Minds Above

[Read Colossians 3:1-4]

This morning’s passage asks a difficult question, one that most people don’t really think about often. Most people just go through life from one thing to the next just doing the next thing. That’s not actually a bad thing, but it’s also helpful to take a step back sometimes and ask some important questions. This morning’s passage is forcing us to ask the question, “What is the central ,driving motivation for everything I do?” Why do I get up in the morning? Why do I go to work each day? Why do I do my job the way I do? Why do I go to church on a Sunday morning? Why do I spend my money the way I do? I could keep going on because this question is about what is central to everything you do—everything. 

Even if you’ve never really thought about that question, you still have a central, driving motivation—it’s just what has come natural to you. Most likely you picked it up from your parents because it was their central motivation and so it became yours. Sometimes it’s because of the people you hang around with often, they’ve rubbed off on you so that their driving motivation has become your driving motivation. Maybe you’ve found your driving motivation from someone you look up to or respect—you want to be like them, so you try to live and act like them. 

Everyone has to have a reason to get up in the morning. For many it’s because they want to care for and provide for their family. For some it’s because they want to climb the social and economic ladder. For some they get up and go to work everyday because they want to have the weekends off—they’re working for the weekend. For some their central motivating reality is the approval of those around them. For some it’s trying to prove something to themselves. There are a ton of different options for a central, driving motivation in life. 

This morning’s passage encourages us to dive a little deeper than any of the options I’ve already given. Actually, our passage tells us to look a little higher. We’re told, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above…Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2, ESV). It’s calling us to seek things that are higher than this earth and to set our minds on things that are higher than this earth. All of the central motivations I’ve mentioned would be considered earthly realities—not necessarily bad, but earthly. This passage is telling us that we need to have central, driving motivations that look higher than these things.

Just to take a step back for a moment, I want to make sure that we see the connection to last week’s message because this is simply building on that reality. Remember last week’s message was all about these false teachers who were leading people astray by giving them all of these practices that would make them super-Christians. Paul reminded them that all of those practices actually had no value in drawing them nearer to Christ and killing sin in their life. They only resulted in puffed up, prideful people. Now, this week, he’s building on that and saying, “All of those things—all of those practices—are earthly. I want you to seek things that are higher than that.” 

So he tells the church to do two things. First, he says “…seek the things that are above…” (Colossians 3:1, ESV). The word “seek” has some urgency and intentionality to it. It doesn’t portray an image of someone aimlessly wandering down a path and accidentally stumbling upon something cool. No, in order to seek something you know what you’re going after, you create a plan to find it, then you begin intentionally seeking that thing. It’s not passive, but very active. So, he tells the church that they need to actively pursue things that are above—heavenly things, not earthly things. 

Second, he says, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:2, ESV). That’s different than seeking. This is about your mind, what you think. Actually, back when Paul wrote this, the mind referred to more than our brain or what we think, it also included our affections and desires and priorities. So they’re told to set their affections and desires and thoughts and priorities on things that are above—heavenly things, not earthly things. Again, this is something that is active, isn’t it? If you are going to set your mind on something, it’s an active task. It involves wrangling all of your wandering thoughts in a particular direction. It takes intentional action on your part.

So, the image that we’re given here is that as Christians we’re to actively set our minds on heavenly things, then pursue those things with intentionality and purpose and focus. 

Paul gives us a few reasons why we’re to do this. He says, “…your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3, ESV). There are a few possibilities of what this could mean, but everyone agrees that this is referencing our union with Jesus Christ. As we’ve been talking about throughout this series, one of the major themes of Colossians is being IN Christ—being united to him, which means we’re united to everything he’s done and to where he is right now. The image here is that we’re so united to Christ that we’re enfolded into him and hidden in him.

So because we’ve been united with Christ, we experience what he experiences. That’s why Paul also says, “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3, ESV). Since Christ died, and you are united to Jesus Christ, you also have died. Again, this flows from last week’s passage, with an additional nuance. Last week he reminded them that they had died to all of those old practices and the old way of things, which is why they don’t need to follow them anymore. This time he’s saying that they need to stop seeking and setting their mind on earthly things because they’ve died to those things in Christ. 

Not only did we die in Christ, but we’ve also been resurrected in Christ and ascended into heaven in Christ. That’s how he starts this passage off: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” (Colossians 3:1, ESV). Christ rose again from the dead and ascended into heaven where He is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. Since we’re united to him, we’re also united to him in his resurrection and ascension. That means, in Christ, we too are seated in heaven at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. And Paul says that’s one of the reasons why we’re not to set our minds on or seek earthly things—because we’re in heaven with Christ. 

Now, I wanna take a moment to help us understand what this means because it’s hard for us to get our minds around, isn’t it? What does it actually mean that I’ve died with Christ? What does it actually mean that I’ve been raised with Christ and ascended into heaven with him? It shouldn’t surprise you that I think the Heidelberg Catechism does a really good job of helping us understand what this means on a daily, practical level. It asks the question, “Q89. What is the dying-away of the old self? A. To be genuinely sorry for sin and more and more to hate and run away from it.” So, what does it mean that we’ve died with Christ? It means that our old, sinful nature has died with Christ, and needs to keep dying every single day of our lives until it’s completely dead, which will happen when we die or when Christ comes again. Then it asks, “Q90. What is the rising-to-life of the new self? A. Wholehearted joy in God through Christ and a love and delight to live according to the will of God by doing every kind of good work.” So, rising with Christ means that our new life is springing up and growing and slowly taking over our life, and that too will keep happening over and over again, every day of our life until we die or Christ comes. This is what the Christian life looks like. It’s a daily process of the old self dying away and the new self rising to new life. 

Now, here’s how all of this connects together. I want to spend quite a bit of time looking at what this means and looks like on a practical level. What does it mean that you are not to seek or set your minds on earthly things because you’ve been united to Christ in his death, resurrection, and ascension? There are a lot of thoughts and opinions on this. There are people who would say that this means you shouldn’t really focus on your job or food or money—any of these “earthly” things—we should transcend these things and think only of heavenly realities. There are some who would get really frustrated about this kind of language and say that there are too many Christians who are too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good. They go through life with their head in the clouds and ignore all of the suffering and pain and hurt on this earth. So, what does all of this mean?

I think we can understand much of what Paul means by looking at something he says in this passage. He uses this little phrase, “…Christ who is your life…” (Colossians 3:4, ESV). Christ IS our life. Now, there’s a few ways to understand what he means by this. I think it means two things at the same time. On the one hand, it means that we find life in Jesus Christ—resurrection life in him. That’s a result of being united to him in his resurrection. This is the reason why we’re able to die to our old selves and rise again to new life. We can do this because Christ IS our life. 

However, I think Paul is getting at something more than that in this passage, especially when you consider the context. When he says that Christ IS your life, it also makes sense to understand that this means your life now revolves around him. He is your life. Another way of saying this, to connect it back to what I was saying at the beginning of the sermon, is that Christ is now your central, driving motivation of your life. That’s true because you are united to him. That’s true because you’re dying to your old self and rising to life in him. And because Christ is now the central, driving motivation of your life, you set your mind on him and you seek him with all of your might in everything you do. 

Think about how Paul talks about this in his own personal life. He famously says this in Philippians: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21, ESV). That sounds a lot like someone saying that Christ is now the central, driving motivation of their life. If they are going to live, their life is going to be focused on Christ. He set his mind on these things and he sought them.

To understand how this connects to the contrast of not setting our minds on earthly things, Paul also helps us out later on in Philippians. It’s a longer passage, but I think it’s really helpful in understanding what it means not to seek and set our minds on earthly things, but to seek and set our minds on heavenly things. Here’s what Paul says about himself: “I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:4–11, ESV). This is what Paul is talking about in this morning’s passage. Setting our minds on and seeking heavenly things over earthly things means looking higher. It means not taking all of these earthly realities so seriously. Paul says that he did all of the earthly things and would throw them all away to grow closer to Jesus Christ. Knowing Christ is greater than all of these earthly things. 

Now, does that mean we don’t focus on these things? Is someone more spiritual if they ignore all earthly things and only focus on spiritual things? That’s a trap. That’s the trap of last week’s passage. The trap is to be soooo spiritual that you neglect your body and all of the earthly things—that’s how you become a super-Christian. That’s not what Paul is saying here. Remember, the man who just told us that we set our mind on and seek heavenly things did many earthly things. He continued to make tents throughout his ministry. While on a ship that was going to sink, he did pray, but he also told everyone that they needed to eat. So, by following these commands, we are not to neglect or ignore earthly things. 

So, what are we to do? We’re to make Christ—who is our life—the central, driving motivation in all of these earthly endeavors. The idea is that as you go about your earthly life—doing earthly things—you are continually setting your mind on and seeking heavenly things. The answer to all of those questions I asked at the beginning is Christ. Why do you get up and go to work every day? Ultimately, the answer needs to be Christ. You go to work every day because you want to honor Christ in everything you do. You do a good job at work because you want to honor Christ in everything you do. You spend your money in certain ways, ultimately, because you want to honor Christ with the resources He’s given you. Why do you want to care for and provide for your family? Because you want to honor Christ. Why do you come to Sunday and worship? Because you want to honor Christ. His IS your life. And because that is true, you set your mind on him in everything you do, you meditate on his Word day and night, you pray as you work, and you seek him in everything you do at all times. Jesus said something very similar when he said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33, ESV). Seek the heavenly things first, above all else, and all those other earthly things will fall into their proper place and position. 

This is what I’m talking about when I talk about worshiping Christ in all of life. I end every service reminding us that we leave worship and head out into the world to continue worshiping Jesus Christ wherever we go—whether at the grocery store or the pickleball court or in the home of our friends. How do we worship him in all of these places? By keeping Jesus Christ as the central, driving motivation in each of them. As we hang out with our friends, we’re going to enjoy time with them, recognizing they are gifts from Christ to us. As we play on the pickleball court, we’re going to thank Jesus Christ for giving us bodies that can move and opportunities to use them and opportunities to fellowship with other people. As we buy groceries we’re going to be thanking Jesus for the abundance he’s provided and the variety of tastes and flavors and textures. When we make Christ the central, driving motivation for everything we do, we bring glory and honor and praise to him in everything we do. 

This is what it means to set our minds on and seek the things that are above. Ultimately, it’s being reminded of “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8, ESV). That reality not only helps us to lose all of these earthly realities with joy, but it also enables us to properly and rightly enjoy these earthly realities, knowing that Christ is worth so much more than any of them. That’s why we want him at the center. 

So, leave this morning setting your minds on the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord and seek—with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength—to know these things and to live out this reality in everything you say and do.