Christ Preeminence is Detailed to the Colossians Volume 25

Paul Reminds the Colossian Believers to Seek after Christ and Heavenly things

Colossians 3:1-2 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. KJV

As we have declared on many occassions in past studies/commentaries, the Chapter designations were never a part of the original letters written by the Apostle Paul or any of the other Bible writers, but they were added long after by men in order that the text of Scripture could be more easily found and followed. Therefore, having said this once again, the Apostle Paul begins this 3rd Chapter with the tiny primary particle 'If' or 'seeing that' to refer back to everything he has already said in Colossians 2:11-23 or Volumes 22-24 of our study/commentary. Instead of the practice of the old Ceremonial Law, Paul is now directly, distinctly, and dogmatically declaring to these Colossian believers and we believers today what should be our rule for obtaining closeness with God and he says so with these words, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." (Colossians 3:1) (KJV).

The determination of Paul to squash the false teachers and their teaching of trying to take Christians back to the Law of Moses has come to a loud increase in volume here with these words, for Paul wants the saved Colossians to undertsand that 'in Christ' only is everything they need physically or more specifically for their life sustaining needs here as they/we sojourn on the earth will our Heavenly Father supply and provide as our Lord Jesus Himself said with these words when He taught saying, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:25-34) (NKJV).

The English phrase 'be risen with', that being with Christ is translated by one Greek word sunegeiro meaning to rouse (from death) in company with, that is, (figuratively) to revivify (spiritually) in resemblance to: - raise up together, rise with. In other words, because we have been raised from spiritual death, that is, being dead to God by virtue of our sin and raised up by the Resurrection Life and Power of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ, then we are to 'seek' or the Greek word for this English word zeteo meaning that we are to go about, desire, endeavour, or seek after the worship of God or what Paul here means by the English phrase 'those things which are above' or in other words heavenly things which things are the huge number of spiritual blessings these Colossian believers and we believers today have in Christ Jesus our Lord as Paul wrote to the Ephesian believers with these words at the very beginning of his letter to them, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3) (NKJV).

Although we are walking down here on the earth often moving about with feet of clay falling sometimes back into the pig pen of our old nature, yet we are spiritually seated exactly where our Lord Jesus sits right now in Heaven and when we see that spiritually and yield ourselves to God the Holy Spirit's guidance, counsel, direction, and steering then and only then can we and do we live an overcoming life over sin, the devil, and the world as our Lord Jesus Himself said with these words to the Lukewarm Church of the Laodiceans, "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne." (Revelation 3:21) (NKJV), also as the Apostle Paul said with these words, "And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6) (NKJV). Paul is declaring that the practice of ascetic rules or the practice of rigorous self-discipline by virtue of beating the back of one's body with whips or chains for sin and abstaining from certain foods or will worship or trying to contact angels to mediate between them and God or to seek after angels to learn some future things is non-sense and fantasy and fallacy, but what is truth and sure is to seek after Christ deeper and deeper, "In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3) (NKJV).

Because we still are in our earthly tent, tabernacle, house, or body it is often hard for us to remember that we are strangers living in a foreign land, therefore, Paul now reminds these Colossian believers and we believers today to, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." (Colossians 3:2) (NKJV). The English phrase 'Set your affection on' is translated by one Greek word phroneo meaning to exercise the mind, that is, entertain or have a sentiment or opinion; by implication to be (mentally) disposed (more or less earnestly in a certain direction). In other words, Paul is saying seeing that we will be living in heaven for all of eternity, which is a lot longer than we live down here on the earth, then we should think on the things of heaven and learn more of what heaven is like from the Word of God than we do find ourselves minding more of what this life down here is all about (I am sure guilty of this too much), but instead we should be more like those people the Apostle Paul was speaking of when he wrote these words to the Hebrew believers, "For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them." (Hebrews 11:14-16) (NKJV), to see more clearly who these people were Paul was speaking about read the entire Chapter 11 of Hebrews.

"Love heavenly things; study them; let your hearts be entirely engrossed by them. Now, that ye are converted to God, act in reference to heavenly things as ye did formerly in reference to those of earth; and vice versa. This is a very good general rule: 'Be as much in earnest for heavenly and eternal things, as ye formerly were for those that are earthly and perishing.'" Adam Clarke

"It is our privilege that we have risen with Christ; that is, have benefit by the Resurrection of Christ, and by virtue of our union and communion with Him are justified and sanctified, and shall be glorified. Hence he infers that we must seek those things which are above. We must mind the concerns of another world more than the concerns of this. We must make heaven our scope and aim, seek the favour of God above, keep up our communion with the upper world by faith, and hope, and holy love, and make it our constant care and business to secure our title to and qualifications for the heavenly bliss." Matthew Henry

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…