Theology Matters: Hidden With Christ in God

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Theology Matters #3, Colossians 3:1-4

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Christianity is a radical thing. Those people who are trying to make
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Christianity fit into our culture just don't understand that people who are submitted to the
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Lordship of Jesus Christ are always going to be swimming the wrong direction of human society.
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Trying to make Christianity hip and make it to fit and dressing like the world is like that just does not understand the scandal of the cross, does not understand anything about the radical nature of the
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Christian faith. We actually believe that God, the eternal creator, entered into his own creation, that he desires to glorify himself through the salvation of the people of an undeserving people.
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God invaded human history and he takes rebellious sinners deserving of his wrath and he joins us to himself.
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We are said to be in Christ, united with him, so that his death becomes our death, his resurrection our resurrection, his life our life, and the scriptures take this so far as to in essence say we are to view ourselves as having died, as being dead to this world.
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This world is going to do everything in its power to be very much alive to you this day if you are a believer.
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Television, radio, everything is going to do everything it can to make that old nature alive.
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What is it like to actually live as if you have already died? You have died to the things of this world.
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The scriptures go so far as to say that we are already seated in heavenly places with Christ.
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One of my favorite passages of scripture, Paul is exhorting the believers at Colossians church that he never saw.
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He wasn't the one who started that church and he says in chapter 3, he says therefore, if it's really since you have been raised up with Christ, that is you have experienced regeneration, the raising up of your spiritual life, keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
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Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
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For you have died and your life is hidden together with Christ in God.
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When Christ who is our life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
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Now if we as believers actually obeyed that command, if we actually obeyed that command, how would we live?
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How could we ever fit into this society? How could we not look very strange and very odd?
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Think about it. Keep seeking the things above. We live in a world where there are no things above.
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I mean that's societal blasphemy and heresy to even think that there are things above.
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Naturalistic materialism, that's the religion of our country, isn't it? Western society as a whole.
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How can you be seeking the things above? What foolishness is that? You must actually think you have some knowledge of these things above.
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Yeah, it's called revelation. The work of the spirit of God causing us to understand the word of God, to know what these things are.
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We are to be seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Where he is enthroned in power.
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The one who is mocked by so many today, he's enthroned in power this very day. And that is where our mind is supposed to be.
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We are to set our mind. We are to be disciplined to set our mind on things above, not on the things of this earth.
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And this does not mean that we are supposed to be so heavenly minded as to be no earthly good. We don't just go out and sit on a mountaintop and we don't do anything.
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We don't pay our bills and take care of our family. No. It's a mindset. It's an attitude.
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And the attitude is, my mind wants to seek after those things that have to do with Christ, where he is, what his kingdom is.
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Eternal things. And how often the world gets in the way and distracts us.
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That's why we need to meet regularly together with the people of God. Be reminded of the things of God.
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But that third verse, for you have died and your life is hidden together with Christ God.
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Do you see the irony? You've died but your life. You've died to these old things but your life, your true life, has been hidden together with Christ and God.
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It's like this ring. You have died and your life has been hidden together with Christ in God.
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There's no way that you can get to that ring without going through my hands. In the same way, there's no way that anything can touch the believer's life that has not been allowed to do so for the believer's good, is the promise of scripture.
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By a loving Heavenly Father who is working out his plan of conforming each one of us to the image of Christ.
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You have died. Your life has been hidden together with Christ in God.
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The world cannot take away that life. The world cannot do anything to you outside of God's permissive will.
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What a promise. The world cannot begin to understand this and the
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Christian who doesn't understand it, the Christian who's constantly living according to the dictates of the world is going to be one miserable
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Christian. But oh what joy, what strength, what steadfastness comes from understanding
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God's will and God's purpose will be done in my life.
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Through all the trials all the difficulties, all the joys, God's purpose will be done.
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I am to keep seeking the things that are above. Christianity is radical.
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God is doing a radical thing. But isn't it wonderful to know the promises of scripture are based upon the teaching of scripture, that sound theology, union with Christ, the sovereignty of God, the perfection of his work becomes the very foundation of my confidence and my ability to live a consistent