Be Focused - Colossians 3:1-17

You can not return from a place where you have never been. True? Well, neither can you ever arrive at a place of your choice, when you do not know where it is located. Have you focused on your future? Do you ever wonder why so many young people fail to set specific goals for their lives? Did you? I am not sure that I deeply considered early in life just where I wanted to go or what I wanted to be. I know now that it was a terrible mistake to leave God out of my plans. I thought I knew, when on returning from the service, and was well on the way to being a trader in live stock, and a trucker, but God put a sudden halt to these plans by requiring me to suffer through a six month stay in the hospital. That was a terrible price to pay just for being out of the will of God. Believe it when I tell you that He has ways to get your attention, and sometimes it is very unpleasant, and may not be necessary. Study the Word; it contains the way to enjoy a happy life and a secured future.

A new year usually begins with people making resolutions. When you are older, you can look back and know that very few of your resolutions ever materialized. That is because they were ‘man-made’ without ever thinking about asking God what He would have you do. One of the greatest resolutions ever made was made by the man that said “Next year, I want to be more like Jesus.” There are no specifics mentioned in this resolution, but if you will study your bible, you can find a complete plan for a successful life both here, and hereafter. Just remember that you have two separate lives to prepare for and to live; you need goals for this earthly life of about four score and twenty years and then it is even more important that you ‘focus in’ on where you will spend eternity.

Thus far in Colossians students have studied the foundation of spiritual truth first laid by Paul, the apostle, and then he set forth the ethical implications in chapter two. In this chapter we will be looking at no less than three goals on which every Christian should set their focus. This study will lay the foundation for holiness in the first four verses. In verses five to eleven the Word will establish that holy living is a result of being saved and not the means by which one is saved. And through the last verses of this lesson we will examine our responsibilities to other people. Jesus surely thought ‘service to others’ was very important because he told Peter three times that he could prove his love by feeding His sheep. He said; “If you love me, feed my sheep.”

Verse 1-4: “So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is…” If you are a Christian reading this lesson, please change the first word ‘so’ to “Since,” because the fact that He has saved you, obligates you to continually keep his gift in mind and heart. The word ‘seek’ simply means that you are searching for something desired and the verse plainly says that our goal is located in heaven, “Where Jesus and God are located.” You were spiritually dead. “You have been raised” means that you are now ‘born again,’ you arose from a sinful death into spiritual life. In this verse, Paul is talking to Christian people. [If you are not presently a true believer, you must seek salvation first and then follow these instructions.] “Set your minds on what is above, not…earth.” “You are now dead to sin and in Christ.” This truth should reinforce your belief in ‘the security of the believer’ because Christ will never die again, and you are in Him. How can you die while you are living in Christ?

On one glorious day Jesus will be revealed; this means that He will stand out and everyone will know who He is, and worship Him. Christians will know and be known, they too will be revealed. When The Lord is revealed [appears in a cloud just as he went away to Glory] all Christians will be revealed [will appear with him] in glory! Notice that Paul refers to the ‘Messiah’ four times in these verses—Christ is the Greek word for the Jewish word Messiah, and Paul was writing to a congregation that did not speak the Jewish language and he wanted them to fully understand.

There may be some who think that idol worship was practiced primarily by Old Testament Jews, but when you read verse five you will find that idol worship may be more prominent even today. The idols of today are what ever you worship, or even desire, that is worldly, such as sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed—“Which is idolatry.” Paul says that these idols must be put to death and the term [“put to death”] is consistent with his terminology used in explaining the meaning of baptism. Your sins must die, and when you go down into the baptismal water they are buried there. Sin is sin, be it big or small; and it is somewhat dangerous for anyone to try to categorize it, but of those mentioned here, lust and greed seems to cover them all. Idolatry occurs at any time that any person seeks for a god [money, prestige, person or thing] to serve him rather than for him/her to serve God.

The answers to most of the problems found in the church today are found in verses 6 through 9, please read them. Read again, all of verses 1 through 17. The “Wrath of God” refers to God’s judgment on these kinds of worldly behavior. Pay Day will come Some Day, so just remember everyone [both saved and unsaved] must One Day stand before God, in judgment. There are only two responses that will be given, either “Enter in” or “depart from Me, ye workers of iniquity.”

Christians are to rid themselves of the old way of life and “put on” the new way of living given by Jesus and guided and strengthened by the Holly Spirit. Ask yourself: ‘am I living true to my commitment?’ Truth is so important. Lying to one another disrupts unity among friends, especially in the church, by destroying trust. It tears down relationships and often leads to serious conflict. Lies are often camouflaged in exaggeration, rumors, gossip and by attempts to build up your own image. True Christians do not lie; they tell the truth, even if or when it hurts.

We should never think of Americans as being a blessed or special people in God’s sight when it pertains to salvation. We have been blessed immensely by our prosperity and freedoms, but He died for all people. Paul made this very clear in verse eleven when he tells us that in the life of Christians—“Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and in all.” Verse 12 says that since this is true, Christian believers must have compassion, show kindness and humility, be gentle and patient toward our fellow man. Here is the hard part! We must learn to forgive others [even enemies] as the Lord forgave us. You can fulfill all these commands with one virtue—LOVE. Paul says that love is over all of these virtues and it is the one cord that binds them all together.

It is of grave importance for everyone to know the specific and precise teachings of our Lord, and that is why we study the Word verse by verse. However, this lesson can be summed up in one simple statement that we know as the golden rule; “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Unfortunately Satin has his own rusty tin ruler that tells people to “get the other guy, before he gets you.”

Now, please study the rest of the chapter because it pertains to the family, and the powers of darkness are trying very hard to destroy the Christian family in America today. As the families go, so goes America. The family is the basic hub that holds the Christian wheel together, and Satin knows this. One of the candidates that spoke during the first presidential debate this week, and may be a strong runner, has taken a disappointing stand regarding his beliefs pertaining to the immoral elements who are threatening God’s plan for Christian marriage. The breakdown of the Christian home in America is just as important as the problems with jobs, national debt, or any of the other problems we face. God bless you AND AMERICA.