Colossians 3 v 1 - 4: "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."
Seeing as this is the final day of 2024 instead of looking back at this year let us end it on a high note. There is no higher place than Heaven so it's time to set our eyes on Things Above!
A Christian is one who is risen with Christ. When we come up from the waters of baptism we are no longer "only human" we are a newly created being made in the likeness of Jesus. We are now seated in Him in heavenly places. Our spirit is alive in Him in Heaven and nowhere else. It's time to become more heavenly minded so we can do some good on Earth.
For we are dead to the world. Dead to all the allure of the enemy. Dead to his suggestions and temptations and lies. We are resurrected with Jesus as soon as we are born again and baptized. This is not some religious ritual, this is a life-changing, life-giving event. We were dead to God, Heaven and understanding spiritual things until we were baptized after receiving salvation.
We were born in sin and the wages of sin is death. God breathed life into Adam's body. He was the first of a new creation. A human being. A body of flesh that covered his sinful soul and dead spirit. If Adam could overcome temptation to sin God could bring life to his spirit and remove the barrier of sin. Unfortunately, Adam gave in to Satan and gave the serpent control over the world.
The only other option was that God's Son would take on the mantle of sin and die for every human who would believe in Him. For those who choose righteousness - Our life is hid with Christ in God. That's where our life is lived now. When Christ who is our life....we need to totally know that Jesus Christ inhabits our body and soul here on Earth. The Spirit of Jesus is alive in us on Earth, but we are dead here and alive in Heaven. We are citizens of Heaven now and forever unless we fall back into the world.
He is in us to do an extreme makeover. Everything the enemy did to our souls and flesh before we were born as humans can only be truly rectified, healed, straightened, mind-cleansed, emotionally restored, and our true purpose revealed when we believe in Jesus. We were born sinners and spiritually dead before we ever breathed. Little ones have to be taught to be good and trained in obedience.
We have the Holy Spirit as our Teacher who communicates through our spirit in Heaven to who we are down here, guiding us into truth and right living. It's a lifelong process and our free will either hinders it by clinging to the world, or speeds it up by total submission to the Lord.
The middle of this road is where the mainline churches are found. Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, etc. They do not preach the full gospel so most become social community halls. They have a form of godIiness but no spiritual power. They steer clear of the born again gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit which changes us in the New Creation of God with us the hope of glory!
John 3 v 3 - 7: "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."
When Jesus says Verily, verily meaning truly, truly He is being at His most emphatic. He is saying that if we miss this starting point we are on no hope road. I was a Presbytarian and before that an Anglican. I went to a Roman Catholic School all my school days but I never met Jesus until I was 25 and got born again.
It's like the Hebrews in Exodus who murmured against Moses and turned back to the fleshpots of Egypt instead of going into the Promised Land. They were never seen again. The Hebrews had to go through many battles to reach Israel forty years later and none of the original people who left Egypt ever went into it. Moses saw Israel from a mountain top where he died and his body was never found.
All the children of the original Hebrew people who left Egypt, went in and conquered the tribes who were living there. God commanded them to remove them all. He does the same with us spiritually.
He brought us out of the world (Egypt) through the Red Sea (The Blood of Jesus, and baptism), He gave us the Law, (The Word of God), He fed us and gave us water in the wilderness (Bread of Heaven and Living Water). He is leading us to the Promised Land (Eternity in Heaven).
We will go through trials and tribulations as the evil desires of our enemy are brought into the Light of Jesus. He allows certain events that we may think are bad, to reveal the damage done to us. Little by little He will drive them out from us. He doesn't want to hurt us, He just wants us clean and holy vessels that match tissue perfect with His Body. The Gentiles, non-Jewish believers, are the Body of Christ, the Bridegroom. The Bride is Israel .... John the Baptist rejoiced that she was hearing the Bridegroom's voice.
John 3 v 27 - 29: "John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled."
Back in the world, those who are furthest from God populate prisons, asylums, terrorist groups, Communist Regimes, hard gangs, drug cartels, human traffickers and corrupt governments. Through them anarchy will follow when democracy fails. There is already much apostasy in churches through being politically correct to accepting abominable man made laws.
When we break through the mental blocks of sin, doubt and unbelief into the realm of God's kingdom it is an awesome life full of treasure, adventure, miracles and like-minded people. It's a time of praise, worship and prayer, of being in His presence and enjoying fellowship with Him.
It may sound unbelievable but in this exalted realm believing is seeing. It is the complete opposite of the ways of the world. God's promises are real but to receive them we must know that we have been translated into His Kingdom.
Colossians 1 v 9 - 13: "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:"
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we long with all our hearts for everything You have for us, and whatever You need us to do, we are willing. We can never be too holy, too righteous, too faithful to You. Forgive us for not knowing that we are dead in sin but alive to God. As we head into 2025 turn our eyes and minds onto things above that are worthy of You. In Jesus' name. Amen.