Set Your Mind on Things Above
(Col 3:1-4)
God is above.
He made all things and is above them (Job 31:28), and
He rules above all (Eph 4:6).
Faith is knowing Him and
The life of this faith is setting one's mind on things above and overcoming by the power that
comes from above.
"Above in heaven refers to the heaven of heavens, which is
Above the mountains, above the sky, above the heaven of the universe, where
God is - that is, the spiritual heaven (2Ch 6:18; Eph 4:10).
Deceived by the devil.
Adam sinned and death entered all men (Rm 5:12).
Abraham was called by God and
He was promised of an offspring as many as the stars in the sky and
The land of Canaan as inheritance (Ge 15:1-7).
400 years after, God sent Moses (Ex 4:17) and
He brought the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt,
Letting them return to the land that God promised to their father Abraham.
Though God is above the heavens and cannot be contained,
He promised that His name would be (1Ki 8:16; 2Ch 2:6, 2Ch 6:18).
The last prophet John the Baptist said that,
Coming after him was whose sandals he was not worthy of carrying (Mt 3:12) for
He comes from above and speaks of what He saw and heard in heaven (Jn 3:31).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn 2:19), because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body,
He would make a ways for souls to go above where the Father is, for
He is the incarnate Word who came from above to return there (Jn 1:1, Jn 1:14, Jn 8:21-23).
However, the Jews, who were obsessed with earthly things,
Considered Jesus to be blasphemous, and thus put Him to death (Jn 8:58-59, Jn 10:30).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn 19:30), declaring that He:
- Laid down His life to do the Father's will (Mt 26:39, Mt 26:42; Jn 10:17);
- Condemned the angel who attempted to ascend above (Is 14:12-15); and
- Shed His blood to redeem and gave life to souls (Lev 17:11; Jn 6:63).
He rose and ascended to heaven as the disciples watched (Mk 16:19; Ac 1:11), for
He descended to the lower, earthly regions and
Ascended higher than all heavens (Eph 4:9-10).
The Holy Spirit came from on high according to the promise (Lk 24:49) to
Those who thought of Him (Ac 1:15),
Those born of the blood of Jesus, born above (Jn 3:8).
He lets them set their minds on heaven.
The man of the Spirit always sets his mind
On things above for that is where Christ is seated at the right hand of God (Col 3:1-3), and
On the blood of Jesus that is in him.
Therefore, he overcomes the world because he knows that
When Christ appears in glory
The life that is hidden in him will also appear in glory(Col 3:4).
O Lord,
I lift up my eyes to the hills and where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, from above!
Until my eyes see You coming in glory above,
Let me set my mind on things above and overcome the world!
Amen.