Set Your Mind

Scripture Text

Colossians 3:1-17

Intro: There is an old saying that says “He's so heavenly minded, he's no earthly good.” That is in total opposition to what God says in His word. We are commanded by the Father to set our minds on things above where Christ is. Only then can we be of any earthly good.

I. We are to think on heavenly things. Colossians 3:1-2 (NKJV) ¹  If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ²  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

a. We are in control of what we think. Proverbs 23:7a (NKJV)  For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. A person will become what they set their mind on. We have an obligation to fix our minds on the things of heaven. That's where all our blessings come from. James 1:16-17 says ¹⁶  Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. ¹⁷  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Things of the earth are where sin, worries, doubts and problems come from. Heaven has the answer for all our needs. We set our minds by reading God's word and communicating with Him in prayer and meditation. We hide God's word in our hearts and use it throughout the day. We use God's word as the path for our lives.

II. We have died to the things of earth. Colossians 3:2-4 (NKJV) ²  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ³  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴  When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

a. For you died means that we died when Christ died. It happened at a point in history. In Christ’s death, all believers died (2:20). Colossians 2:20 (NKJV) ²⁰  Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations. Then, like a seed buried in the earth, a believer’s real life is hidden from the world, just as Christ’s glory is hidden, only to be revealed when he returns. Our spiritual lives are hidden in union with Christ who has brought us to be with Him in God.

One day, when Christ is revealed in his glory, we believers will also share in all his glory. Then the divine life of Christ will be revealed fully and will glorify us by revealing our true potential as children of God. We Christians look forward to the new heaven and new earth that God has promised, and we wait for God to free us of sin, sickness, evil and death. In the meantime, we go with Christ into the world, where we help heal people’s bodies and souls and fight the evil effects of sin. That's what the church is all about. Christ gives us power to live for Him now, and He gives us hope for the future when He will return.

III. We are to put to death the old sinful nature. Colossians 3:5-9 (NKJV)
⁵  Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶  Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, ⁷  in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. ⁸  But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. ⁹  Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,

a. If we believers are to live as examples of Christ, we are to put to death certain aspects of the sinful earthly things lurking within us—the sinful nature, the old self. Although we have died with Christ and have been raised with Him, we are still susceptible to temptation and the evils of the sinful nature, so we daily must put these things to death. In other words, stop doing them. The Spirit of God within us gives us the power to crucify our fleshly deeds. These sins will bring God's judgment upon mankind.

IV. We are to put on our new nature. [vs:10-17]Colossians 3:10-17 (NKJV) ¹⁰  and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, ¹¹  where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. ¹²  Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³  bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. ¹⁴  But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. ¹⁵  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. ¹⁶  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

a. Our new nature leads us to live in the likeness of Christ. Paul was appealing to the commitment the Colossians and we as believers have made, he urges us all to remain true to our confession of faith. Every Christian is in a continuing work in progress. Renewal is constantly needed in the believer’s battle against sin and the old nature. What we learn is personal knowledge of Christ who created this new nature within us. The goal of the learning is Christ likeness. The more we believers know of Christ and his work, the more we are being changed to be like him a little at a time. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV)  But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as we are being led by the Spirit of the Lord. Because this process is lifelong, we must never stop learning the things of God and obeying.

Therefore we must set or fix our minds on the things of God.

Invitation: Have you been born again with this new nature that only Christ can give? If not, now is the perfect time to confess your sins to Christ and ask Him to forgive you. Then invite Him to take control of your life and live in you until God takes you to glory to be with Him. Be baptized to bring glory to His name!