“Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.”
Colossians 3:1
In Ephesians 2:10, Paul reminds us that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. We are redeemed as His people and equipped for serving Him. But we also are surrounded with troubles where issues of race and culture separate and cause conflict among us. And furthermore, we can be easily caught up in our good works, forgetting how we have been raised in Christ. Before we know it, we’ve lost our focus on “things above.”
We need to remind ourselves often of the backdrop of eternity that illumines all we do. “Do not let the world squeeze you into its mold,” J.B. Phillips tells us in his modern English version of Romans 12:2. We are in Jesus, the risen Christ. Since our relationship is intimate and complete, we can carry on in our day-to-day tasks as well as our good works with a new, heavenly perspective.
J.C. Ryle, an English evangelical Anglican bishop in the 1800s, said, “Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people, and those who enter shall find they are neither unknown nor unexpected.” Amen to our great hope!
We need to remind ourselves often of the backdrop of eternity that illumines all we do. “Do not let the world squeeze you into its mold,” J.B. Phillips tells us in his modern English version of Romans 12:2. We are in Jesus, the risen Christ. Since our relationship is intimate and complete, we can carry on in our day-to-day tasks as well as our good works with a new, heavenly perspective.
J.C. Ryle, an English evangelical Anglican bishop in the 1800s, said, “Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people, and those who enter shall find they are neither unknown nor unexpected.” Amen to our great hope!
Scripture Focus
Colossians 3:1-4
Insight
“When we all get to heaven/ what a day of rejoicing that will be!/ When we all see Jesus,/ we’ll sing and shout the victory!” (E.E. Hewitt, 1898)
Bible In A Year
- Ezekiel 9-10
- Psalm 135
- Ephesians 1-2
