New Life!

New Life!

Colossians 3:1 AMPC

[1] IF THEN you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Paul was writing this letter to the church in Colosse, and it is instructive that this letter was co-written by Timothy, someone who had been mentored in the faith by Paul. Timothy was not one you would have reckoned with by Jewish standards, because his father was Greek, but we now know that the past does not always determine the present or the future. That Timothy became the vessel he became is a testament to the power of God to save and to use. There is no one who is so far gone that s/he is beyond the grace of God. He is the One who takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary. It really matters in whose hands that life is. 

It is also instructive to note the audience to which this letter is addressed: the saints (the consecrated people of God) and believing and faithful brethren in Christ. This also matters. As we have always maintained, the audience defines the demand. You do not place a demand for commitment from a majority which has no idea of what is required by God. How can you commit to a God who you do not know or whose authority you do not submit to? The other danger is that this majority is of course in large numbers, and can be quite loud and visible. The crowd can make noise, but it does not always mean that God is backing up that noise. 

For those who have made that commitment, the message in the verse above is clear: we have been raised with Christ into a new life. When Christ died on the cross, He took away the power of sin and death, giving us access into the new life that only Christ can give. We now share the same life; we share the power of resurrection, because this new life does not end. This is both humbling and instructive; it is a life that is only available in Christ, and it places a demand for new pursuits and priorities from all who seek it. What worked in the old life no longer applies in this new life. What was permitted under the old order no longer works in this new order. 

For people who share this new life, the verse above lays out this requirement: aim at and seek the rich, eternal treasures that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. It does not mean that I forget how to be a blessing down here on earth, but the values of the earth must not hold my heart. I cannot afford to focus only on what I can get here, but the desire for eternal life with God must be of utmost priority.  The treasures in Christ beat whatever the earth can give you; the earth can even give you, but it cannot guarantee that you will enjoy it. Focus on God, even as you make impact for Him down here. Eternity will be glad you did. God's time of favour is here.