18 November | EVERYONE
"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Colossians 3: 1-3
The message of Christianity is a living thing. It is not limited to the wonderful letter of a concept but becomes a reality in the day-to-day of human existence. Anyone in whose experience only the word of the gospel works, but not its transforming power, cannot claim to be a Christian. This is the message in today's text.
In the first two chapters of his letter to the Colossians, Paul presented doctrinal issues. In the third chapter, he states that if the message entered the head and heart, it must be externalized in a person’s attitudes. We read today that this involves seeking "things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God." That is, to strive to know God’s character that Jesus made clear to us.
“The uncertainty and the shortness of human life should lead us to the most solemn, serious consideration. We need to repent and be converted and to bring eternity into our reckoning; setting our affection on things above, not on things that perish with the using; seeking the riches that will endure forever, the righteousness that will never pass away” (Ellen G. White, Letter 124, 1902).
By being resurrected in Christ, the life we begin to live is no longer the same as the life we lived. That is why in today's verse the apostle tells us that now our “life is hidden with Christ in God.” We no longer live, but He lives in us (see Galatians 2:20).
Take Action
Are you willing to let your ego take a back seat? Christ wants to live in you His great works of victory. All you need is to stay hidden in Jesus. Then it will be Him whom you continually reflect. Sing "Do It Heartily" (if possible, with your family).