IF YE BE RISEN WITH HIM
Col. 3:1-3
Morning Meditation 4/1/17
Verse 1-3 says, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”
Bishop Hadley Moule said, “This is one of the golden paragraphs of the whole Bible . . . It lifts the soul as with wings, till we get a glimpse of that exalted One sitting throned after death at the Right Hand of power, and in some sense realize that where He is we His people are, as to the true heart and basis of our regenerate being, and know that that basis is nothing less nor lower than HIMSELF, and stand upon that fact, and look out from it towards the coming glory, and turn to a renewed and joyful walk here, ‘in the present world,’ by faith in the Son of God.”
The Scripture definitely teaches that we have been raised in His risen life (Eph. 2:6) and that where He is we are. 1 John 4:17 brings this out, “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” He is our life now while we are yet in this world. Lets look first of all at,
HIS RESURRECTION
The resurrection of Christ is an ESSENTIAL part of the definition of the gospel. What I mean by that is that there are three essential truths in the gospel and to deny any one of them is to rob it if its saving power. We as believers in Christ may not agree on several points of the Christian faith. But there is one thing we can’t disagree on, i.e., the definition of the gospel. Let me spell it out:
1.The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes; Rom. 1:16.
2.The gospel that must be believed in order to be saved is defined in the Bible in 1 Cor. 15:1-4: “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” There are three things here: the death, burial, and resurrection.
3.To add anything to this or take anything away from it is to pervert it and take away its power to save; Gal. 1:6-9.
4.Belief in the resurrection is essential to salvation. One who does not believe in the resurrection is not saved.
Next this verse speaks of,
OUR RESURRECTION WITH HIM
Paul says, “If ye then be risen with Christ . . .” The words “risen with” translate “sunegeiro.” and means, “to raise together.” It is an aorist passive indicative verb. The aorist tense represents action as taking place at a point of time in the past. The point of time is His resurrection recorded in Matthew chapter 28. The passive voice means that the resurrection happened to you, when He was raised. You say, “I wasn’t even born yet. I couldn’t have been there.” God says you were if you are a believer. You may not understand it. It is true because God says it is true. It is for us to believe and act in faith on the revelation of God. It is amazing how we human beings are. We will accept Christ by faith alone. Then we take His Word and only believe the parts of it that make sense to us. Colossians 2:6 says, “As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.” How did we receive Him? By faith in His Word alone. So we are to walk by faith (Heb. 10:38).
The “if” is a first class condition. It means, “since ye then be risen with Christ.” Paul assumes in this statement that they are truly born again believers in Christ. And if they are born again believers, they were raised in His resurrection. The power of the Christian life flows out of His resurrection.
The next thing our text tells us to do is to,
SEEK THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE
Paul tells them if they are saved, that they have been raised with Christ, and if they have been raise with Him, to “seek those things which are above.” The word “seek” translates “zeteo” and means, “to seek in order to find.” It is a present active imperative verb. The present tense represents continuous action. It means, “continue to seek in order to find.” The imperative mood is a command that expresses urgency. It is urgent that the believer constantly receive the things being spoken of here in order to walk as a citizen of another world. I am afraid the average Christian is operating in the power of the flesh, and uses the methods of this world, and as a result, our lives do not recommend our message.
What are the things above that Paul speaks of here? To answer that lets consider just a few:
1.We have been blessed with all spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ; Eph. 1:3. All that is covered in the words “all spiritual blessings” is included. We are to actively seek these things that have already been provided for us.
2.We have available to us the “filling of the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). We should continuously seek the filling of the Holy Spirit.
3.We have been promised answered prayer (Matt. 7:7-8). We should continuously seek answers to prayer.
4.We have been promised that God will supply all our need (Phil. 4:19). We should continuously look to Him in faith to supply our need.
5.We have been promised that He will strengthen us to do all He asks us to do (Phil. 4:13). This was not just for Paul but for all His children. Therefore we should continuously seek the strength for holy and obedient living.
6.We have been promised peace (Phil. 4:7). There are so many Christians who seem to have no peace. It can be obtained from the One on the throne. Therefore we should continuously seek this peace.
7.We have been promised guidance (Psa. 48:14). Therefore we should continuously seek His guidance.
Then last in this text we see,
THE PRESENT SESSION OF CHRIST
Paul concludes this verse by saying, “where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” The word “sitteth” translates “kathemai” and means, “to sit down, seat one's self.” It is a present tense verb and tells where Jesus is right now. The book of Hebrews emphasizes the fact that Jesus as our high priest is sitting. Hebrews 1:3 says, “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Hebrews 10:12 says, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.” The Old Testament priest never sat down in the pursuit of his daily work in the tabernacle. His work was never done. Jesus when He offered Himself for sin on the cross and entered the holiest in heaven with His own blood, He sat down because He had FINISHED. There was nothing left for Him to do. And let me add, there is nothing left for us to do. When we receive Him as our Lord and Saviour, we receive a FINISHED SALVATION and we cannot add one thing to what He has already done.
The throne of God has been turned into a throne of grace. Hebrews 4:15-16 says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” The Lord’s present session on the throne is as our High Priest and He is there to help in our time of need.
If we are risen with Him, we are invited to seek those things which are above. We can be constantly receiving things from ABOVE while we live right here on this earth. May the Lord bless us to see this. Because as we operate in this world on things from another world, it is clear evidence to the unsaved that what we believe is right. It is the only visible thing that the unsaved will see. To be saved he will have to receive the gospel by faith alone just as we have.
May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.
In Christ
Bro. White
