Brethren, set your affections on things above.

Colossians 3:1 - If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

The Bible says that we as saved Christians are risen with Christ. Okay, so obviously, Jesus Christ literally died on the cross, his body was completely dead. He was buried in the tomb, and then he rose again on the third day. So, he literally, bodily, physically rose from the dead. That is the cornerstone doctrine of our Christian faith. That is what you must believe to be saved. You have to believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and put your faith and trust in that as your only way to heaven. And so, the bodily resurrection is so important.

The Bible says we're also risen with Christ. Now, in what sense are we risen with Christ? Well, before we were saved, we were dead in trespasses and sins. Not our physical body, obviously, but spiritually, our spirit was dead, because we're body, soul, and spirit. The spirit was dead, and then when we believe on Christ, we are quickened through the Holy Spirit, which means brought to life. So, our dead spirit has been resurrected, and so we're risen with Christ.

Now, someday, we will also physically, literally be risen with Christ, because at the second coming of Christ, the trumpet's going to sound, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Now, if we're alive and remain under the coming of the Lord, we're going to skip death, and just be changed in a moment in a twinkling of an eye. The Bible says we shall not all sleep. Not everybody's going to die, but we'll all be changed. The dead in Christ will rise first, then we which are alive and remain will be caught up with them.

So, the Bible says we are risen with Christ. So if we are risen with Christ, it says in Colossians 3:1 that we should then seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. We should be living that heavenly life even now because that is our ultimate destination. Just as Christ rose again and he's sitting up in heaven at the right hand of God, that's where we're going to be someday. We're going to go to heaven and so we should now be seeking those things and thinking about those things and already kind of there mentally thinking about eternity and going to heaven.

The Bible says in Colossians 3:2, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." Because the things of this earth, everything is temporal. Everything's going to pass away. Our life is just a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away, whereas heaven is eternal. And so he says, set your affection on things above, not on things of the earth. Don't get just super invested in or super emotional about things that are going to go away anyway.

The Bible say in 2 Peter 3:10-11, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,"

Your life is going to be different and you'll live differently if you realize and keep reminding yourself that everything's going to be burned up. Your house, your car, your boat, your money, all of your material things will be burned up.

This whole world is going to fade away. Why spend your time setting your affections on the things of a world that is all going to burn?

Spend your time worshipping that which is eternal - our living, risen Savior - the Lord Jesus Christ - who is now beyond space, time and matter, as shown in the Bible - the Holy Word of God which is eternal: "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever." - Isaiah 40:8.

Don't pursue things that don't transfer over at death. Live your life cognizant of the fact that your life is short and spend your time glorifying the eternal and risen Jesus Christ and set your affection on Heavenly things.

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LeGrotesque · 41-45, F

Yes, yes... Keep thy head in the sand...

TrumanTheTrueman · 36-40, M

@LeGrotesque You are keeping your head in the sand. Take your head out of the sand, remove the blindfold that Satan has put over your eyes and wake up and believe in the God of the Bible - Jesus Christ. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ before it is eternally too late.

God dared - dared to give the life of his son in payment for your lost soul. I owed a debt I could not pay, HE paid a debt HE did not owe.

BUT WHY DID JESUS HAVE TO TAKE OUR SIN TO HIMSELF BEFORE HE COULD FORGIVE US?

To die in our place, Jesus had to become exactly what we are - SIN. We have saturated our lives with selfishness, lust, pride, resentment, bitterness, and hostility. Can you look in the mirror and praise what you see? God sees much deeper, and is very displeased.

THE BIBLE SAYS OF US:

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23

"There is none that doeth good, no, not one." Romans 3:12

"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." Mark 7:21-23

Your very thoughts have defiled you. You are what you think. Every vile act began as a thought. You re no better than your thoughts, and without God may one day become as bad.

God judges more than the act, he also judges the intentions of the heart.

God sees the lust in your heart as being adultery.

"But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." Matthew 5:28

God sees the hate in your heart as murder.

"But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." Matthew 5:22

God records every sin to be used against you in the Day of Judgement. You have built an airtight case against yourself. Have you ever wondered what you record (all your thoughts included) might look like so far? Would you be ashamed for your mother to read it?

"Be sure your sin will find you out." Numbers 32:23

"For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Ecclesiastes 12:14

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" Hebrews 9:27

The excuses you now make for sinning, will you try them on God in the DAY OF JUDGEMENT?

ETERNAL DEATH IS THE CONSEQUENCE OF SIN.

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23

"The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezekiel 18:4

God will return "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9

"BUT WHY DOES GOD HAVE TO GET SO ANGRY AND DAMN EVERYONE OVER A FERW LITTLE SINS?"

It is our attitude that sin is "little" or of no significance that makes us blameworthy and damnable in God's sight.

If God did not intervene, sin would still end in death. You have seen sin strangle love, shatter the family, stab friends in the back, mock things that really matter, turn its back on compassion, lie to the conscience, and knowingly do the very things that bring regret in the morning.

God has promised to put an end to sin. He has condemned sin and everything associated with it, including the earth we are living on.

HELL IS A REAL PLACE

"So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 13:49-50

God did not create Hell to satisfy his anger but to satisfy his holiness. HELL IS EARTH'S JUNKYARD, THE HAZARDOUS WASTE DUMP OF THE UNIVERSE. It is the black hole that finally sucks in all those who have not had their sins cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ because they have not believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Even in the eternal torment of The Lake of Fire, sinners will not repent. Their hatred for God and all that is righteous will grow with the passing of centuries. May God help you repent and believe the Gospel now, before your heart get's too hard.

BUT GOD MADE A WAY

Knowing the awful damnation we would suffer, God devised a method to save us.

Compelled by his love, Jesus Christ stepped out of eternity and into time and space. He reduced himself to human flesh and entered the world by the womb of a virgin. Thirty-three years later, before leaving this planet, he dressed himself in our sins and became a sacrifice to God by bleeding to death on a Roman cross.

THE CROSS WAS A SLAUGHTER

Christ was first given 39 lashes from a 'cat of nine tails' (a whip with nine leather straps each bearing a cutting instrument at the end) providing a potential of 35 lacerations. He was blindfolded and beaten beyond recognition. They pulled out his beard and placed a crown of thorns on his head. With mocking hostility, the religious in the crowd spit into the blood that streamed down his face.

As he stood in silence, the greatest pain was not the thorns scratching his skull or the flesh dangling from his back; IT WAS THE SHAME OF OUR SIN

HE TOOK YOUR PLACE

ALL SINS of ALL PERSONS, past and future, were laid on Christ. HE BORE THEM SO INTIMATELY, THE BIBLE SAYS HE BECAME SIN. He "despised the shame," but for our salvation he "endured the cross." Imagine! The most pure and holy taking the place of the most impure and unholy!

"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinthians 5:21

"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." 1 Peter 2:24

"The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:" 1 Peter 3:18

CHRIST'S ARMS WERE NAILED WIDE OPEN TO RECEIVE ALL WHO WILL COME TO GOD FOR FORGIVENESS

He took your place as a sinful man so you can take His place as a sinless son of God.

He died for you so that you can live with Him.

He did not do the sin that took him to hell... You cannot do the righteousness that takes you to Heaven.

At one moment in time Jesus Christ received your sin and "became sin." At this very moment you can receive all his righteousness and become righteous.

Just as by faith Jesus was made to be sin... by faith you can be made righteous.

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS YOU RECEIVE IS NOT GAINED BY ANYTHING YOU DO; IT IS THE GIFT OF WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU.

DO YOU BELIEVE THIS GOOD NEWS?

He did it all for you, rotten filthy you.

If you desire God, and believe with all your heart, your sins are forgiven.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

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