“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1
It is one thing to believe that Christ by His Spirit comes to dwell in the heart of the believer when that person becomes a new creation because of the new birth. It is quite another to live by Christ’s life, and this by the Spirit, according to the truth of Scripture, believing Him to be all that He desires to be to the soul, and accomplish through the life.
It was Charles Wesley who wrote: “All things are possible to God; To Christ, the power of God in me; Now shed Thy mighty Self abroad, Let me no longer live but Thee; Give me this hour in Thee to prove, The sweet omnipotence of love.” Wesley, along with many of Christ’s followers discovered not only the truth of Christ dwelling in the heart, but realizing the power of His indwelling, and this by the anointing power of His Spirit. Not only does Christ give power to live in a manner worthy of God the Father, strengthening the believer to abide in Christ, with Christ abiding in him, but in doing so, reveals His life. The fact that Christ is the Light of the world, and dwells in these vessels of clay, is the reason for which His disciples, all believers, are lampstands, candlesticks, cities set on a hill, to show forth this light, and this, in a manner which overcomes the enemy’s efforts to put it out. As Christ overcame all obstacles and opposition to honor and glorify the Father, showing forth the glory of God in His humanity, so He desires and wills to fill the life of the believer in an ever-increasing, and more consistent manner. The question then becomes, how is this to be? What are His ways whereby He abides in the life, not only being present, but actively working in and through the life to manifest His light, glory, and power in the world?
When the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Colossian believers, he began by giving them a vision of who Christ IS and WAS. He sought to give them the perspective from heaven, so that their faith could be strengthened to appropriate the life of Christ by the Holy Spirit. He wrote: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” (1:16) He goes on to declare that Christ is “…before all things, and in Him all things consist.” “And He is the head of the body, the church.” …He continues by declaring, “…It pleased the Father that in Him (Christ) all the fullness should dwell.” (1:17.18.19) Why is this “vision” of the truth of Christ so very important? Faith is given by God according to the vision that He gives of Christ. If the believer is to believe God for the fullness of Christ by the Spirit, appropriating the power of the Spirit for every need, being enabled to worship and serve God, and serve Him, interceding effectively for His kingdom to come, then he must see that Christ is Sovereign, All-mighty, eternally holy and good in every aspect of His being, never changing and absolutely faithful. The vision of Christ determines in great part the appropriation of Christ as the life.
After giving the vision of Christ, Paul then proceeded to the work of Redemption, and the power of the Redeemer to save. He also deals with that which opposes faith in the realization of this knowledge of Christ in the life. It is after this that Paul calls the believer grasp the heavenly vision of every believer being in Christ at the right hand of the Father, made perfect and complete in Christ, with an eternal access to God upon His throne. The call of God is to “seek those things which are above,” from Christ our life.
Dear Father, Give us Thy vision, In Jesus’ name, Amen.