I have been wondering about we who claim to know & love Christ so well - if this is true of us, then why are our lives so grounded and stuck in the ways of the course of this world?
We say there is none like Him for us, but why does so much of our social media posts purely speak about the things connected to this place. As much as we refuse to admit it or we have told or convinced ourselves it is okay - our words, life, and postings say what we really love.
Why do we talk so much about the things in this life as if they actually have some kind of eternal value, when they are purely little trinkets that someone else will own after us?
Why do we speak about how much we value His Word and spend so little time studying it, but have no trouble at all being consumed by uninterrupted time on our phone?
Why do affirm our lives are guided by wisdom from scripture, but never know what to do in moments of crisis, temptation, or opportunities for great faith?
Why do say we only want to hear His voice, but spend so much time listening to others perspectives on the Word?
Why do we place so much value on whether people like our posts, but rarely stop to ponder whether God is pleased with our obedience? Why does His displeasure at our lack of obedience no longer move us to repentance and change?
Why do we confess that doctrine and Biblical truth matter and they are the longing of our hearts, yet we have no issue reading blogs, books, and the blusterings of humanistic self-help writers and speakers who sprinkle in a little Christianity to make it all seem okay? Have we forgotten that Galatians and other NT letters were written to crush and combat false gospels?
What is wrong with us, that we are okay with weak doctrine and turn a blind eye to supposed Christian leaders who espouse things Jesus never did say or would say even if He were walking on the earth in our generation? What does it say of us that we keep reading and listening to those who say these things and feel no conviction?
Why do we want to be led by a purely emotional faith, instead of having a faith when both mind and heart are fully engaged in the glory of Christ? Feelings ungrounded without the facts of truth in Scripture is just an emotional experience shrouded in Christian words. Jesus said we are to worship in spirit and truth - both must be present for it to be worship.
Why do we say the local church matters, but easily allow so many other things take precedent of gathering with the people of God? He died to establish a people called the church - not sports, business, hobbies, or sleep.
I have been asking myself to take a hard look at it all for myself and I think I clearly know the answer to the previous questions for all of us. Paul sets for the answer in this text...
Colossians 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Here is what may be missing in our lives...
1. Salvation means we have been raised with Christ - 3:1a
This salvation means we are to live contrary to the ways of this world and we live contrary to it by...
- 3:1b - Seeking the things above, not the things of this life - We seek the kind of things that surround Jesus as He is seated at the right hand of the Father.
- 3:2 - Set our minds on the things above, not things here
- 3:3 - Safety of our lives - found not in the things of this life, but that our life is hidden with Christ in God! Having stuff is not safety!
- 3:4 - Security and Satisfaction that our faith will lead to seeing Jesus - Because of are safely hidden in Him, when He appears, we have the promise of being with Him in glory.
This is what is missing in our lives and why there are so many questions surrounding the church today.
We need to live in and immerse ourselves in C314 and maybe some things will finally be different.
