“Abundant Christian Living”

TOPIC:‌“Climbing the Spiritual Heights”

                 by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap

TEXT:‌Colossians 3:1-4

‌‌“If you, then, be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where

‌‌Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” (3:1).

‌A Swiss mountain climber who slipped and fell to his death was buried beneath this epitaph: “He died climbing.” What a beautiful description of Christian living. This idea of climbing the heights to Spirit-filled living was the passionate desire of the Apostle Paul. He was always going forward, always advancing, always moving ahead, always climbing upward. His motto for life was “ONWARD and UPWARD.”

‌Paul's view of Christian living is beautifully expressed in the Phillips rendering of Philippians 3 verses 11 through 14 where he writes: “Yet, my brothers, I do not consider myself to have `arrived' spiritually, nor do I consider myself already perfect. BUT I KEEP GOING ON, grasping even more firmly that purpose for which Christ grasped me. My brothers, I do not consider myself to have fully grasped it even now. But I do concentrate on this: I leave the past behind and with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead I go straight for the goal - my reward the honour of being called by God in Christ.”

‌In the verses before us three great truths emerge regarding our life in Christ

I.

‌Consider, first of all, as we think of climbing the spiritual heights, our POSITION is in Christ. Paul writes in verse 1: “If you, then, be risen with Christ.” The Greek construction would have these words read: “Since then you have been raised with Christ.” This is the way Moffart has it. The NLT is similar: “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ.”

‌The Apostle Paul is certain, there is no doubt about the fact of his being raised with Christ. Listen as he writes to the Galatians: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). The risen life of which Paul speaks should be a meaningful reality to every child of God.

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