Let’s begin with a question: What are dead men passionate about? In Colossians 3.1-11 Paul writes to the church of the Colossians about where to put your emotional focus. He levels us with some heavy principles to apply to our daily lives.
The first principle he leaves us is: The most important part of your life Is not here. Verse 1— “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” The most important part of your life should garnish the most important level of your emotional attention. Does it? The Scripture said here— “risen with Christ”. Do you remember the gospel which saved you? His death, burial, and resurrection? Because of what He did, we are to be dead to this world. As He died, we are to die to self and selfish ambitions. This is detailed in Romans 6. Dead to any life outside of a life with Christ. Why such a radical notion? Because we are alive in and to Jesus now. His kingdom is not here—it’s there.
Paul continues with— “…seek those things above”. What does that mean exactly? What is above? I think it is obvious he is speaking of Heaven; His angels; the mansions; loved ones who went before us; but mainly God Himself. So verse 2 continues— “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Your “affection”, or what you think on, set your mind on. It is describing the exercise of the mind, what you’re paying close attention to. It’s our focus in the moment. But did you notice he said the word “not”? In other words, our attention should be there and not here. Many say it’s ok, as long as you keep God first, but he clearly said “not” here. Do you keep Him first in all things? It is a rarity today if so. In fact I think most would admit it’s a constant struggle. If so, then it should demand our full attention. Remember the first and great commandment— “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with ALL thy heart, and with ALL thy soul, and with ALL thy mind.” (Matthew 22.37 emphasis added). To put your affections, or emotional attention to something is to focus with your mind and your heart on something. He is not just first and greatest, our emotional attention on Jesus ought to ever-increase to be the only thing think about. It does say “love” doesn’t it? When one is in love, all you can think about is the other person…right? The careless distractions of this life affect our relationship with God now, and in the life to come.
The second principle Paul leaves us is: you’re dead. That’s pleasant isn’t it? But true. Verse 3 and 4 state— “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Here we have focus again— “seek those things above”. Do you find yourself having a hard time focusing on things above? I think this is only going to get more difficult believer. The next verse tells us how. It leads off with a “therefore”… “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth;” Truthfully, you are too nice. I mean look at what the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write— “Mortify”. You know: kill, suppress, destroy…like weeds or vermin. That is pretty stiff! But he isn’t done is he? The end of verse 5 says— “fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:” We aren’t to avoid the deadly cares of this life—we are to kill them! These are killing your fellowship who God and the saints, why not preemptive strike them?!
Romans 8.13b says— “…if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” Galatians 5.24 says— “…they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” We are way too nice about our selfish appetites in this life. The list provided by Paul means God is serious— “For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.” (Colossians 3.6-7). Please notice also the “walkED” and “WHEN you livED”— emphasis added to illustrate this should be all in your past! These should be your past, and not your present. He’s not done though— “But now ye also put off all these;” (8). He isn’t done— “…anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. (8b) And verse 9 has more— “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;”
So far in our text we are to take a two stepped approach to this life and the activities of our flesh: 1) lay it down; then 2) kill it. He said to put off, lay down, lay aside. So a dead man is passionate about: laying down the old man and killing him. He is passionate about laying aside the things distracting him from the life God blesses. But why? Verse 10 has the answer— “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” You have competing agendas in play. The old you; and the new you. They are in competition. One will thrive if the other dies. Until this happens, that makes you very unstable according to James 1.8— “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” Because your focus is off. We cannot legitimately claim to be focused on more than one thing at a time. This kind of believer’s spiritual life is suffering.
Having said that, we need to look at the third and final principle Paul leaves us here: You have to put off the old man and kill him—otherwise you are feeding that which will kill you. The new man is renewed (made new) by the knowledge of Jesus, because it’s created by Jesus, who is in you. So, you have to kill the one and focus on the other. Or, the old one will continue to flourish while the new one is at a constant weakened state.
It shouldn’t have to be this way. A saved person is made new and renewed by Jesus daily. But when we refuse to mortify the old man, we handicap this process. This isn’t unique to English speaking Westerners or Southeast Asian descendants. It is a universal human problem for those who accept Christ’s free offer of salvation. Once saved, the real work begins. Verse 11 even says— “Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” No one has an advantage, or a disadvantage. All of us are universally in this fight. It doesn’t matter your socio-political background; color; creed; or nationality…we are all in the same boat. We all have the potential of being like Christ—and—all have the same internal struggle.
The Questions to ask yourself are: What is your focus set on? Where are your passions? Where are you most passionate? Is it here? Or there? Earth or Heaven?
You see, dead men are passionate about God and His Kingdom. Who could mean more to you than the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Prince of Peace, the Great Shepard, the Lord of Host, the Alpha and the Omega? The answer can only be answered by you.