Spiritual Amnesiacs – Part 5
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God…For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory [Colossians 3:1, 3-4].
To mature, a newborn Christian must be transformed by the renewing of his mind (cf., Romans 12:2). This is really a simple concept. Stop focusing on the things of the world and instead focus on the things of God. This comes from daily time alone with Jesus, spent in prayer and Bible.
Jesus is “seated at the right hand of God”. We died, which means we no longer live. The old man—he who was born naturally as a sinner—died. It’s what happens when we are born again. The old man spent his time dwelling on the earth and focusing on the things of the world. The new man doesn’t live for such things. Really. I mean it. Really.
If we Christians are so caught up in our affluence and the things of this world, it should tell us something. We should recognize from this symptom that the old man is controlling us. The new man is missing in action. If we cannot recognize this, then we can be sure we suffer from spiritual amnesia. It’s that plain and simple, dear friends.
We died, and dead people aren’t supposed to be in control. To remedy this, we first need to realize that the old life is dead. Then we need to realize what the old life is, so that we keep it buried in the tomb. Next we need to fix our gaze above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. After all, we are “in Christ” so we are there too.
It would be silly of me to go to another land and culture, and attempt to live the way I live here. I may want to eat Tombstone Sausage Pizza for supper in the new country, but they might not have any! I may want to take a hot shower when I wake up, but there may not be one! How pathetic it would be to mope about all day every day, dwelling on Tombstone Sausage Pizza and hot showers, huh?
So too is it with the Christian. We died as mere mortals who live for the earth, who feed the natural lusts of the body. We rose out of death “in Christ” and ascended into heaven in Him. We are seated at God’s right hand “in Christ”. We need to reestablish our wants and desires to fit our new culture and country, viz., up above, heaven.
Oh, there is one more part of the medicinal cure for spiritual amnesia. Paul educated the Colossians,
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Even though we are temporarily housed in this worldly tent on the earth, it won’t be long before Jesus will come again and take us to Himself, that where He is we may be also. Hallelujah! Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
That being the case—and it is a certainty, dear friends—shouldn’t we keep the old man of the earth in the grave? Shouldn’t we want to acclimate ourselves for the glories of our new life in heaven? We indeed should…unless spiritual amnesia keeps these realities out of sight and out of mind.
We died, dear Christians. The new man lives. He is Christ, our life. He lived for heaven while He walked this earth, and He is in heaven now and still living for heaven. Since He is our life, how can we live any differently? We can’t…unless the old man is in control.
Let’s take the cure. Let’s be done with spiritual amnesia. Let’s refocus our living from the earth to heaven, from affluence and toys to Jesus and new life. What say ye?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
To mature, a newborn Christian must be transformed by the renewing of his mind (cf., Romans 12:2). This is really a simple concept. Stop focusing on the things of the world and instead focus on the things of God. This comes from daily time alone with Jesus, spent in prayer and Bible.
Jesus is “seated at the right hand of God”. We died, which means we no longer live. The old man—he who was born naturally as a sinner—died. It’s what happens when we are born again. The old man spent his time dwelling on the earth and focusing on the things of the world. The new man doesn’t live for such things. Really. I mean it. Really.
If we Christians are so caught up in our affluence and the things of this world, it should tell us something. We should recognize from this symptom that the old man is controlling us. The new man is missing in action. If we cannot recognize this, then we can be sure we suffer from spiritual amnesia. It’s that plain and simple, dear friends.
We died, and dead people aren’t supposed to be in control. To remedy this, we first need to realize that the old life is dead. Then we need to realize what the old life is, so that we keep it buried in the tomb. Next we need to fix our gaze above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. After all, we are “in Christ” so we are there too.
It would be silly of me to go to another land and culture, and attempt to live the way I live here. I may want to eat Tombstone Sausage Pizza for supper in the new country, but they might not have any! I may want to take a hot shower when I wake up, but there may not be one! How pathetic it would be to mope about all day every day, dwelling on Tombstone Sausage Pizza and hot showers, huh?
So too is it with the Christian. We died as mere mortals who live for the earth, who feed the natural lusts of the body. We rose out of death “in Christ” and ascended into heaven in Him. We are seated at God’s right hand “in Christ”. We need to reestablish our wants and desires to fit our new culture and country, viz., up above, heaven.
Oh, there is one more part of the medicinal cure for spiritual amnesia. Paul educated the Colossians,
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Even though we are temporarily housed in this worldly tent on the earth, it won’t be long before Jesus will come again and take us to Himself, that where He is we may be also. Hallelujah! Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
That being the case—and it is a certainty, dear friends—shouldn’t we keep the old man of the earth in the grave? Shouldn’t we want to acclimate ourselves for the glories of our new life in heaven? We indeed should…unless spiritual amnesia keeps these realities out of sight and out of mind.
We died, dear Christians. The new man lives. He is Christ, our life. He lived for heaven while He walked this earth, and He is in heaven now and still living for heaven. Since He is our life, how can we live any differently? We can’t…unless the old man is in control.
Let’s take the cure. Let’s be done with spiritual amnesia. Let’s refocus our living from the earth to heaven, from affluence and toys to Jesus and new life. What say ye?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
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