COLOSSIANS - CHAPTER 3 - WE ARE HIDDEN IN CHRIST (2024)
WE ARE HIDDEN IN CHRIST
COLOSSIANS – CHAPTER 3
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Tuesday Morning Bible Study 9/24/2024; Sunday, February 7, 2010
In my notes on chapter 3, I found two visions and three sermons. I hope to summarize in one teaching how scripture confirms our visions. I have held back at times about sharing visions given to me. But this past Sunday evening, I was so blessed by the divine visitations Robyn shared, I decided to not hold things back. Surely, if the LORD gives it to us, it is for teaching and encouragement of the whole Body of Christ.
3:1-4: If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in Glory.
This is the confirmation of the Lord speaking to me, “Carolyn I have you hidden in my OMNI.” I recently remembered this story and repeated it several times. The memory came back when I realized even our name and location is on West Hidden Lakes, Rich-mond, Texas.
“OMNI” definition: “all and everything, all, of all things, “omniscient,” “omnifarious,” “in all ways or places; “omnicompetent,” “omnipresent.”
We as a corporate body of Christ are hidden in Christ’s all and everything. But not only the Eastgate Church body, but the Body of Christ universal. “Your life is hid with Christ in God.”
I want to address “set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” This can, of course, apply to acquiring things, but it also can apply to the demon of worry as in setting our affections on others.
1/17/2010: WORRY: I had spent a lot of quality time with my family. I noticed one of my daughters was worrying “about me” over things that will never happen. If they do, then we will deal with those problems when they arise. So, I confronted her that she was constantly worrying. She replied, “Mother I don’t know how not to worry.”
There are many people who have not received the Grace of a worry-free mind. “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
When we become excessively worried about and preoccupied with a problem or person, we can become guilty of inordinate affection. Worry over this person attacks our mental energy and productivity.
Or, we may graduate to becoming obsessed with and controlling of the people and problems in our environment. Then our physical, mental, and emotional energy is directed at the object of our obsession (inordinate affection).
We may become reactionaries, instead of acting authentically of our own volition.
We may become caretakers (rescuers, enablers) to the people around us. These are needy people and we attach ourselves to their need.
Over-involvement of any sort can keep us in a state of chaos; it can keep the people around us in a state of chaos. If we’re focusing all our energies on people and problems, we have little left for the business of living our own lives. Some will even neglect personal responsibilities to be someone else’s hero.
If we take all the responsibility on ourselves of other people’s problems, there is none left for the people who have the problem. It overworks us and under works them. Furthermore, worrying about people and problems doesn’t help. It doesn’t solve problems, it doesn’t help other people, and it doesn’t help us. It is wasted energy.
If you believe that feeling bad or worrying long enough will change a fact, then you are residing on another planet with a different reality system” wrote Dr. Wayne W. Dyer in Your erroneous Zones.
Worrying and obsessing keep us so tangled in our heads we can’t solve our problems. Whenever we become attached in these ways to someone or something, we become detached from ourselves. We forfeit our power and ability to think, feel, act, and take care of ourselves. We lose control.
Obsession with another human being, or a problem, is an awful thing to be caught up in. I had this happen to me in my early 40’s. My mind was like a train caught on a track that ran round and round and couldn’t get off the track. I could also describe it being in ruts and not able to get out of the ruts.
That person can talk about nothing else, can think of nothing else. Even if he appears to be listening when you talk, you know that person doesn’t hear you. His/her mind is tossing and turning, crashing and banging, around and around on and endless racetrack of compulsive thought. He/She is preoccupied. He relates whatever you say, no matter how unrelated it actually is, to the object of his obsession. He says the same things, over and over, sometimes changing the wording slightly, sometimes using the same words. Nothing you say makes any difference. Even telling them to strop doesn’t help. He/She has a problem or concern that is not only bothering them---it is controlling them.
As Christians, we often attribute this to self-lessness in contrast to selfish people with whom all conversations are “all about me”. The “all about me people” are the ones using their victims. We have to healthy and whole in Christ Jesus before we can be used as a vessel of His love to others. This is a trap that many Christians fall in to. Their entire focus was on someone or something other than themselves. Some of them spent years of their lives doing this---worrying about, reacting to, and trying to control other human beings. They were shells, sometimes almost invisible shells of people. Their energy was depleted---directed at someone else.
For those whose lives are hidden in Christ, they have been raised from the realm of sin and death of the carnal soul. Their affections are on things above, not on things on the earth. For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. We live as He lives.
3:5-7: Mortify your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil and unnatural desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
As long as we are on this earth, consider as dead the carnal desires raging within our old nature. If one prefers these to the things to heaven, then we are guilty of the sin of idolatry. The strong man over these sins is idolatry. The wrath of God is the Holy anger of God. The Word says for these things, the wrath of God will come on the children of disobedience. It doesn’t say, “if”, “maybe” or “perhaps”. The Word says, “it will come”.
The old life consisted of nothing but these things, for our flesh lived only to do them. But now all that is behind us.
When Jesus died, I died. If one has died, then he is already living on the other side of death. The body containing the old nature has dropped off leaving the Christian clothed in his new nature only. A spotless, Holy life is all that could result. This is the goal Paul now puts before the Colossians. His words (mortify your members/flesh) here carry the force of his words in Romans. “Reckon yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God.” Such “reckoning” or “thinking” puts before the Christian God’s own holiness as a challenge of this present life.
3:8-10: Not only are those things to go, but in addition you must put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him:
Seeing we have chosen to put on the new nature, we have embarked on an entirely new kind of life, fitted for Holiness. Each day we grow closer and closer to Jesus enjoying deeper intimacy with our Creator.
The divine intention is to bring us to realms of Grace which allow us to participate in the Godhead. We are to grow from Grace to Grace, to be more like Jesus today than we were yesterday.
3:11: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, (people of eastern Iranian language included parts of Russia, Asia, and the Ukraine) and neither bond nor free; but Christ is all, and in all.
The basis for unity within the church is the fact that our lives are in Christ---a completely new realm of existence, a new man. Paul scans in four directions: nationality, religion, culture, and social status. In the old life there was division and discord. In the new, “we are members of one of another” (Eph. 4:25). Over the years, in the fellowship of Eastgate Church, we have enjoyed multiple cultures, educational, social, financial status and nationalities. In this diversity, the Lord is bringing us into the place where His body is, “Christ is all and in all.” Verse 11 is and was tested in my heart during the riots and burnings of Black Lives Matter, and now the illegal crossings into our nation, not only by Hispanics, but Asians, Islamic terrorists, and gangs from South America. There is a great weight of responsibility on the United States government as well as the church to minister salvation to these people groups. To add to the conundrum, these people are dangerous criminals not only because they are illegal, but more often than not were criminals in the nation from which they came. I have nothing to offer the Lord in my heart but to pray He supernaturally deliver these people to His will and purpose.
3: 12-14: Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering.
forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any many has a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also forgive them.
And above all things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness.”
2/5/2010, I had a dream that I had on a new jacket which was woven with Harvest colors.
Love is the thread from which all our new garments are made. It is the one grace which welds the entire church together in perfect unity.
What Paul refers to as the “fruit of the Spirit” in other places, here becomes the “clothing of the Sprit.” This is city talk rather than farmer talk. The new life is now pictured as requiring a new set of clothes. Paul asks us to discard the filthy rags of the old nature and put on new garments worthy of the new life. The material from which they are made is love from whence spring compassion, patience, and tolerance. Inasmuch as we are totally forgiven, we are obliged to forgive totally. Able to forgive anyone anything we are no longer wolves, but God’s lambs—harmless and gentle. A wolf may devour a lamb, but it is unthinkable that lambs would attack each other.
I had not intended to tell the whole world about the full dream because it sounds presumptuous. However, in view of the dream being “on time” WITH Chapter 3 of Colossians, it was given to me for confirmation and to teach and preach.
Dream given to Carolyn Sissom, 2/5/10: “I was climbing stairs. I had on a new brightly colored plaid jacket (bright Harvest shades). I didn’t feel that my blouse matched the new jacket, so was climbing to go to my closet to change the blouse. Coming down another set of stairs (opposite
of me) was my “BOSS”. He said, “Carolyn hurry, you are a Supreme Court Judge and we are meeting right now. There are new judges who have been appointed and they are doing a fine job. Get in your place.” I asked him in shock, “What kind of Judge?” He said, a Texas Supreme Court Judge. I then saw the gathering of the court and all the judges were “seated”.
I was a couple of steps from my “closet” (place of prayer) and decided to quickly make the change.) Instantly I realized I did not have time to make any changes and had to go at once. My outfit was shown to me. All of the colors blended, but the fabrics were woven of different textures and designs. The skirt was embroidered silk and the plaid jacket was bright Harvest colors.” (End of dream)
Lovett: “Since we are dearly loved of God and chosen to be His holy ones, it is urgent that we re-arrange our lives accordingly. There is clothing which goes with this new life and we must wear it. See that we outfit ourselves with a heart of compassion and be kind to each other. Keep your self-estimates low so as to deal gently with one another. Pride makes a man impatient with his brother. Even though you might have a perfect right to complain, bear with that brother. Yes, go further and forgive him in the same manner and degree in which the Lord has forgiven you. The most outstanding feature of the new life is love. Love is the thread from which all new garments are made.”
3:15: And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you are called in one body; and be thankful.
Lovett: Since you have been called to enjoy the peace of Christ within the one body, let peace do its sentry duty and become the judge of your hearts. You can be thankful it is there.”
Smile: This would be seated with the Supreme Court Judge of Heaven.
The peace of God is a signal system which warns of anything displeasing to God. If we feel restless about a matter, the warning buzzer is sounding in our heart. In any decision, first present it to God and then check your heart to see if His peace is there. Be assured that nothing helps Satan more than upset and aroused feelings. Whenever we are perturbed, guard every word spoken to a Christian brother or sister. Say absolutely nothing when angry. With practice, the peaceful heart can become God’s primary means for guiding our hands, feet, and mouth. The bond of peace has the highest priority in the church, ascending above matters of doctrine and practice.
Lovett: Since you have risen with Christ, shift your ambitions to heaven. Inasmuch as your Master reigns there, that’s the place to invest. Purpose to be rich in the next life. As far as the world is concerned, you are already dead and gone, with your new life temporarily hidden in God. But in that day when Christ is revealed, wewill appear with Him---sharing in His glory!!!
Matthew 6:20-21: Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
If we shift our investments to heaven, we soon have too much laid up for our hearts to be any other place. We couldn’t afford to have them any place if all of our ambitions are centered there. Paul would have us get greedy in Christ, forgetting all about worldly treasure. Since Jesus is directing the affairs of heaven, that is the only safe place for our wealth.
4:23: “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; that you put on (clothed) the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
3:16-17: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.
Lovett: “Provide a large, permanent place in your fellowship for the teachings of Christ, so that all may draw from them richly and in abundance. And from the Word of God, as wisely as you know how, teach and counsel one another by means of your psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Let joyous and heart-felt thanks to God be found in all our singing. In everything we do or say, consider that we represent the Lord Jesus and perform our acts as unto Him. As we do so, let us be thankful to the Father for the privilege that is ours in Christ.”
3:18-19: Wives submit yourselves to your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be bitter against them.
Paul treats marriage differently here than he did in Ephesians, where the husband’s dignity is noted by comparing him with Christ and the wife to the church. Here he is dealing with problems. The Greek indicates the wives may have been lax in their marital duties (asserting their new freedom in Christ, perhaps) and the husbands impatient with their weaknesses. Bitterness steals upon a man fast. Since the man is stronger and usually has more fire, he is often tempted to abandon his humility as “head of the wife,” (not “head of the house”), and deal too harshly, particularly should she fail to gratify his wishes. Paul insists that not only must the wife submit, but the husband must reign in love. Otherwise, bitterness will result, causing a rift in the marriage.
3:20-21: Children obey your parents in all things (to the letter); for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers do not provoke your children to anger. Do not irritate your children with unjust and capricious treatment, lest you damage their spirits and they lose heart completely.
Parents are responsible for the discipline and guidance of their young children. We are commanded to raise our children in the admonition of the Lord. Disobedient children displease the Lord even as do the parents who tolerate them. Parents were ordained for the benefit of children. Chastisement is to be inflicted only “as unto the Lord.” An exasperated or over-teased child soon loses heart and gives up. God forbids dispiriting of children. A broken spirit is fatal to youngsters.
3:22-25: Servants obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as men pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men; knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. He that does wrong shall receive for the wrong which he has done; and there is no respect of persons.
In Paul’s day slaves were cruelly exploited. He is assuring them that justice will be theirs as they follow the Lord. They are not to be man-pleasers with the carnal notion of currying their favor. Let us do all of our work as unto the Lord and regardless of the task assigned to us, it will have a happy outcome.
Let us remind ourselves that as we work unto the Lord, he is our paymaster. He will see that we collect what is due out of the great inheritance in heaven.
If you are masters, give everyone fair and just treatment, bearing in mind that you’re Master in heaven is carefully watching us and we will have to account to Him.
Preached by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
www.eastgateministries.com – .
Scripture is from K.J.V. and paraphrased from C.S. Lovett’s Lights on Colossians; Dake’s annotated reference bible. The dream, interpretation, comments, and conclusions are my own as I have understood from the Holy Spirit.