Colossians Ch3: Heavenly Gaze

As we have been going over in the previous two chapters, there is an even greater length of knowledge to be poured out over this one! This is the chapter I call the ‘Set your Gaze’ chapter. In Colossians three, Paul sets the motivating drive to gaze upon Christ as Lord and Savior. What does this mean for us? It means that we are called into the driving force of leaning into Him. Leaning into His knowledge, His wisdom, and His understanding for our lives.

In the very first verse, Paul emphasizes the Christ head as THE head, the highest position above any other position! (v. 1). This means that for us, and for the church of Colossae, the emphasis is on the heavenly and not the worldly. (v.5).  To be heaven focused because Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father. Our identity is in Christ, for Christ, to lead to Christ.

When my body says I’m weak, I declare it a liar and say that I am strong through Christ. Since He went through the magnitude of pressure as shown in the Passion of Christ movie, then I’m strong enough to wake up and praise Him. I don’t work for the ungodly, I work for THE God. The only way, the only truth, it is all found in Jesus Christ. By setting our gaze on God, the ungodly naturally follow out of curiosity. They peer into the life filled with joy and declare in their hearts its true meaning. ‘Maybe there is a god?’ they ask themselves, then flowing in abundance the Christ head shows Himself.  

It is through this magnitude that we are obligated to shine His glory. The same Christ who died and rose again shows Himself in truth through His word. Its His face that we seek, and His grace that we walk in.

As the Colossians were possibly living in deep sin, Paul was calling out an even deeper desire. Focus on what is above rather than what is below, because the below will never satisfy. (v.2).  What does satisfy the quenching of our thirst is the living water! I prophesy that His living water runs deep in the shorelines of everyone who reads this blog post. I prophesy that there would be an outpouring of His Spirit that rests upon His children today, amen.

Now there are two main themes and five main points I’d like to zero in on today:

 The two main themes are:

1. Embracing Holiness.
2. Setting A Part Time.

The five main points are:

1. Gazing on Christ. (v.4)
2. His Holiness. (v.12)
3. Sing His Word. (v.16)
4. Thanking Our Lord. (v.17)
5. Rewards in Christ. (v.24)

1. Embracing Holiness.

“Christ is your life. When he appears, then you, too, will appear with him in glory.” –(Col3:4).

Embracing holiness is embracing the full manuscript of Christ being King in your life. In the throne room of our hearts there may be many things battling for King, battling for dominion, but Paul is encouraging us by saying that ‘Christ is your life.’ When Christ is your life that means that you are dead to the influences of sin and are called to call it out for what it is. It is no longer you who lives, but Christ who live in you. And when Christ lives in you, it is far greater than He who lives in the world.

It says in this verse that when He (Christ) appears, then you too will appear with Him in glory. How wonderful is that? We get to appear with Him in glory when He reigns from heaven. In my mind a picture is formed of trumpets with angels sounding the call. Sounding the royal precession to take place as He rides from heaven to show the earth His glory. Paul is speaking to the church of Colossae, but I believe that we share in this inheritance through reading His word. Christs glory is meant to manifest in our everyday lives. Its HIS story that becomes our narrative and the theme focus.

2. Setting A Part Time.

“Let Christ’s word with all its wisdom and richness live in you. Use psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to teach and instruct yourselves about ⌞God’s⌟ kindness. Sing to God in your hearts.” -(Col3:16).

Im going to open this with a poem I wrote:

                “Let the fragrance of His Word fill the air,

                Let every knee prepare.

                For the divine splendor of His glory,

                Not one can hinder from this story.

                Let dazzling stars erupt His glory,

                Still not one can hinder from this story.

                Whether history be bound, it cannot be bought.

                Its HIS story in which He has taught.”

This poem is written to explain even just a fraction of the passion I have for the Bible. It says in the verse above to use every tool necessary to praise the Lord! We are called to set a part time to sing to God in our hearts. Whether in or out of the prayer closet, this song from our hearts glorifies the one who reigns in our hearts. In the first chapter of John, it talks about the magnificence of the Word of God. How it reigned in the beginning and the Word was God. His written Word is inscribed into the essence of Jesus because in both the Old and New Testament: the word glorifies Him, Jesus the Son of God.

We are called to sing to God in our hearts because we were made for it. For an eternity we are ushered into His grace, and we get to praise His name!

Yours Truly,

Destiny Rose Nielsen.