"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ON THE HOPE OF HEAVEN"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ON THE HOPE OF HEAVEN"

Col 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.

Col 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Col 3:3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Some explanatory thoughts/application, and a prayer:

1. Paul first of all tells us what has happened to us when we turned to Christ, and what we ought to do, now that this has happened. So, what has happened to us at the point of our turning to Christ and believing in Him to save us from our sins?

(1) We have been raised with Christ. Or we have been raised to new life with Christ

(2) Now that we are in Christ, we are to seek those things which are above, or to set your sights on the realities of heaven.

(3) This passage also tells us that in heaven, Christ is seated at God's right hand, in the place of honor and power.

2. Now, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are to Col 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. To put it another way, we are to Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth.

This is our blessed privilege. We could not do this before we were saved, but we can now, we ought to, it's what God says for us to do. And, what a blessing it is to do it. Let heaven fill our thoughts. Think about heaven is the idea. That is where we are headed when we leave this world.

Imagine this is where God and Jesus are visibly located. There are untold millions and millions of people there, and angels. All the people we know who have gone there, are there. What a wonderful future and hope we have. It's such a blessing to think about it.

One other thing. Take another look at Col 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. The last part of the verse can be read, "Do not think only about things down here on earth." We do need to think about things here on earth, but we do not have to only think about those things. Unfortunately, that's what can happen to Christians. They think exclusively about earthly things, and fail to enjoy the blessings of thinking about heaven. Try it, and see what happens to your heart and soul. You will be blessed.

3. Col 3:3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. This is Paul's reason, or explanation and motivation if you will, as to why we ought to let heaven fill our thoughts. Because the old you has died, and your new life is hidden with Christ in God. Our old life is over, wow, how wonderful. And, we have been born again, made new, and are now hidden in Christ, or our real life is hidden in Christ in God.

Because we are in Christ, and in God, we have access to them both, and can enjoy understanding where we are going as we read the Bible, and we can talk to God about heaven, and we can meditate on the glorious future we have because of our being saved.

I love to think about it. In fact, it's very interesting to me, to think along this line. For example, I know I'm going there, I just don't know when, God does, but I don't. I often realize it could be this very day, one never knows what the day holds. My wife and I often wonder who will go first, our greatest hope is that we could both go at the same time. It might be sometime before we get there. I just really do not know. But God does. He has just the right time in mind to take me there. I trust Him in that of course, but sure do look forward to it. And, I hope you do also. See you there as they say.

A prayer:

Father, thank You so much for saving me, (us) the billions that You have saved. The crowd in heaven, if you include the angels must be enormous. And, The throne of God, and our wonderful Savior is the main focal point there. Lord, please help us to let our minds be filled more often with the thoughts of heaven. If you tell us to do it,there must be some very good reason for us to do it. I think among other things, it helps us to have the big picture in mind, there is more to this life then this life. There is the next world, the hereafter, we will be with You forever in heaven.

We love You Lord. In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Senior Pastor Calvary Chapel Visalia.