I want to spend some time today looking at things I gleaned from Matt's observations from Colossians 3:1-10.
Paul spent the previous chapter sharing with this church about the spiritual fullness they can experience in Christ and how through that fullness they can also experience freedom from human rules.
From there, Paul says, "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above…set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." (Colossians 3:1-2—NIV®)
I like the way these verses read in The Message: "So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective." (Colossians 1:1-2—MSG)
Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Isn't that how we so often live life? We become absorbed with what's for breakfast. We become focused on that "idiot" that cut us off in traffic, or worse, in line at Starbucks. We become tunnel-visioned with our needs; despite God's promise to "supply all [our] needs" (Philippians 4:19).
But more often, we focus on our sin. We realize when we fail God, and we become focused on that sin. We think, "God can't love me because…." We feel we need to "clean ourselves up" to be worthy of God's grace. We find ourselves struggling in a downward spiral of sin, guilt, sin, guilt, sin…
We practice upside down Christianity. Paul said, "Set your heart and mind on things above." That's where we need to focus.
Paul moves on to our next steps.
"For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:3-4—NIV®)
When we focus on Jesus, our old life dies. When our eyes are looking up, everything that is below becomes dim.
When you are walking, you so often look down to "avoid the bumps" in the sidewalk. You don't want to trip. Yet so often because we are looking down, we don't see the low tree branch and hit our head.
It's funny, but if we had been looking up, we would have seen what was coming and been able to avoid getting hurt. And, despite the fact we were looking up, we still would have managed not to trip, because in looking up, we are still able to see, and avoid, the lower obstacles because of our peripheral vision.
The same is true spiritually. When we look at Jesus, he becomes our focus and he helps us avoid the obstacles in our path. He removes the desires that once entrapped us (our old life dies), and he fills us with the desires of his Kingdom.
Only AFTER our focus is on Jesus and our lives have been transformed does Paul bring "morality" into the picture.
Put to death therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (Colossians 3:5-10—NIV®)Paul makes it clear, we can only pursue morality AFTER we have have set our eyes on Jesus. Once our eyes are fixed on Jesus, our hearts change and morality follows.
Upside down Christianity is focusing on the moral law first and hoping that will gain you favor with God. Upside down Christianity isn't Christianity at all, it's religion. Jesus stood in opposition to religion 2000 years ago and we should do the same today.
Jesus didn't die so we could follow a moral code. Jesus died so we could once again gain direct access to God. There was a moral code implemented by God, we know it as the Law of Moses. But with Jesus, God showed us that no matter how hard we try, no matter how much we sacrifice, we are never going to be "good enough."
That's where God's grace, freely offered as a direct result of Jesus' sacrifice comes into play. Only through setting our hearts and minds on things above are we able to live into the grace of God.
Too many Christians start with verses 5-10, forgetting verses 1-4. Too many preachers teach "if…then" sermons, either explicitly or ambiguously. Too many times we each have practiced upside down Christianity.
Let's commit today to stop practicing upside down Christianity. Let's set our hearts and minds on Jesus and take our focus of off the list of rules. Then we can marvel in his glory and in the change that will overtake us.
More importantly, we will become the change that Christ will bring to the world because we obeyed and set our hearts and minds on him. People are not drawn to a set of rules. People are drawn to changed lives. Are you willing to live the life to which Christ called? Are you willing to stop practicing upside down Christianity?
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