Understanding the Concept of “Things Above”
In the book of Colossians 3: 1-2 Paul tells us to set our minds on things above where Christ is seated. He tells us to think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. In verse 3 he then tells us why we need to set our minds on things above and not the things of earth. Here is why. For we died to this life, and our real life is hidden with Christ in God.
What does Paul mean we died to this life? It means that we died to our old sinful nature. When we accept Christ into our hearts we become new creatures, the old person we were before we came to Christ no longer exists. Therefore, we adopted a new mind and a new lifestyle, we left our sinful lifestyle at the cross and are now clothed in His righteousness.
2 Corinthians 5: 17 Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all things become new.
Paul goes on to say in verse 5 that because we now have this new life in Christ we must put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within us. The sinful earthly things Paul is talking about are:
Things On The Earth:
Sexual immorality- Having sex out of marriage
Impurity- Sinful action
Lust- Having a strong sexual desire
Greediness- Greed for the things of this world (material things)
Anger- A strong feeling of annoyance
Rage- violent action, uncontrollable
anger. ( lack of self-control)
Malicious behavior- The desire to harm others.
Slander- Making a false spoken statement damaging to a person’s reputation or business
Dirty language- cursing, swearing, bad language, foul language
Lying- To make an untrue statement with the intent to deceive.
All these that are listed are considered to be the old sinful nature.
Drop down to verse 10 Paul then tells us how to put on the new nature, since God chose us to be holy people. The new nature consists of :
Setting Our Minds On Things Above
OUR NEW NATURE IN CHRIST:
Showing mercy- Compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone
Showing kindness- The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate
Showing humility- Seeks to bring glory and honour to God and looks out for the interests of others.
Showing gentleness- The quality of being kind, tender, or mild-mannered
Showing patience- The ability to wait, or to continue doing something despite difficulties, or to suffer without complaining or become annoyed.
Showing forgiveness- An intentional decision to let go of resentment and anger.
Showing Love- Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Showing peace- harmony, and unity towards brothers and sisters. The opposite of strife is peace.
Singing Psalms- Singing God’s word
Singing hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts- Retelling the grace, mercies, and miracles of God from the singer’s point of view. ( praise & Worship )
Giving thanks to God- Confession, praise, and offering.
These characters I listed are considered to be things above which we ought to set our minds.
Conclusion: Now that we are in Christ we have a new nature. The new nature manifests the fruit of the spirit. Galatians 5: 22-23