2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
In addition to refocusing, one’s heart, Paul says “set your minds on things above.” Renew your minds on godly things not on earthly things. Many people think that it is impossible to change our past. Not so with God, all things are possible.
The good news is if you gave your life to the Lord by faith, He has taken away all the sins you've ever committed and treats you as if they never occurred. We no longer have any evil past which convicts us.
It is one thing the resurrection does. You stand before God confessing all those horrible things that your memory won't let you forget. He opens the books and looks and says, "There isn't any record of that here. Oh, there used to be such a person, but he is dead. You were born on that day you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior. My record of your life begins then.” God gives you a new identity and new name. We need not be ashamed of the past because He has taken care of it. Renewing our minds on the truth gives us freedom and forgiveness.
baptism we symbolize what has already happened in our hearts. We are dead to sin and buried. Now we become alive in Jesus Christ. We identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord. We have died to our old nature, and are raised to a new life in the Holy Spirit. Now let God dwell in your richly. Christ is in us living out His will through you and me.
Handly Page was a pioneer in aviation. Before takeoff one day, unknown to him, a huge rat was attracted by the smell of food and managed to get inside his plane. After a while in the air Page heard the sickening sound of gnawing. He visualized the serious damage that could have been done to a fragile mechanism that controlled the aircraft. He realized this could be a dangerous situation. He knew a rat cannot survive at high altitudes. So piloted the airplane to climb higher and higher. He listened. The gnawing had stopped. When he landed, he found the rat lying dead behind the cockpit.
Many of us are plagued by gnawing lusts of the flesh simply because we are living on a low spiritual level. As we keep our attention on Christ above, the allurement and danger of this world and its temptations lose their power. Like the hymn says, “the things of this world grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.”
Application: Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face.
Prayer: O Lord, when I look into Your holiness, when I gaze into Your loveliness, when all things that surround become shadows in the light of You, I worship You.
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