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Now, here's today's message from Pastor Skip Heitzig.
So far in the book of Colossians, Paul has been Speaking to us. about who we are positionally. Let me explain that. He says you are in Christ. You died with him.
You were circumcised with a circumcision not made. With hands. This is the previous chapter. You are baptized. All of these.
Metaphors that speak of realities All of what has happened to you when you gave your life to Christ, when you. Said yes to Jesus, a number of truths happened. It's not always easy to put into words. What happens when you Get saved. I know it was very difficult for me to explain to my family and friends what happened.
So, what happened to you? You say you got saved. What does that mean? And I was trying hard to find language. to convey This incredible experience that I had.
So I had never heard. The words born again. At that point in my life, I had never read the New Testament. I had given my life to Jesus Christ in the summer. Way back when, not this last summer, but.
And um A friend of mine who lived down the street who had made a commitment to Christ. Months before I did, Not knowing that I had made that commitment, came up to me one day and put his finger in my face and wanted to witness to me and tell me that I needed Jesus. And he said, Heitzig. You need to be born again. And I Stopped.
And I said Where did you get that term? He said, What are you talking about? I said, You just said. The words born again. Where did you get that term?
Because that's exactly what it feels like. That has happened to me. I'd never heard that, but when I heard that, I thought that's perfect descriptive language. For what has happened in my life. have been born again.
I have a whole new life. I just don't know how to express it in words until I heard that description. And he said, that's in the Gospel of John, chapter 3. Jesus said, you must be born again. And I thought, well, that is perfect language.
So Paul is describing this incredible experience. of the Colossian church. those who are saved, And what it's like to be born again. And he uses a number of metaphors that speak. To The reality of the Christian life.
Positionally. In Christ, seated in Christ. Circumcised, baptized. Raised from the dead, etc. All these Positional terms.
Now, He's moving from speaking positionally to speaking. Practically. Practically, there's a lot of therefore. This is how those truths. That I've been speaking about positionally, what they should look like in your.
and my daily life.
So In Chapter three we begin in verse one. If then You were raised With Christ? Seek those things which are above where Christ is. Sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above.
not on things of the earth, for you died. And your life is hidden with Christ. In God. If then you were raised with Christ and you have been. He said in the previous chapter, buried with him in baptism.
Raised to newness of life. When A person gets baptized. And we had a wonderful baptism this last weekend. And I love listening to the stories. A people's Salvation.
And The water of baptism. symbolizes Death. Death and burial. That's the whole idea of taking a person. Placing them in the water, underneath the water, and bringing them back out of the water.
One speaks of Death Burial Burying the past and then bringing the person back up. Paul said in Romans Even so, we should walk in newness of life.
So If then you were raised with Christ positionally, here's the practical, seek. Those things which are above, where Christ is. Sitting at the right hand of God. So your feet may be on earth, walking on earth, but you're heart, your mind. should be in heaven.
You should be. And I should be seeking those things which are above. And then, verse 2: set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth. I wonder how much you actually think about heaven. Most If not All unbelievers, let's just, let's just.
Kind of say it categorically. Unbelievers. Don't think about heaven. It's not on their mind. It's not on their radar.
They didn't really give it a thought. But sadly A lot of Christians don't think much about heaven. Either. Until They go to a funeral. Then at the funeral, they're talking about where that person is, if they've been a believer there before the Lord.
Then all of a sudden, that comes into focus once again. even for a believer. I think one of the reasons we don't think much about heaven is because too many Christians. think inaccurately about heaven. I think most believers think that heaven is like one long church service.
Were you going to just sit around and sing? All day long. Because they really haven't had a good Explorative study in scripture on what is going to happen in heaven.
Now, yes, eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of men the things that God has prepared for those who love him. That is often quoted. But keep reading, it says, But God has revealed them to us. By his Spirit.
So there's a lot we don't know, but there is a lot we do know. And once you do know, You're going to be thinking more and more about it.
Now, why should we think about heaven? Why should we set our Sights on heaven, as he says here, seeking those things, setting your mind on things above. Because The moment you gave your life to Christ, here's another positional truth. You became at that moment A registered citizen of heaven. It is where you are going to spend your future.
And if you look at all of eternity and you compare all of eternity to the little sliver called time and space continuum where you and I live here on this earth. It's nothing, it's a blip. It's a comma. It's a hiccup. compared to eternity.
So because you and I are going to spend all of our time In eternity, and if you're a believer in heaven, because your citizenship is in heaven. It it stands to reason that You would think about it more. Seek it more. You would, as Jesus said, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth nor rust can corrupt or destroy. You and I, we are citizens of heaven.
So seek those things which are above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.
Now, I just want to unpack briefly. This idea. Jesus Rose from the dead. ascended into heaven bodily. Because he rose from the dead bodily.
Ascended into heaven. In human form, bodily, and is. sitting at the right hand of the Father. That means a couple of things for us. Number one, it means that the work.
is finished. The work that he did for us is finished. Let me explain. In The Old Testament. when you would bring a sacrifice to the tabernacle or the temple.
The priest was always on his feet. There wasn't a chair in the temple nor the tabernacle. The priest was always on his feet. Offering sacrifices, doing the work for one and then another and then another, and it was an ongoing. Work.
Jesus did the work of atonement for us on the cross. was buried Rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and now he is sat down. Because the work is done.
So, Hebrews chapter 1, verse 3, having by himself purged. Uh of our sins. has sat down at the right hand of the Father, right hand of majesty.
So For Jesus to sit down, sitting at the right hand of God, speaks of a finished work. Number two, it speaks of his authority. The right hand of a king was the place of authority, a place of status, a place of honor.
So Jesus sat down, taking his place of honor and authority at the right hand. of the Father.
Now Don't picture Jesus just sort of up there twiddling his thumbs. He's seated, and he's just sort of. You know. On the iPhone, kind of doom scrolling, looking around, because there's nothing else to do. What is he doing in that seated position of the finished work?
and the position of authority, what is he doing? He's praying. For us. This is Connect with Skip Heitzig. Your support helps reach people every day with biblical truth that brings hope, encouragement, and direction for real life.
If you've ever wondered how to stay grounded when our culture is constantly pulling you in different directions, Pastor Skip's study through Colossians is for you. In Expound Colossians, you'll gain a deeper understanding of who Jesus is, why he is completely sufficient for every season of life, and how God's truth gives you confidence to stand firm in your faith. Your generosity helps extend the reach of ConnectWithSkip Heitzig, connecting more people around the world to God's word. Request Expound Colossians when you give $50 or more at connectwithskip.com slash offer or by calling 800-922-1888.
Now here's more from Pastor Skip. He is at the right hand of the Father, and Hebrews says he ever lives to make intercession for us.
So here you are, citizens of heaven, on the way to heaven. Before you even get to heaven, there are prayers being said. for you from heaven. Amen. It's great truth.
You know, I love it when somebody says, Skip, I've been praying for you. I'm honored. But get this. Jesus is praying for you. You're in a no-lose situation.
He's at the right hand. A couple of times, once in Romans, once in Hebrews, tells us he's interceding for us.
So that's where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Sit your mind on things above. not on things of the earth. It's hard to do. Easy to read, hard to do because We get consumed by this life.
We get distracted by so many things. And it's so easy to be materialistically minded. Here he says Don't let it swallow you up. Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth. And here's why.
for you died Okay, that's a positional truth because you are breathing, so you're still alive. But he says you died. And your life Is hidden with Christ in God.
Now let me go through in that verse three, not one, not two, but. Three positional truths. Truth number one, you died. When Jesus died, you died. Jesus died for you, yes.
Substitutionary atonement. He died for you. He died in your place. Though Jesus died for you, The other truth is, when he died, You died with him. You identify with his death.
Paul said in Galatians 2, verse 20, I... Mm. Crucified with Christ.
So, when Jesus died positionally, I died, that means. I'm dead to the old way of living. It does not have to, though it often does, but it does not have to dominate. My existence. I am freed.
From the power, the grip of sin and death, because Jesus died for me, but when he died, I died with him.
So that's truth number one. You died. Truth number two. You were raised because it says in verse one: if then you were raised. And you were.
That's the second positional truth. I just quoted Galatians 2. Verse 20. But I only quoted part of the verse.
Now listen to the rest of it. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. But it's not I who lives, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loves me and gave himself for me.
Man. Two truths. Position of truths. You died? You're raised.
Truth number three, you're hidden. For you died in your life. That's the raised part. Your life is hidden with Christ in God. Yeah.
That's a truth that should comfort you. Jesus said, That No one can snatch you out of his hand. This speaks of your security in Christ.
So if you wake up tomorrow morning and you go, you know, I felt really saved last night at church. But I feel a little less saved this morning. I had weird dreams last night and And I just feel Less close to God, less saved. Don't go by your feelings. That's when you can't trust your feelings.
You died? You were raised. And you are capped. You are hidden. Your life is hidden with Christ and God.
When Christ, verse 4, who is our life. You know, one of the things I notice about Colossians, and I think I told you last week or the week before, I'd just been making a habit of reading it every day for like 30 days straight. It's, All about the centrality. Jesus Christ. all about him because of that Gnostic Heresy saying that Jesus is less than God.
He's one of the many emanations, and Jesus is a good start. But we're going to take you through a superior knowledge to the Pleroma, the fullness of God.
So Paul just makes Jesus front and center in all things that he might have the preeminence. He's the creator of all things. He was before all things. In him, all things consist. He's the head of the church.
Now, he says, when Christ, who is our very life, Appears then you also will appear with him. In glory.
Now that's not A positional truth. That's an eschatological truth that is literal. One day Jesus is going to appear. And he's going to appear. for the believer in two ways.
First, At what we call the rapture of the church. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Sure. The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, the trumpet of God. The dead in Christ will rise first.
We who are alive and remain will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air.
So shall we ever be with him. In the moment. 1 Corinthians 15, in a twinkling of an eye, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be trusted. transformed, changed, metamorphosed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when Jesus appears for the church in the clouds.
If you are alive and if I am alive, we will be instantaneously. Meeting saints who have died. With the Lord in the air, we will all be resurrected, transformed physically. We'll go to be with the Lord, but then when he appears the second time, he comes to the earth. In bodily form, not meeting us in the heavens, but he comes all the way back to the earth at the end of the tribulation period.
It says, we, his saints, will be with him. In those resurrected, glorified bodies.
Now, look at the verse again. When Christ who is our life. When he appears, you will also appear with him in glory. As we age, We Look at ourselves in the mirror. Every day.
And we naturally become disappointed. You know I always, you know, I walk around and I do my thing and I feel. Like I'm in my 20s. And then I look at that horrible thing called a mirror, and I'm reminded of the reality. Um and frailty of human life and the certainty that I have An end date.
Um One of the glorious things about being a Christian and thinking about heaven, our citizenship as a heaven, why should we be looking above, seeking above, is because you're not just going to change locations. You're going to change looks. You know, uh Paul said in Philippians. That he will transform our, this is his description, lowly bodies. It's pretty accurate.
are lowly bodies. that it would be like his own glorious body. And do you remember that Paul said in Romans that we groan? Desiring to be delivered and clothed. With our heavenly Body The older you get, the more you grown.
Am I right? And I hear myself all the time groaning. But when Christ, who is our life, He didn't just give us life, He is our life, when He appears. At the rapture of the church, that's Resurrection Day for the believer. That's when all the physical transformation takes place.
Then you also will appear with him in glory.
So, I love that. Heaven isn't just a destination, it's a motivation. Therefore Therefore. See, here's the practical part. He goes from positional to practical, therefore.
And there's always a therefore in the Christian life. Therefore, because of that truth, Put Two Death. The old King James says mortify Put to death. Your members, which are on the earth, fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of all these positional truths, These positional truths should look like.
Practical Truths Our theology should become our beology. This is how we actually are. Therefore, that's the idea, but behind the therefore, put to death.
Now that's Paul's language here. In Romans, he uses a little bit different language, same idea, but different. He says, Therefore, or likewise, reckon yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God. That reckoning, that supposing that That making a decision to make a break from the past because you have the power to do so. And I know you have the power because there's Three propositional truths.
You died. You were raised. You're hidden. Therefore, You have the power. I have the power to...
Stop doing certain activities. Our theology can become our bology. We can reckon ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to God. We can overcome the grip of the enemy. In those habits.
Therefore, put to death the members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion. Evil desires, covetousness, which is idolatry. See you and I have a problem. We're citizens of heaven, but we're living on the earth right now. Our spirit is awakened unto God.
We have a new nature, but we also carry about. Still our old nature, which is at war with our new nature, So we know certain things to be right and true. But living them out isn't so easy. We're dead, but sometimes we forget that we're dead. To those the old manner of living, the old lifestyles, the old activities.
We're dead, but the old man keeps wanting to get back up out of the caskets, push it back down into the casket. It's a daily reality. Hey, get back in that coffin, you. Put it to death. We're so glad you joined us today on Connect with Skiff Heitzig.
Before you go, remember that when you give $50 or more this month, we'll send you Expound Colossians as our thanks. This encouraging verse-by-verse study will help you discover why Christ is enough, how to stand firm in God's truth, and how to live each day with confidence in Him. Your support helps keep this Bible teaching ministry reaching people around the world with the life-changing truth of God's Word. Give today at connectwithskip.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888. See you next time.
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