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82880 thou whose mercies far exceeds all we can do or say is #288.
He was on those mercy.
Mercy.
From every.
Arm away.
From him.
I say it's our goal.
Hell.
For me.
Or three.
Colossians 3.
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, For ye are dead, and your life is hit with Christ in God, when Christ who is our life.
Shall appear. Then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Mortify therefore your members, which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil, concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry, for which things seek the wrath of God, cometh on the children of disobedience, in the which he also walked sometime when he lived in them. But now ye also put off all these.
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Anger. Wrath, mouse. Blasphemy, Filthy communication out of your mouth.
Lie not one to another, seeing that you put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the Newman, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him, Where there is neither Jew, Greek, nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision.
Barbarian, Scythian, born nor free, but Christ is all and in all put on therefore, as the elect of God, Holy and beloved, bow the mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering for bearing one another and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any.
As Christ forgave you, so also do ye, and above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
And let the peace of God ruin your hearts to the which also ye are called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns.
And spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
And whatsoever ye do in Word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Wives, submit yourselves under your own husband as it is fit in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing under the Lord. Father, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
Servants, obey in all things your masters, according to the flesh, not with eyes service as men pleasers, but in singleness of heart, fearing God. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord, ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance. For ye serve the Lord Christ but he that doeth wrong.
Shall receive for the wrong which he has done, and there is no respect of persons.
Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that ye also have a master in heaven.
One could say that we have here the practical application.
Of the truth we've had before being dead and risen with Christ.
There was a risen man alive upon the earth for 40 days, and he went up to heaven.
The viewpoint here is something that won't be in actuality when we won't be risen men alive upon the earth, but in Christ we are.
Go back to the second chapter.
Verse 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye arisen with him.
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Through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
And you, being dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision your flesh, has he quickened, or given life to together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses?
We are dead and risen with Christ.
If he then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Our object.
Is now above Christ and glory.
What we get in connection with the death of Christ is what we might term the other.
Part of the gospel we read in Romans one that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation.
To everyone that believeth the Jew 1St and also to the Greek, Well, the first part of the gospel we might say.
That's the power of God, and salvation is a salvation from our sins.
Were released through the precious Blood of Christ.
From the guilt that we accumulated by our many offenses against God.
But this aspect that we have before us here of being dead with Christ is the power of God that sets us free from the power of sin in our life, so that we can now live to the glory of God and free from the influences that once ruled our life. It's the power of God and the salvation that delivers us from the present power of sin in our daily life.
Chapter 2, verse 20 we have Wherefore if he be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why is the living in the world? Are you subject to ordinances? There we have, you might say, the negative side. We're dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world. If you go back a little in chapter 2, verse eight, he says, beware, lest any man spoil you.
Through philosophy and vain deceit.
After the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
The The danger at Coliseum was to be carried away by man's philosophy and man's religion. They deceived and the death of Christ, and our death with him.
It delivers us from that. In Romans 6, our death with him is to sin delivers us from sin, but here it's delivering from all the wisdom and the religion of the first man, that which man can glory in putting himself under some kinds of rules and regulations. So he's talking about spoiling the Saints in verse 8 again.
Through philosophy that's the world's wisdom and vain deceit, the world's religion after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And so in verse 20 we are dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, And if that be so, he asks the question. Since it is so, he asked why is the living in the world as though you were just a man living in this world?
Are you subject to ordinances? We're no longer viewed, from the standpoint of the Epistle to the Colossians as living in this world. We've died with Christ, and now we are seen, as our chapter begins, as risen with Him. And then we are to seek those things above, so as, having died with him, were delivered from all that which the first man.
Aspires after man's wisdom, man's religion.
We're dead to those things. Not just dead to sin. That's Romans. But here in Colossians, dead to the whole elements and principles of this world, the world system. We're now risen with Christ, and we're in a new world where Christ is. And so we we've been transferred from this world to another one, and we belong to that heavenly scene where Christ is. And so to put ourselves for Christians to put themselves under law.
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Or to get involved in the world's philosophy and psychology and all of these things?
We have died to this and we now have a new order of things that we've been introduced into.
And a new wisdom. It's the wisdom of God that He's given us in His precious word, not the wisdom of man. So the death of Christ not only delivers us from our sins, not only delivers us from sin as the power that of the evil nature that works within us, but delivers us from the very elements, rudiments, principles of the world that we are passing through. So the Christian is a heavenly man now risen with Christ.
And in the power of that risen light we enjoy another scene. And the the Epistle to the Ephesians goes one step further. We're seen as seated in the heavenlies in Christ. Colossians takes you across the Jordan and into the land, dead and risen with Christ. We've crossed the Jordan, and Ephesians puts us into the land in the. In the.
Possession of it seated.
In the heavenlies in Christ, Romans delivers us from Egypt.
And from the power of sin and the power of Pharaoh. And it's the Red Sea aspect of the death of Christ. But in Colossians and Ephesians we have what answers to crossing the Jordan.
Things in the second chapter.
Of Colossians, we have philosophy, which is the wisdom of this world. We also have Judaism, and we have idolatrous.
Things and all of these three things.
Say nothing to us who are new creatures in Christ. We have nothing to do with them. And the law, when we think of that, was given to men in the flesh. But we who have died, the law has nothing to say to us any longer. It's not for us. And so why? As if alive, still subjecting ourselves to rules and regulations. But that is exactly.
What?
Man is still seeking to do, and even in the name of Christ, but that is not Christianity. Christianity is that we are a new creature in Christ. And because we are a new creature of Christ, we have not only died with Him, we are now living with Him. We are risen with Him. We have a new life, and that is governed by altogether different principles.
And there is a new nature now that we have, which delights in the world and truth of God. And the Spirit of God empowers that life, but that life is also not at all connected with this world or with this earth. I think this is a very distinct difference that we should notice that he doesn't say in.
These in verse two, set your affections on things above, not on the things in the world.
He says under things unearthed, it has often been pointed out. There is such a thing as earthliness, earthly minded, you know, seeking all.
In connection with this earthly life, as if this is all that our life consists of, and as if Christianity is only given to improve life on earth. No, this life is connected with heaven. It's a heavenly life.
And that which we have in Christianity as our true blessing is all above and is not on the wilderness side of Jordan. The wilderness side of Jordan was really answered to blessings connected with this earthly life. It is on the other side, the resurrection side. It's the promised land, or for us, the heavenlies if we understand that, beloved.
We would be exercised not to exert all our energies to accumulate a lot of things in this world which are really.
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Or might well indicate that we are earthly minded. We ought to set our things, our hearts and things, above where the Lord Jesus is. Our spiritual blessings. That's where our blessings are not on earth.
In 2 1/2 drives that didn't cross the Jordan, they asked for their inheritance.
On the Egypt side, shall we say, of the Jordan, they chose it because they had a lot of cattle. They chose that inheritance for present advantage.
That's why they chose that in her for present advantage. Lot chose the well watered plains of Jordan for present advantage.
The 2 1/2 tribes were the first to be carried away captive. They're ones we need to be careful. And you, dear young people, in setting out in life, be careful that you don't choose just for present advantage. What is going to please the Lord? What is? What would he have us to do? We should ask ourselves. And so here.
We are dead and risen with Christ. Set your affection or your mind on things above, not on things on the earth has already been said. Are we earthly minded or are we going to be interested in spiritual things our dear brother brought before us the cross and the love of Christ had toward us?
There and giving himself for us, may that touch our conscience.
That we desire his things.
That his things are precious to us.
Those heavenly things.
It might be.
Interesting to turn back to Joshua.
Chapter 22.
Here in this chapter, Joshua sends back the army of the 2 1/2 tribes that you've done everything you should do. Now go home and enjoy your inheritance when we go to Chapter 7.
To verse 7. Rather now to the 1/2 betrayed Manasseh, Moses had given possession invasion.
That's the half pride that has just gone back across the Jordan, but under the other half thereof. This is the half that values the things of Canaan.
But in the other half thereof gave Joshua among their brother on this side Jordan westward.
And when Joshua sent them away also under their tents, then he blessed them, and he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches under your tents, with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, And with very much Raymond divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren. What a blessing they had compared to the other, because they value the things of cadence.
They valued the possession in Canaan, not on the other side of Jordan.
They're ones will find it the same in our own lives. Those things, spiritual things, those things above, will find them precious to our souls.
Like to mention in chapter 2 That we're considering before going on to chapter three that speaks as was pointed out in verse 13 of being dead and in verse 12 it speaks of being varied and then risen again.
And I think that's an important point to to consider.
The importance of seeing our present position in Christ is.
Dead, buried, and risen again.
They say that because there's a strong movement today and it is affected our thinking sometimes.
That.
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In psychological circles that speaks of the importance of a man keeping his self esteem up and to rebuild his self esteem to have self love, to have self worth. It's all a self-centered picture and it goes along with the society that we live in that makes man such.
A center of everybody's thoughts. Democracy foments that. What do the people want? It's not what God says. It's not what God thinks, what he gives us in his word. It's what do people think? And So what has come into even Christian circles, Evangelical Christian circles, you hear a lot of self esteem.
But when God has accepted us in Christ, he has put us now into a position where we as men in the flesh are dead. Not only dead, but we're buried. And something that's buried is out of sight. It's gone from public view. And I think it's extremely important to see that that's our position in Christ rather, and then risen again as well.
And now that we are risen again, the object that's set before us is not self at all. To speak about self esteem, rebuilding self esteem is really Judaism. It's going back because Judaism contemplated man in the flesh.
But in Christianity, that's where we start. How important to get these basic truths.
Settle in our souls, especially for those of us who are younger, but for us all, brethren, we don't understand them. And I say one thing more if we don't live in the enjoyment of these things, then these other ideas are going to creep in and they have crept in rather than even amongst those.
Got into the Lord's name that crept in these ideas, brethren, We need to get back to enjoy where God has put us in Christ.
Dad, whether it's connection with the religious system of things, this worldly system, or whether it's in connection with our sins, our sin nature, we're dead. Let them buried and risen again. And now the object before us is not self. Brethren, thank God. It's behind. It's God.
It's in the grave. It's buried. We have a light that's above now, Christ before the soul. So we're not looking in brethren. We're looking up into the glory of God. May I repeat something that he'll cross a number of years back?
Stated in Calgary as to psychology, he said that psychology deals with the condition of fallen man so as to preserve his pride. I think that's very well put, but let me add to what Brother Bob has, said Mr. Schuler, excuse me for mentioning his name, but he has great influence in prison done today speaks of possibility thinking.
And what it really amounts to is.
That if you can imagine something, you can accomplish it, and it's all connected with success on Earth.
And that is not Christianity. That's Judaism. Let me read a verse in First Timothy chapter 6.
Because that's so good to consider in this connection.
In verse 5.
Perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth. Supposing that gain is godliness from such withdraw yourself, but it really means is that through godliness you have material gain. Paul speaks of that as people with a corrupt mind we ought to withdraw from.
You know, I believe that many faithful Christians have suffered great loss in a material way because of their faithfulness to Christ. They have not been promoted. You just ask the brethren in Egypt. You know, they might far excel any masculine, but he will be hired and given the position of management because he's a master. And the much more capable Christian has to be satisfied with a menial job if he gets it in the first place.
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So that is the portion of Christians. But what will make up for it is if the heart is enjoying the true riches that which we have in Christ, that inheritance which is incorruptible, undefiled, that fadeth not away preserved for us in heaven, and that we can already by faith and joy, if we don't enjoy these things and then have to suffer loss.
And lose out.
It will be a very hard thing, but the Lord will make up for it if our hearts are in the enjoyment of the things that really count not only for life but for eternity. Now, having said that, I don't believe we should in any way convey the idea that the blessings represented under wilderness side of Jordan are not things that God has for His people, because I believe they also were for His people.
The extent of the land that they will possess in the coming day will also include those parts, but I believe, and he imparts that life to us. To those who are his redeemed, he imparts that life.
But though they don't understand now, they will understand in that day of manifestation. I think that's an encouragement to you and I.
To not have to be understood, we don't have to be understood by the world now.
And that day just think of it, brethren, When Christ comes in glory, every eye shall see him, and where he's going to be, accompanied by his myriads of the redeemed, we're going to be seen as with them.
Then they will say that person I knew when I was down here in this world.
Before in his life I always thought he was strange. Now I understand why he lived that way. Now I understand our life is going to be manifested. It's a real encouragement, brother.
Give us a life, the life of Christ himself and Christ who is our life. We have that life, and that life can enjoy these heavenly things.
The man of the world can't enjoy them because he hasn't got that life. But we have the life of Christ, and because of that we can enjoy these heavenly things. There's an expression that is.
Sometimes use a Christian will talk to an unsafe person and he says I shared Christ with him. No, you don't. You don't share Christ with an unsaved person. You preach Christ to them, but they can't appreciate Christ. You can share Christ with a St. with a fellow believer, but you can't share Christ with the ungodly because they need to be born again. They need a new life so that they can appreciate him. Otherwise he can't be shared. So we share Christ with one another.
But we don't share Christ with the world.
They have an old nature.
Each one of us have an old nature, but here it's not given the.
The no received of being alive says Mortify your members which are upon earth.
The old nature in the place of death, and we are to mortify those things.
Which are the fruits of the old nature, put them in the place of death, and we.
Live in the good of the new nature, that life of Christ himself.
It's very significant that it says to mortify your members.
The old man was crucified.
The old nature has been condemned.
But it's enjoined on us here to mortify our members, because it is only as we yield our members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, that the old nature can express itself. So it's to control our behavior and that which we lend these members that we are exhorted. The old man is dead, old nature is condemned, and it is I who, with my will lends a hand, if you please, to the old man, or the old nature to give expression to itself. So I'm to recognize.
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Remember Dad?
In First Timothy.
Chapter 6, verse 19 we have laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on and then another translation renders it lay hold on what is really life. Could someone comment on that?
Is that does that connect with the subject?
That would be those heavenly things that we're to seek. Those are the things which are really life. The things that are down here are not those things that are heavenly. Our portion. Those things are really life.
This is freaking.
Of those that have someone of this world's goods, but they're not to lay any store on them, they're to lay hold on these heavenly things which are really life.
This fifth verse.
You was mentioning.
The if we hold our members as dead to sin.
Then the evil nature, sin within, can't express itself through those members. And that's what you have. Starting with that list, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil, concupiscence and covetousness, which is idolatry. Those aren't our members, but those are the things that are expressed through our members when we don't hold our members dead to sin. So those are the things that our members do. And if we mortify our members, put to death our members and hold them in that place.
Then these things will not express themselves through us.
Mortifying our members is exactly what the Lord intended to convey when He said if I hand offend thee, cut it off.
Please explain that a little more. We don't actually actually cut off.
Please go ahead.
It just self judgment and we are never to be merciful to ourselves. Cut it off. No mercy to self judge. Let it be completely done.
First, John three has been quoted this second verse.
We are beloved, now are we the sons of God, And it does not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is, as an explanation of that life. And then instead of taking the exhortation on the negative side, mortifying your members, it takes the positive side and says, Every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure, which is.
A motivating thing like we heard this afternoon to go on for God, that wonderful word, pure, even as he is pure. Every man that hath this hope in him. That's the Lord's coming. We have the Lord's coming before us. We won't let these members that we have in the body As long as we're here act, we'll have a positive reason for pleasing God.
Even as she.
Unjust servant, the wicked servant said in his heart My Lord delayed his coming that he began to eat and drink with a drunken, and to beat the maidservants and the mint service. It is a purifying element to have an imminent expectation of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ before our soul. Lose that and what happens? The Church lost it early in her life, and she fell into the dark Ages. Lose the hope of the coming of the Lord.
And it leads to the allowing of these members to express themselves in these unholy things that we have before us in our chapter.
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16156.
Insurance spikes the core touches. We are hearts and things.
Praise the Lord 156.
And.