‘Then’ Is a Word that Means, ‘It Follows That…’

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Col. 3:1,2

Few know the heavenly transport that Paul details in this verse, which begins with the word, ‘if.’ Many aspire to rise as Christ arose, but they remain captive; bound to earth. The gravity of worldly pleasure, pride, people, property and possessions tethers their hearts and minds; anchors them to what this world ultimately offers men in property and possession: a grave and a casket or silver urn that is large enough to hold a naked man and little else. Even if you could take all that you acquired on earth with you, what good would it be? Surely, if you did not seek the things above while you were alive, the stockpile here would have thinned, and the attention of your soul in hell would not be drawn to that distant heavenly light, which lies across an expanse of darkness and fiery shadow. There, there will be no time for toys; only tears; and your tears will no more extinguish the flames of your suffering, then water splashed upon a drowning man to awaken him. You should have crossed that one saving bridge that you passed when you lived: the cross of Christ and His resurrection.As for those of us in Christ, normally we would expect to see the word ‘then’ after “If ye then be risen with Christ.” Of course, the word ‘then’ is presumed to be present as the transition of this verse; even as spiritually the ‘if’ followed by the ‘then’ was the correct presumption that we who followed Christ would seek those things above. After all, then,’ is a word that means, ‘it follows that…’ doesn’t it? And of those of us who say that we follow a risen Christ and Lord, is it not reasonable to think that our hearts and minds are drawn to Him there now? How often is it that we imagine, in the fulness of Christ’s spirit, ourselves seated in Him at the right hand of the Father? If not, then we are told do so. “How is that,” you might ask? The Apostle Paul told us: “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” To paraphrase, what he’s telling us is to ‘Lift up your eyes and watch the draw bridge lower; thus, allowing us passage. Then, in Spirit and truth, let us walk. If we say that we love our Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind, then it follows that our mind, which was created with an imagination, should set its sight on those things above inasmuch as the Word of God gives us through His Spirit a wealth of heavenly things to be imagined.

O, what a glorious thought it is that He is in me, and I in Him, and in Him I can imagine today what will one day be the reality of heaven and our worshiping Him before the throne. Yes, set your affections there for where your treasure is, your heart will follow.

Posted on FACEBOOK, June 24, 2014