August 13, 2021
Colossians 3:1-3 (NIV)
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
CONSIDER THIS
As we noted earlier, the second half of the gospel is a major shifting of the center of gravity from the gravity of sin and death to the gravity of the Spirit and life. It is a quantum leap of faith and it requires a major reckoning.
The old has gone. Behold, the new has come!
I no longer live. Christ lives in me.
We must align ourselves with this Word of God. It is decreed. I must reckon it as such in my own life. Look how today’s text further emphasizes this truth. The gravity of sin has been broken. I can now become caught up in the gravity of Jesus.
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,
Notice the same construction—”have been.” Because I “have been” crucified with Christ, I am dead to sin. Because I “have been” raised with Christ, I am alive to the Spirit. It is done, finished, complete, fait accompli! This is why the gospel is such good news. The first half of the gospel is a full and complete pardon from the penalty of sin, which is eternal death. The second half of the gospel is we are set free from the power of sin and filled with all the fullness of God, which is eternal life, right here and right now.
***Spoiler Alert: Third Half of the Gospel: When our human body finally fails, our life slips from the earth into the heavens and into the third half of the gospel where we will enjoy the glorious fellowship of the communion of Saints in the immediate embodied presence of Jesus, until he returns in his body to the Earth, leading to the resurrection of our physical bodies (completely restored from whatever state of ashes and dust and disintegration they are found in) and the life everlasting in the fullness of the New Creation—the new heavens and the new earth. (I know, that was a mess of a sentence!)
So while we are getting lost in wonder, love and praise, let’s come back down to earth and our present state, freed from the gravity of sin’s power and yet still caught in the orbit of its patterns. How do we finally escape that gravity and become caught up in the gravity of heaven? It begins, as we have noted, with the reckoning. But today’s text takes it further.
set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
This is an every single day thing. We must become far more engaged and embodied in our ways of doing this. We must break free from the whole concept of a “devotional” or even a “spiritual” life. The second half of the gospel invites and empowers a comprehensive new way of living. That’s where we are heading. And here’s some more good news for the road today:
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
THE PRAYER
Lord Jesus, it is truly remarkable what you have done in coming to this earth, your preexistence, conception, birth, life, deeds, words, miracles, signs, suffering, death, resurrection, ascension, and promised return. It is truly remarkable. Even more remarkable is how you have done it for us, even for me. What is truly astonishing is the way you would impart your very life to us—that you died our death and it is finished and you raised us up into your life. Come Holy Spirit, and actualize this ultimate reality in my life today in ever increasing measure. In Jesus’ name, amen.
THE QUESTION
I want to know how you set your heart and your mind on Jesus Christ every single day. If you are so inclined, please consider joining our Facebook Group and sharing your approaches with the Daily Text Community.
For the Awakening,
J.D. Walt
Sower-in-Chief
seedbed.com
2 Responses
J.D., as you can tell, I do thoroughly follow the Daily Devotionals here at Seedbed. I was once part of the Seedbed Facebook group and actively participated there, but because of past issues with Facebook, that have nothing to do with Seedbed, I’m no longer on Facebook and will not return until they change some of their policies dealing with free speech. Until then, I’ll not be an active participant of that company. Please understand that my actions have nothing to do with this devotional material. This is the first site I visit every morning and look forward to seeing what is said. I will continue to share my comments here. I’m looking forward to seeing where this series leads, as I find it helpful in my daily walk. Thank you.
Although I am a charter member of the Daily Text, I do not do not participate on Facebook because I need to know how this is going to play out where I am and with the people I have physical contact with. This has to start with my actual life each and every day.
There is a song that I have been listening to as I open up the antique mall each morning: “In Jesus’ Name I Pray ” with Charley Pride. It covers the basic aspects of what it means to wake up each morning and choose to be God’s immortal. It invokes the power of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit into my day.