If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above
‘Therefore…’
Wherefore?
This morning when I first got up, I walked sleepily by the door and got my clothes hooked up on the door catch, I turned around to go downstairs and caught my sleeve on the stair rail at the top!
My reaction? Irritation and a muttered ‘for crying out loud’.
Then immediately I was overwhelmed with shame as I realised that my frustration and annoyance were not just at what had happened, but with God, who had allowed both those things to happen.
My irritation, even though it was only small and momentary, had grieved my Father in Heaven.
These little things that may seem acceptable but they still grieve our pure and Holy God.
This got me thinking about what Paul said to Believers about putting off anger because that little bit of irritation I felt was essentially mild anger.
We can grieve God just as much by the things that irritate us on the inside, even if we don’t speak a word, as we do by being all out angry and shouting at someone.
Our hearts and thoughts matter.
Therefore…
‘If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,’…
Heavenly, not temporary treasures.
‘where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.’…
Eyes on Jesus.
‘Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth…’
Seek to have a Heavenly mindset.
‘For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God’…
You are a new creature in Christ, born again, with the Holy Spirit living in you.
‘Therefore mortify your members which are upon the earth;…’
Put to death those things in you that desire the things of this life…
Such as ‘fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:…But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:’
We’re to put off those things dishonour our God and put on in their place ‘bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity (love in action), which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.’
The work of salvation in us, through Christ, is complete and yet we still have to walk it out day by day and battle the desires of our flesh.
How?
Through Christ.
‘I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.’
So let’s fight on, with our eyes fixed on Jesus. The battle may be fierce at times but the victory has already been won for us.
‘Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’
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