SET YOUR AFFECTIONS ON THINGS ABOVE
Col. 3:2
Morning Meditation 4/13/16
"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."
Yesterday we dealt with this same passage and looked at the three times "with Christ" is used in this passage to express a relationship to him. In this study I want us to look at verse two and what it tells us to do.
John Stott says about people in general. "The really interesting thing about every person is what makes him 'tick.' For what or for whom is he living? Of course some people have no purpose in life. Either they have sought and failed to find one and therefore lapsed into existential pessimism, or else temperamentally they are drifters. They float like plankton on the ocean of life, at the mercy of every wind and tide. Others, far from drifting, seem to be driven, as if by some ruthless demon. An insatiable passion has possessed them, especially the lust for power or prestige."
These are interesting comments about people in general. They also describe many Christians. In my many years of pastoring, I have seen a lot of wanderers. I have seen many Christians who have become disappointed with life. They failed in what they wanted for themselves and now exist in bitterness waiting for the next bad experience which they expect. Others are madly working to carry out the plans they have for themselves, and while they are Christians, they obviously have little time to devote to the Lord. Their thoughts of business and pleasure occupy their time and conversation.
"It was while he was a victim of Nazi tyranny in the Auschwitz death-camp that Dr. Viktor Frankl (later Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at Vienna University) began to develop his 'logotherapy'. He noticed that the prisoners most likely to survive were those 'who knew that there was a task waiting for them to fulfil.'" (John Stott, Life in Christ, p. 73. Baker)
Our text gives an important dimension of the Christian life. No matter what the circumstances are in life, to set our affections on things above, will make a vast difference in our own attitudes and how people see us.
The words "set your affections" (phroneo) means "to direct one's mind to a thing, to seek, to strive for." It is a present active imperative verb. The Linguistic Key says, "The verb in this verse differs so far from that employed in the preceding, that it refers more to an inner disposition, while the former is a rather practical pursuit." The present tense means to keep on doing this in the present tense of your life. The active voice is where the subject does the acting and therefore is a volitional act, i.e., we must make the choice to keep on doing this. The imperative mood is a command that expresses urgency. Now I want to give you some reasons why it is commanded and is so urgent for the Christian to "Set your affections on things above . . . "
First, if we do not, we forfeit the vision of who we are in Christ. We are in a world that is filled with distractions. This is the reason the remainder of this verse says, "Not on things on the earth." No Christian will maintain his walk with the Lord whose affections are redirected to the things of this world. The reason I say "redirected" is because every Christian began right. We called on the Lord for salvation and our request was directed to him above. Our prayers are to "Our Father which art in heaven" not to "Our Father which art in earth." So to set our affections on things above is to continually have the vision of our life in him. It is to recognize who we are in Christ.
Second, if we do not set our affection on things above, we forfeit the fellowship that we can enjoy with him. Salvation brings us into a fellowship. John said in First John 1:3: "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." If John had fellowship with the Father and the Son, where did he get it. Where did they fellowship? I want to submit to you that John knew the truth of Colossians 3:2. The Christian who sets his affections on things above will have that heavenly glow on his face as Moses did when he came down off Mount Sinai.
Third, if we do not set our affections on things above, we lose our power to live for him. The power of God to live in this world for Christ comes from above. Paul tells us this in Ephesians 1:19-20: "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places." The distractions of this world have been so great that there are not many Christians in whom you can recognize the power of God. This is an indictment against us all. I'm not just finger pointing. The church is desperate need of God's power. Is our affections set on things above, or getting bigger crowds and building bigger buildings. I have seen women walk out of a marriage whose husband was a tremendous provider. He gave her everything but himself and some of his priority time. He just could not imagine why she wanted to divorce him. He said, "I've given her everything she ever wanted." Not quite, or she wouldn't be leaving! I wonder what Jesus says about me, his bride? I can imagine Jesus saying to his bride, "I love you. I have given my life for you. I intercede for you all the time. I station angels around you to protect you. Why, just yesterday I saved you from a fatal accident on the freeway. This person was drunk and started to cross the line and would have hit you head on and my angel nudged him and caused him to get back under control. I love you and I want your fellowship. Why don't you set you affections on me?"
Fourth, if we do not set our affections on things above, we start regressing in our spiritual growth. We actually start losing ground. Hebrews 5:12-14 says, "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." This passage teaches that a believer can lose ground, i.e., the maturity once had is regressed to babyhood.
Fifth, if we do not set our affections on things above, we cease to be an identifiable pilgrim by the unsaved. We adopt the world's ways and attitudes and the world sees us a one of them. See 1 Pet. 2:9-12.
