“Seeking Spiritual Things”

Colossians 3:1-6

1) If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

3) For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

4) When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

5) Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

6) For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

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ften those coming into salvation find it hard to understand the things God has done. The key word here is God. We are unappreciative of and miss what God has done; because all too often, we are looking at and for fleshly things. To make it, we must have a mind and attitude to change for the honor and glory of God.

Usually, those newly saved have great excitement and expectation, but neither do they know what they are excited about nor what to expect. When these emotions hit, many err in believing the cause to be forthcoming natural blessings rather than spiritual adventure and enlightenment. If we paused to reflect on Who is now in charge of our lives, we would be reminded that He is spiritual, and that, therefore, would change our focus.

Unfortunately, too many of the redeemed retain the same “old” priorities. You cannot live a “new” life if your old habits remain. Why do so many ex-offenders return to jail? Because even though the prison gates opened, and they walked out, their mentality was never changed from that of a criminal. In like manner, even though one accepts salvation, if his mentality remains that of a sinner, he will commit sin as surely as a freed criminal will commit crime. Therefore, we must change our priorities. We simply focus upon the wrong things.

“Seeking spiritual things” will be much easier if we understand that the Lord supplies all needs. Receiving spiritual things will be more important to us once we know and accept that they are the key to what we will be and accomplish in the Lord.

Usually, we find it difficult to do those things with which we are not familiar. One of these things is the pursuit of that which is spiritual. This is such a foreign concept because most families do not deal with spiritual things. By-and-large, we develop our ideas of what is and is not important from our parents, and our parents “teach” us according to their biases and prejudices.

How much more of a hint does the Lord have to give us that we must de-emphasize the things of the World? We already have the admonition from scripture to set our affections on the things above (that is, on spiritual things). After all, only the things of the Spirit will advance us spiritually.

The spiritual being that man becomes in Christ desires and seeks only those things that magnify God. What, then, do we say ourselves when our interests are mainly selfish and fleshly?

If one is “risen with Christ,” then he must accept that the spiritual growth he needs to qualify for heaven will come only through spiritual means. These “means” are one’s tests and trials, allowed by God to teach us wisdom in spiritual things. Living selfishly assures us very little growth in and even less satisfaction with the Lord.

Since tests must come when we seek spiritual things, we may as well be determined to praise the Lord in every type of trial, accept that the Lord has better for us than just the tests and trials. They are to be counted simply as a means to victory and success in the Lord.

Whether one is determined to seek spiritual things or not, his requirement ill be the same: he must not sin. For no matter how much the Lord loves us, His own law will not allow us to get away with sin. So, you see, we are not to regard “seeking spiritual things” as an extra-curricular activity, but rather, a core subject in our study of salvation.