Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Colossians 3. If you 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, where ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. I believe the thought is when Christ is manifested.
Is it not? It's a wonderful thought. Christ will be manifested, will be manifested with him.
And so we have the same life now.
And that day is coming, when we will be manifested with Christ, when he is manifested.
Wonderful thought might be nice just to notice what it says in first John 2IN connection with the fathers concerning Christ, and that He is all and in all you just rather astonishing in first John two and verse 13. I write unto you Father's, because you have known him.
That is from the beginning.
Verse 14 I have written unto you Father's, because you have known him.
That is from the beginning. This is right, and there is no progress beyond price in the chapter 2. We've been through nothing. That man in his intelligence, his intellect, his mind can add anything to this. Nor can even angels add anything to Christ.
We are complete in Him.
We are of God. Notice also in First John at the end of First John.
Where that statement comes in, we are of God first. John 519.
It's the apostle speaking, and we know that we are of God.
Then the great contrast, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
Or in the wicked one, you can't have a greater contrast. This is where we are. It's more than standing. It's actually where we are. And then it goes on, and we know that the Son of God is come what learning there is. This is Him that was from the beginning and hath given us an understanding.
But we have that in chapter 2 in Colossians here.
The full assurance of understanding and of the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ. So here it says that we, and has given us an understanding that we may know Him that is true, is still Christ.
There's no progress beyond Christ. He is all, He is everything, and we are in him. That is true, complete in Him. That's where we are, even in His Son, Jesus Christ. And then the link between God and Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
When the servant was telling.
Rebecca and her family.
About Abraham.
And his Son says unto his Son hath given all they have. All that God has is Christ, and Christ is all, and in all, and we are complete in him. So that this is the defense against higher learning, psychology, or the mind of man. And I think we ought to stay.
Because of truth given to brethren that men like Effie Raven through the mind have sought to get in a higher plane and go beyond Christ and what is revealed in the word of God. I think it's a it's a warning for us because the same attacks are around us today.
That simplicity as to the Christ Him, that is from the beginning.
To know Him, just to know Christ, is everything. There is a day coming as we know, and the Lord Jesus will be manifested and will be manifested with Him. In Ephesians we are seen as already seated in the heavenlies in Christ, but now in the Colossians were seen as being still here in this world, but dead and risen with Christ possessing his life.
00:05:09
And our responsibility and privilege to manifest and display that life.
Brother, just been Speaking of John's epistle and I was thinking of that passage. It says as he is, so are we in this world, we'll never have a better standing before God than we have already right now. But what follows in this 4th chapter is that this might be practically seen in our lives, that we who have taken this position coming to the end of our old Adam standing in the death of Christ.
Alive in an entirely new position, would display that we find when the children of Israel entered the promised land, as we remarked a little this morning, the circumcision took place. That was the knife upon self. Then there was the captain who met Joshua, captain of the Lord's host, to lead them into the possession of the Lamb. But they were warned against things.
There were things in Jericho that.
There I might covet and we know he can did. And it became a problem and a snare. Then there were also, there was also the plan of the Gibeonites to try and trick them into an association with them. And so how would they escape all those things? Well, if, if a candidate only listened, he would have been warned and he wouldn't have taken that which became a snare to himself, to his household and to all Israel.
And if when those Gibeonites came with their story, they had instead asked the Lord for counsel what they should do, why they would have been delivered from that problem of receiving those Gibeonites. And so how important it is, brethren, that we are here in this world.
Associated with the one who is up there, we have his life. The time is coming when we're going to be manifested with and like Him. But now we are to display, as it says in the first chapter, Christ in you the hope of glory. And people ought to see in us that divine life manifested, because we shall not have a different new life when we get to heaven. We already possess the very life of Christ.
And now there's an active part, and that is set your mind on things above everything around us in this world, whether it's in the world as it's a world system or whether it's in connection with the religious world is to occupy the senses and that kind of thing. But the heart occupied with Christ finds full satisfaction in him, finds wisdom for all that's needed, finds.
Marked out for us with warnings and encouragement that we might walk in the power of that new life by the Spirit. We should probably for the benefit of the young especially comment briefly without getting lost in that because of brother has suggested to go into these verses in the third chapter.
This verse 20 Why is 2 living in the world?
We are living in the world, aren't we? But this is not what Paul is saying, that we are still alive and are in this body and physically are here in this scene.
What he is saying is that when we came to the Lord Jesus.
And we accepted him as saved. We came to see that we died with him and this whole system of things away from Christ.
We were also crucified to that, the world to us and we to the world as we have it in Galatians. So what he's talking about is not whether we're still on this planet Earth, but he's saying we're no longer living in the world. That world system will no longer governed by the principles that govern the world and so.
This hopefully is helpful to see that.
Rules and regulations.
Which I mentioned right after this.
Is not necessarily the law.
And it's what man adds to it. And we find that even in the Lord's days, the Lord reviewed the Pharisees and scribes for.
Adding to the law and making the people of God actually transgressing against the law by putting more emphasis on their rules and regulations. And I believe this is what we're naturally inclined to also that we really want to appear more spiritual than others by.
00:10:14
Adding to the word of God and adding restrictions, the extreme of such thing. One case that we came across is that a man forbade his children to touch an empty perfume bottle because that was the world. That's how far this kind of thing can go. But as those that have died.
To the world and do not at all want to please God in the energy of the flesh.
We have the Lord Jesus to occupy us and that which he has won for us, and it's outside of the world system altogether. He has nothing to do with it. We have the exhortations.
Based upon what we've had before if or since she then be risen with Christ now that's true of every believer now. That's the new position we are in. We are risen with Christ and so.
Seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
But that has said, it supposes that there's an enemy that would hinder us from seeking those things, and it takes the energy of the Spirit to do this communion with the Lord and the energy of the Spirit who seek those things which are above. We are surrounded today more than ever with the things, especially religious, that have to do with this earth.
The Jewish religion had to do with earth and because that those who profess Christianity have not paid any attention.
To Galatians, they have already joined Judaism with Christianity the profession of it, and the result is a religion for the earth imprisoned them today. It's not a religion for the heavens, it's not for having Christ in the heavens. There are those, of course, among them who do, but in general you'll find.
The the teaching has to do with the earth. I was surprised just right lately to hear of some.
And some who had been gathered with us.
Who no longer believe in the Lord's coming. What a solemn thing have been brought up in the assembly, and having known these precious truths have been led away already. Because, you know, we're so near the Lords coming that the enemy is busy and he's going to try to turn our hearts away from that precious hope. It is a precious hope.
And we want to hold on to it. Don't let the enemy in any way discourage us.
From waiting, watching for Christ, undoing those three things in Luke's Gospel, the 12Th chapter.
Waiting, watching, and doing. And if we're seeking those things, brethren?
The enemy cannot trip us up. If we have Christ as the optic communion, it cannot trip us up. And we'll be waiting and we'll be watching and we'll be doing. You know, there's a special reward connected with each of those 3, and so that the day is coming when He's going to reward those who are waiting, watching, and doing.
And that's what he's left us here for the moment to do. I was thinking too of in Thessalonians 1.
But there was one thing they were given to do, and that was to wait for your Son from heaven, even Jesus, our deliverer from the coming wrath. I wonder if our dear young people here realized what that means.
The coming breath.
You know, dear ones, that everything has The name of Christendom will be swept away. There won't be one soul left. That's after the church is gone, not one left. They shall not escape, but a solemn day, that is.
When the judgment have got them down, and let them know not God.
That will be not the gospel. Those two things are characterized those on whom that wrath will descend.
But now we have the privilege of seeking those things which are above already. But it's where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. The Spirit of God directs our hearts to an object that's right, and He's sitting on the right hand of God. Now we're going to sit beside the Lord in His throne. He sits beside the Father in his throne, of course.
00:15:12
We won't sit there, but we sit beside Christ on his throne, and what a wonderful thing that will be.
But our brethren are much better even than that, to see his face, to be with him forever and ever. I'd like to take another remark about that expression in verse one. Seek those things which are above often Ponder what? What does that mean? What? What are the things which are above?
Well, I've come to this.
Conclusion. And maybe there's a lot more to it than I have seen.
But the things which are above are those things that Christ is interested in.
And those are the things that we're encouraged to see.
Is the Lord Jesus interested in the coming election in the United States? Is that one of the things that is above? No, he's not concerned about that. Well, what is the Lord Jesus concerned about? He's concerned about the welfare of his people. That's one of the things which is above.
He's concerned about the salvation of the lost. And let's not let anybody talk us out.
Being interested in the plight of the lost, because our Lord Jesus is interested in the plight of the loss. One of the things that he's interested in, the things which are above are the things that Christ is interested in and concerned about. And we're encouraged to set our hearts upon those things. And I would just like to refer briefly back to the previous chapter.
There were four things which were below.
And in contrast to the things which are above in chapter 2, and we only considered two of them.
We considered philosophy or rationalism and the wisdom of man in verse eight of chapter 2. That was one of the things that were below and it has no value. And there was a great hindrance to God's people to be concerned about that line of things. And then the second hindrance to God's people was.
Ritualism, the turning back to ceremonies and keeping of days and so on.
Well, that that was a thing that was below, that wasn't one of the things which are above and being concerned with ritualism is, is, is to be concerned with something that's not our proper position. So rationalism militates against the Christian faith.
Ritualism militates against the Christian faith and then in chapter 2, which we did not consider.
But I'd like to mention it because there are those here who would like a little continuity about our chapter.
Umm in verse 18 we have a third attack upon Christianity, which was.
Mysticism. Mysticism, the entrance into those unseen spheres that God wants us to keep out of. And any contact with the occult is wrong. Mysticism, bothering ourselves with unrevealed things about angels and all the powers that are unseen that God has told us nothing about. Let's leave them totally alone. If we contact them, we're going to be defiled. We might even.
Get so mixed up that it'll spoil the rest of our lives.
Leave it totally alone. All that has to do with mysticism.
So that's something that's below. And then the fourth attack upon Christianity that's found in chapter 2 is?
The attack of religious flesh. Religious flesh.
Or asceticism.
That attempt to.
Make a class of people which are better than others and they say, well we don't do this.
I don't read the newspapers sitting down or I don't touch a perfume bottle.
We don't do this, we don't do that. All sorts of human rules and regulations which have been formulated by man, don't touch, don't taste, don't handle. They all sound kind of religious, but they're of the earth. And that's one of the fourth, that's the fourth attack upon Christianity. And they're not the things that are above.
And they hinder the enjoyment of Christ. And so, brethren, I just wanted to summarize chapter 2 in that way.
00:20:02
There were four things that.
Were attacks of Satan against the believers and their enjoyment of Christ. One was rationalism.
The second one was ritualism. The third one is mysticism.
And the 4th is religious flesh. All of these things rob us of our enjoyment of Christ. But now in chapter 3, we're told to set our hearts upon things which are above those things that Christ is interested in right now. And He wants us to be interested in the things that He is in the Lord. Jesus spoke a little bit about that, didn't He, in the 12Th chapter of Luke?
Money told their disciples not to take thought for their body or for their clothes, he said. But he said, your Father knoweth that she have need of these things before you ask him. Now that is God is concerned with our needs. It isn't that material things don't have a place, but there's the confidence that God our Father is concerned about all those things and so we don't have to worry about them.
Just like a child, it's not worrying a great deal if it has a parent who cares about its clothes and about its food and everything. So it can have an interest in those things that concern but is pleasing to the parent. Or very beautifully in the 12Th chapter of Luke brings this before the disciples, he talks of them as a little flock.
He talks about the things that the Gentiles seek after, but he says you don't need to seek after those things because your Father cares for you. But then he tells them about things they were to be seeking after. They were to be a watching and waiting people. They were to be waiting for the return of the bridegroom. They were to be occupying. They were to be feeding the flock of God.
All those things were brought before us. I'm sure it's in anticipation. Anticipation for there is a moral character to the Gospel of Luke.
Now when we come to Colossians, the full doctrine of it is developed because the Lord Jesus has gone into death, He's risen again, the old man, and all that's connected with it has come to an end. In Judaism it was called a worldly sanctuary. It says they had these things, all those things that were given in Judaism, and a worldly sanctuary God gave all the things that would appeal to the natural.
Heart in the way of a grand building and ritual and incense and all those things.
Change the heart of man? Did he draw him any nearer to God? No. So we find that there's an entirely new order of things that is introduced in Christianity. We find that when the Lord instituted the Supper, it wasn't in the temple.
It was just in an ordinary room that was rendered for the occasion, and there the Lord instituted the supper. It's very beautiful to see how the Lord was Speaking of these things in an introductory way in the Gospel of Luke. And now, and we come to Colossians, we see the groundwork of it. All has been laid. The Lord Jesus has died, ordinances and ritual and all those things have come to an end.
There's always a danger for the mind, and as our brother has just been saying.
To go back to those things that appeal to the mind and to the senses. But the Spirit of God would lead us into occupation with the Lord Jesus and see that He is all. Not that he isn't concerned about our clothes, not that He isn't concerned about our health. We're not to neglect the body. Not that He isn't concerned about our relationships of life. That's very clear from the third chapter. But our minds are set free because we know He cares.
And that we can commit all those necessary things to him and have the same interests here in this world as those things which interest him, and know that Christ as head of the body is in control. He's had, as we have in Ephesians, over all things to the church in Colossians. It's the glory of his person. So it says He's head of the body in Ephesians.
It's his gracious provision, his care, and so he's had, we have had over all things to the Church.
But I think this is brought before us in all its blessed fullness here in Colossians. But it's anticipated, I believe, in the 12Th chapter of Luke.
You know what has been pointed out, and it is worth repeating that there is a difference between worldliness and earthliness.
00:25:02
We know love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, but Paul here.
Encourages the Saints to set their affections on things above, not on things on the earth. And I believe that fits in rather with what you just have been saying. A normal responsibility providing for the family and even, may I say the family itself is not an object.
For the Christian.
That is a big thing in Christendom now.
Now certainly we are thankful for the family, but Christ has to be the object even in the family. Let me illustrate what I mean. As a husband I ought to be exercised that I show, in a small measure anyway, reflect the love of Christ for the church towards my wife. My wife is to show subjection.
As the church is subject to Christ and the children.
The same way we have to bring Christ into all of these relationships and the family itself is not an object for the believer. And we know that the cares of this life is mentioned as one of the things that will render the seed unfruitful in our lives. And so we know scripture says.
If a man provide not for his own.
He has denied the faith and his worth than an infidel. But that's one side. The other is that the cares of these things can so occupy us that we have difficulties rising above them, and to be occupied with that which is a true portion, that which we have in the Lord Jesus in heavenly places.
Blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Nice to know that your life is already here with Christ in God. That's how close we are already. And now how are we going to live our life down here? It's already hit with Christ in God. What becomes one who is in such a position? These are questions we should ask ourselves if our life is already hit.
And soon we see that there will be an appearing.
And a manifestation.
And we will be manifested with Him in glory. We already have that new life.
But there's such a thing as a practical application now, and that's what we have in these verses, an exhortation on the basis of what we had before. And so we have a new life. Life is hid with Christ in God. What a position to be in when you think of the whole world and where the world is today.
And the onward course that leads into hell. And here we are. Life is hid with Christ and God. There should be a response to their not brethren from us. Now connection with this. Is this the 19th of Revelation? When He shall appear, we shall appear also with Him in glory.
Yes, and also of of First Thessalonians 5 and the First Second Thessalonians.
One and then he'll be in Second Thessalonians. One will be manifested as belonged to him.
To be seen to all that we belong to him. Thinking of putting the family first. I was thinking of what our brother was talking about, about Samuel, that Samuel really loved the Lord, but when he made the family the object and he made his sons judges, didn't he? He pushed them forward because that gave him a position of importance that his children were in that.
Position but he should have seen that when the Lord's interest came first and it wasn't for him to do that. Eli had done the same and he didn't seem to learn from what he had seen in the life of Eli. And I believe it's these are important and practical lessons for us, aren't they? We should seek the Lord's glory and blessing to our family, but not the thought of making the family the object of Christ. And if that is seen in the position of the husband and the position of the wife and in the position.
Children, it's to the glory of God, but the object is the glory of Christ, isn't it?
That So in that verse that our brother referred to in 2nd Thessalonians 1, let's just notice that.
00:30:02
2nd Thessalonians one I think, especially if verse 10 and when he shall come to be notice what says glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe in that day. It's it's Christ glory there and to think that we're going to be there, but it's going to be to his glory, the display of his glory. It'll be the day of the Lord for the world.
It'll be the day of Christ, for his own will be with him.
From the ought to speak to his glory down here now too, shouldn't we? Yes, very much so. That's the last verse of that chapter you were just looking at, Brother Clem. The 12Th verse of 2nd Thessalonians 1.
That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and He and Him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the present thing, isn't it? In the future day. Why there's going to be the display. And it's very lovely what it says here in that tenth verse that you read. When He shall come to be glorified in His Saints, and to be admired in all them that believe there won't be one child of God.
One there who's part of the bride of Christ.
In whom he won't be fully glorified, the flesh will be gone, we'll have bodies of glory like Christ. And so in everyone there will be the perfect display of Christ. Now He says in a practical way that this should be our desire here and now, that as people look at us, the name of the Lord Jesus would be glorified in us. It's all of grace, as he says. But that's what God is seeking to produce, isn't it? That is the practical.
And the future of it is all secure because it's going to be founded upon God's faithfulness all through what Christ has done and what he has wrought for us at the cross, and what he has wrought in us by His Spirit.
Thessalonians Saints were not aware yet of the rapture when he writes to them, and so they were concerned about those who had died.
Who would miss the appearing?
And so God says as he opens that subject in the 13th verse, Oh no, God will bring them with him, with Jesus when he comes. He's going to bring the dead. And then he explains how they'll all be raised in the rapture. He's going to bring them all with him. All those who are dead are going to be raised. And so there was a need for that truth, and God supplied the truth when the need was there.
And the apostle was given that truth to reveal to those Saints.
Vessel like it that God is going to bring those with him who have died when Jesus comes. But be first of all, the dead will be raised, and in Corinthians they'll be raised in incorruptibility.
No, no more of the corruption that was there before. What a condition that is appearing when everyone will be in bodies of glory like Christ.
Even those who have died in the graves today, they might be the furthest quarters of the world that will not shout comes.
You'll find in another translation that says Assembling Shout.
They will all be assembled at once, in a moment, the twinkling of an eye be caught up to be.
With the Lord, so that we might appear with them in one Thessalonians we get.
Two lines of truth. We get the rapture, and then we get to appear with Him, the two comings of the Lord. First, that he's going to come and take his Saints, raise them, take them home with Him. Those who are dead and those were living be caught away.
The second truth is coming back with them, as we've had in Second Thessalonians, going to bring them back again.
And manifest to the world that we belong to Him. And then it says, And so shall we ever be with the Lord.
OK, I've enjoyed rather than thinking where it says.
That her life is hid with Christ in God. Our life is above, it is not in this world. The world around us looks at us and cannot understand the reason for our life because the object that we have for our souls is not in this world.
And really, for a believer in the Lord Jesus to have any, any object, any major object down here in this world is falling short of the true occupation of a believer. Our sight should be set above our minds on things above, then our hearts would follow as well. But it is.
00:35:21
As the world sees this, they cannot see any reason.
Why a Christian has any joy or any fulfillment in life down here? Our life is hid, brethren, it is hid. But when we come to verse four, our brethren have been mentioning is the time when our life is going to be manifested in that day of coming glory as the wondering world.
Looks on as the Lord Jesus comes.
And every eye shall see him, and we are coming with Him. Then they will understand our life. It will be manifested as Christ is manifested in glory. They will see our light too. But we have to be content here in this world not to be understood as to our object. And I say again.
Especially for those of us who are younger.
Importance of remembering that any object down here, even if it is a religious or a seemingly good option for the things of the Lord, but if it's if the object is down here, it falls short of the object of a true believer. Our life is hid with Christ in God we are raised.
And our occupation should be above.
Do is for you, so he says. Moreover, As for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you. But I will teach you the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart. For consider how great things He has done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, he shall be consumed, both ye and your King.
Samuel's heart yearns in prayer.
For his brothers and sisters, the Israelites, I desire.
That kind of a heart.
A praying heart.
And he said, even if you've done this now in taking yourself a king, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm not going to stop praying for you and I will do my best in a practical sense to teach you what is the right and the proper way of the Lord.
And then one more verse in Oprah in chapter 16, Samuel again, Samuel and the Lord in there in their life together. I love that. I love the Lord in my life. I like having Him in my life.
Sure, he tells me things black and white he doesn't color.
But that's why I appreciate Him so much. And even if I do wrong, He doesn't reject me. He takes His time to get me straightened back out again. Here's chapter 16. Samuel and the Lord working along together again.
Samuels I don't have the time to read this because I'd like to look just for a second at the Lord's Prayer in Matthew. So this chapter maybe you can look at it tonight. 1616 is very beautiful. The whole thing. The same thing about Samuel talking to the Lord. The Lord says please go over there and anoint David Simon Says no way I lose my head on it tells the Lord how he feels.
And the Lord just quietly says, OK, I got a safety plan for you.
Didn't need it actually, if he had gone over there he wouldn't have got his head chopped off. But the Lord gives him a little plan so that you know he's brave enough to go ahead and away goes and says and come over here to sacrifice for the yearly sacrifice or whatever, you know, want to get there. He calls Jesse and now this one verse number six came to pass that when they were come, he looked on Eliab and said surely the Lord's anointed.
Before him. But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on the countenance, or on the height of the statue, His statue, because I have refused him. For the Lord seeth not His man seeth, for man looketh on the outward appearance.
But the Lord looks on the heart. It's a beautiful, isn't it? The more more the more I meditate on this is more beautiful. It is Samuel. He's very outright, you know. He's tells the Lord how he thinks that's what they desire for you, dear brother and sister, that you might have that freedom before the Lord to turn out your heart to the Lord. He will not despise you. He loves you. He knows what's in your heart already. Why don't you just talk to him simply?
00:40:22
And along comes Eli of the first born, he said. Ah, this is the one.
That's not what the Lord said, and this is what he said almost. I don't know. It looks to me as if he's talking to the Lord saying, oh, here he is, here he is. And the Lord said, Oh no, this is not the one.
I just want to. I appreciate in relationship with the Lord. He tells you the things as they are. He'll explain situations that you could never discover. And I appreciate that because I know that.
I fail very much in being unfair to brothers and sisters because I don't know all the factors of the situation and so quite often my judgment is an unfair judgment.
And I like to say, the Lord, could you explain the situation to me? And the Lord comes along and says.
You were really rough on that brother, but did you know that he's got pressures in his family?
Did you know he's under financial pressure?
Sure, what he did is not right. Sure you should not justify things that are wrong. But you have no compassion because you haven't looked at the situation as a whole. You can't see it, but I know it. And how does the Lord do that to me? He doesn't tattletale on my brothers and sisters to me.
But quite often when I pray to him and I say, Lord Jesus, I like to understand this situation. It's a puzzling situation. It's bothering me. Could you not telling anybody's secrets, could you explain it to me? And sometimes you will give me a story in the Old Testament or a scripture in the Old Testament. And I say, oh, I understand, I understand. And then when I look with eyes of compassion and my brothers and sisters.
I discover that the Lord was right. He was being. The Lord was being compassionate.
I was being unfair because I didn't know all the factors. So here Samuel just speaks right out in front of the Lord and said OK, here's the man, let's get on with it. He said. No, it's not. The man is the wrong one, he said.
You look at it according to man. God looks at it differently. He looks at the heart.
And so when the next one comes along, the next boy, and verse 8.
Then Jesse called a benadam, and made him pass before Samuel, And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this one. Now Samuel's not so quick to talk.