 3:16-17)

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)

To me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Can I walk by faith in what is unseen?

We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Cor 4:16-18)

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. (1 John 3:1-2)

Your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Your fruit is visible, but your source of life is hidden from view.
Hidden with Christ in God, your eternal life is totally safe.

Is my picture of heaven clear and thrilling?

Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Philippians 3:18-21)