What's Your Focus?

Colossians 3:1-4

The book of Colossians is about Christ. In fact, Christ is the theme of the entire Bible. I’ve said many times that Christianity is about Christ. This passage will help us to really see the centrality of Christ and the necessity of staying focused on Christ.  

In todays’ passage, we see the major shift in Colossians.

Here at the beginning of Chapter 3, we have a shift to the “practical” side of the letter.

• In this passage we will see the starting point of practical holiness. 

How you begin to move down the path toward genuine spiritual growth. 

1. If/Then

Paul is not saying, “well, if you were saved....” or “if your salvation has resulted in this....”

We have a fact that Paul is pointing out. He’s saying:

• Because this is true in your life

This connects with and flows from verse 20 in Chapter 2 You died to the elemental spirits...

He next goes on to say:

a. Since: You have been Raised

Remember: we died to the elemental spirits - the elementary principles of the world. 

We have died to the flesh. We have been raised with Christ. 

You have experienced a radical change of spiritual environment and this should affect your whole mode of life. 

• You have entered into a whole new reality with Him.

One of the best things that Paul does in this passage is to show us the superiority of Christ over and against the false teaching. 

Imagine what the false teachers might reply to all this. Remember that he’s essentially attacked every point of their teaching. They might now say “so, you just sit and do nothing? We’ve go this great list of things that we say will draw you closer - give you higher knowledge and we promise the “real experience” of Jesus. 

Plus - it works for us....” It’s worked for me - look at this great “ecstatic vision” I had

Paul doesn’t just leave it there. Paul now shows us a far superior path. A true path. 

• Forget what the false teachers would tell you - THIS is the path: 

This will be the result of following God’s path and plan. 

You’ll have the right mindset. You’ll think rightly. 

And when you experience true legitimate spiritual growth.

And all of that other “checklist” stuff won’t appeal to you at all.

• When we follow God’s path, the inventions of man are easily dismissed (and actually despised)

He’s told us not to continue living in sin. Though sin is no longer our master, sin can still overpower us if we’re not properly focused. 

Philippians 2:12 – ...work out your own salvation...

We do this by living out the realities and truths of what the life of a believer is.
We do this by abiding in Him (1 John)

• You need to remember that we already have everything we need. 

2 Peter 1:3  – His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

Because this passage mentions Christ five times in only four verses, it’s obviously about Him, right?

Obviously Paul believes that Christ is sufficient. 

He is the beginning and the end of the truly spiritual life.

He said that Christ is sufficient and everything else (especially this entire book) points to that.

• The reason that so many Christians don’t truly live the full, joyous, victorious Christian life is they don’t seek to pursue and understand Christ above everything else. 

They don’t saturate themselves with Scripture. 

They’re not seeking to be changed by the Word.  

They’re not being obedient to it. 

• The path to holiness is knowing Christ 

Understanding the Gospel (who He is/what He has done)

Paul wants to make sure that we’re not ignorant or forgetful of who you are and how you are to live.

• Ignorant - you never really read it. You never heard it.

• Forgetful - you haven’t stayed on top of it.

It is the power of Christ, abiding in us, that controls and helps us to conquer our sinful passions.

b. Then: Keep Seeking

The word “seek” here means: to desire to have or experience something, with the focus of making an attempt toward it.

The word seek here is the same that we see in Matthew 6:33 – But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness...

Things that are above – the heavenly realm. 

The word means “above” or “upward” as opposed to below.

• Your interests should be centered on heaven and Christ

Your attitudes, ambitions, and whole outlook on life are molded by Christ

• Setting the heart toward heaven is the aim of the practical pursuit of the Christian life.

Setting the mind refers to the inner disposition. 

Almost everyone writing about Colossians quotes Lightfoot when he says this:

• You must not only seek heaven, you must also think heaven. 

How can you structure this? How do you achieve this?

Reading Scripture is obviously the starting point. The more you will shape your thinking.

• Be intentional about your thinking.

Shaping and framing your thinking correctly. 

But the main idea here with all of this is this:

2. Be Obsessed with Heaven

The end of verse one is such a great phrase.I think it will help us to pull this entire passage into sharp focus.

seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Here’s what that means:

• The right hand of God as the symbol of divine power

With His right hand Yahweh:

both saves the oppressed and punishes the enemies of the righteous 

Ecclesiastes 10:2, Matthew 25:33, Psalm 110:1, Luke 22:69, Acts 2:32-33, 1 Peter 3:22 

What better place is there to seek than Christ and Heaven, where He is seated?

Now with all this talk of heaven - I must warn you. 

There are many books about heaven on the market today. People telling their “story about how they went to heaven and came back.” Tim Challies calls it “Heaven Tourism” and explains it this way: “the Bible gives us no reason to believe that a person will truly die, truly experience the afterlife, and then return. Those who have a biblical understanding of life and death and heaven and hell will know that for a person to die and visit heaven, to experience sinlessness and the presence of Jesus Christ—for that person it would be the very height of cruelty to then demand that they return to earth.”

For the full article about these books, check out Tim Challies blog. 

a. Why? You have Died

Through your faith in Christ, you have died to the entire system of this world.

You no longer have to sin. You’re no longer a slave to sin. What does this really mean?

John MacArthur says it this way: That the penalty for sin has been paid. The wages of sin is death, so we must die. By union with Jesus Christ, we die the required death in Him, so the penalty is paid and sin can never claim us again.

• The penalty is paid, sin cannot claim us

You cannot rise again with Christ unless you have first died with Him. 

• We must be dead, so that we may live. 

Here is the theological framework for this.

Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection are the essential moments of salvation and all of history. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) And they mark the transition from the old to the new era.

By trusting in Christ, you have identified with Christ in these events and so experience the benefits that come with them.  

Not only are you dead, but your life is hidden with Christ in God

Hidden? You mean I’m an undercover Christian? People shouldn’t know that I’m a Christian? Of course not!

• You’re united with Him. A common life – 2 Peter 1:4 

• This ‘new life’ isn’t physically visible - a lost person won’t get it. 

1 Corinthians 2:14 –  The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned

This is something you need to remember. This is why people will look at you weird sometimes. Why persecution comes.

But I think the main element to this is that

• You’re eternally secure. Your salvation is so certain, it’s as if you’re already there. 

John 10:28, 1 Peter 1:4, Psalm 27:5, and of course: Romans 8:31-39

The main idea is safety. God has everything under His control. I’m safe! No worries. 

• God will keep us secure in our relationship with Him. 

b. Christ is your Life

There is a relentless Christological focus to Colossians

If you’re wondering why I keep saying “Christianity is about Christ” and why it’s printed on the top of the sermon notes every week, it’s because that’s what Colossians tells us and it’s something we can never forget.

• Our union with Christ should be the central focus of our lives.

What He loves - we love.

What He hates - we hate.

• Christ doesn’t merely give life, He IS life. 

Galatians 2:20, Philippians 1:21-23, Christ is your life, not this world: 1 John 2:15-16 

• Not just the author of it, but the constant source and supply of it. 

Christ is the source, center, and goal of the individual and corporate lives of believers. 

Our lives are completely bound up with Him

Past: Christ died - we died with Him

Present: He was raised - we were raised with Him

Future: He will return - we will appear with Him in glory

c. Glory appearing

 ⁴ When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 

Christ is now ignored or rejected by the world (ignore is the same as reject)

But one day - He will come back. He will come in glory.

It’s at the second coming that everything comes together. That His glory appears. That our spiritual lives will finally be what they are to be. This is what we look forward to. 

1 John 3:2   Philippians 3:8-11 . 

The coming of Christ will be the manifestation of our life.

• Why would we not focus on Him now?

All the things that we have all been looking forward to and thinking forward to will all come to be. 

• It will be glorious!

Reflection Questions:

• Do you understand that you have died to your old self? 

• How are you seeking the things above?

• Do you understand the glory, majesty, and authority of Christ?

• Do you think about heaven and Christ often?

• Do you know you’re saved? How? 

• Is Christ your life?