The Supernatural Christian Life, Part 2

Heavenly Father, we come before you in the name of Jesus, desperate for you to speak to us, asking Lord that you would reveal yourself to us, that you would help us to behold Christ, seated on his throne, high and lifted up. Lord, direct our thoughts, our mind, our affection to you through your word this morning. Lord, your word is living and active, and we ask Lord that through your word you would impart life to us. Lord, we confess to you as we have already done so our sins, and Lord, we also acknowledge the fact that we have a mighty savior seated at the right hand of God.

interceding for us, and what a blessed hope we have. Lord, I do not know what your people are going through here this morning, but I ask Lord that you would meet them where they are at, that Lord, you would see fit to bear their burdens, that you would encourage their hearts, Lord, that You would cause them to leave here today feeling lifted. And Lord, use me as your unworthy servants. To speak your heart to your people here this morning.

It's in Jesus' name that I pray. Amen. my last sermon, usually pastors don't start this way, but I am. My last sermon was entitled The Supernatural Christian Life, and we framed that message around eight truths that we are to embrace in order to experience the supernatural Christian life.

And you might recall that I told you that I ended up having to make the decision to split that message into two parts. So today, what I'm going to do is I will briefly review the 1st 4 truths. You can fill those out in your handout, and then I will take the bulk of our time to cover the final 4 truths. So with that in mind, please turn in your Bible to Colossians chapter 3, turn in your Bibles to Colossians chapter 3, we'll begin in verse 1, and as you are turning there, I remind you that the Colossians are under attack.

They are under spiritual attack. There are false teachers introducing destructive doctrines, and such teaching includes Jewish legalism and pagan mysticism. On the one hand, we have a law-oriented approach to spirituality and then on the other hand, we have an emphasis on secret knowledge and an experiential approach to spirituality and to combat the heresy, Paul focuses much attention on the person and the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul in Colossians presents an exalted view of Jesus and unpacks the practical significance of the gospel for the Colossian believers, and Paul's passion for his readers is that they embrace the sufficiency of Christ and thereby experience the supernatural Christian life.

His passion and his approach to ministry is summarized in verse 28 of chapter 1. Chapter 1 verse 28, where Paul says, we proclaim him, we proclaim Christ, he says, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that, so that we might present every man complete in Christ. And so you see here the key to completion is Christ. We proclaim.

Him with the goal that we present every man complete in Christ. Paul is going to proclaim Christ as the basis for his ministry through him, men of God, women of God are able to come to completion. Paul goes on to say in verse 29 that for this purpose also I labor, he says, striving according to his power. God's power is at work in me, the power of Christ is being unleashed through me.

I am striving according to the power of God which mightily works within me. And so here we see that Christ is the key to power. He's foundational for one's experience of the supernatural Christian life. All we need at the end of the day is the Lord Jesus Christ himself.

And so with these thoughts in mind, hear the word of the Lord, Colossians chapter 3 verse 1. Since then, You have been raised up with Christ. Keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ and God.

When Christ, who is our life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him. In glory. Again, the sermon this morning is entitled The Supernatural Christian Life Part 28 truths to embrace in order to experience the supernatural Christian life. Let's briefly review the 1st 4 truths.

If you want more detail, I encourage you to listen to the full sermon online at www.cornerstone Bible.org. So let's briefly review the 1st 4 truths. Number 1, we have been raised up with Christ. We see this in verse 1.

Since then, you have been raised up with Christ. Much can be said, I will refrain. This fact is the basis for and it leads directly to 22, We have a responsibility to relentlessly pursue Christ. We see this in verse 1B.

Paul says, keep seeking the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Here we are commanded to take action and to apply ourselves to continual pursuit of the things above. Specifically, we are to seek after Christ, and it's worth noting that the main resources by which we seek the Lord is God's word and prayer. We must prayerfully pursue Christ through His word.

And as we do, we will grow in our understanding of truth number 3. Number 3, we have a sufficient resource in the person of Christ. We have a sufficient resource in the person of Christ. We see this in verse 1C.

He says, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is directing our attention to Christ, the ultimate one who is above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. And this verse underscores the fact that Christ's resurrection from the dead and his ascension into heaven, it affirms these facts. He conquered death, ascended into heaven, then he sat down at the right hand of God. From there, he intercedes for us and he invites us to approach his throne of grace for help.

He invites us to approach. The door is wide open through Christ that we can come to Almighty God, approaching the throne of God's grace for help in our times of need. And since Christ has done all of this, then it follows that we should embrace truth number 4. Number 4, we have a responsibility.

A responsibility to control and redirect our thought life towards heavenly realities. We see this in verse 2. He says, set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on the earth. The command to seek our mind on things above parallels the previous command to keep seeking the things above.

In a way, Paul says the same thing two different ways. It is appropriate to say that we must be so heavenly minded that we might be of some earthly good. And now we pick up with the next truth. And we're gonna slow down.

And we're going to try to wrap our minds around what Paul continues to say, Truth number 5. Number 5, we have sufficient reason. To control and redirect our thought life toward heavenly realities. Before in, in truth 4, we, we have a responsibility, but here we discover that we have sufficient reason, reason, motivation to control and redirect our thought life toward heavenly realities.

We read this in verse 3, A and B, for you have died, for you have died, and Your life is hidden with Christ in God. The word 4 links what Paul has said to what he is about to say. He has already fired off two commands that are to be obeyed. Keep seeking, verse 1, set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth.

Verse 2, we must Set our thoughts toward heavenly realities. We must think God's thoughts after him. We must set our mind on things above. We must focus on the ascended and seated Christ.

Implied is the fact that we are to follow after the example that Christ sets for us. We are to walk in His steps to seek first His kingdom. We must live in such a way that the lamb slain receives the reward for his suffering. What we seek and set our mind upon will inevitably reflect in how we live, and I submit that to the degree we are heavenly minded, we will then be of some earthly good.

Throughout the course of every day, throughout the course of every single day, the Lord gives us countless opportunities in which to live this out. It is late at night. You are exhausted from a long day at work. You come home to a very needy family and you diligently seek to meet every single one of those needs.

And bedtime comes. You sink into your mattress and you lay your weary head on your soft pillow. And every muscle fiber in your body is saying, Oh, yeah. Oh yeah, thank you, Lord.

You are just about to fall into a deep REM sleep. When your wife taps you on the shoulder and she says, honey, Will you get me a glass of water? Please In that moment, you have a choice to make. You can set your mind on things above, you can set your affection on Christ, you can do what he did for you in laying his life down for you and seeking your needs above his own.

You can recall the one who washed his disciples' feet and apply such a gospel ethic in your response to your wife. You can do that. You can get your tired and exhausted body out of bed and fetch a glass of water for your wife. Or you can say, No.

Get your own water. Sweetheart. You see this, this ethic of continuously seeking and setting your mind on things above finds application throughout the ordinary events of life. Every day is filled with opportunity.

Every human encounter, every Facebook. Post you can choose to draw attention to self or to the savior. Every affliction in your life, every trial, every hardship, every difficulty that comes your way, you can set your mind on your situation or you can set your mind on the savior, seeking first the savior and exalting him in the midst of the life that you are living. The commands to seek and to set our present tense, active voice indicating that they are to be worked out in all of the details of life, seeking and setting your mind on things above relates to your role in life.

Husband. Wife Parent Child, boss, employee. Coworker. Neighbor, no matter your role, you can seek after the things above as it relates to such a role in your life.

Thus, we must direct our affection, our affections and our thoughts towards heavenly realities. The word 4 points back to this, but 4 also points forward in our passage where we find reason to seek and set our minds on things above. He has already declared in verse 1 that the Colossians have been raised up with Christ. The language in verse 1 indicates that we were dead and needed to be brought to life, and God has raised us up with Christ, and here in verse 3, Paul says, 4, you have died.

What do we make of this? Have we been raised to life or have we died? In verse 1, we were raised up with Christ, here in verse 3, we have died. What?

Are we alive? Or are we dead? And the answer to the question is not either or, it is both and depending upon how we look at it. Verse 1 indicates that we are alive spiritually, verse 3 indicates that we have died to the old evil self and the sinful fallen world in which we now live.

We are alive to Christ and we are dead to sin. In Romans 6:11, Paul says, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, have this mind, have this belief system, embrace and affirm the fact that in Christ you are dead to sin. But the alive to God in Christ Jesus, Paul says. And here in verse 3, Colossians 3:3, Paul tells his readers that they died and such a death serves as sufficient reason to control and redirect our thought life toward heavenly realities.

Now you must embrace this truth to gain ground in living the supernatural Christian life. You have died. This is in the heist tents. It is something that has already taken place at some point in the past.

Paul is not talking here about physical death. He is talking about the person that you once were when you were dead in your transgression and sin. In a paradoxical way, we can say, That the spiritually dead person you once were. is now dead When you were spiritually dead, you had no ability to respond to the things of the Lord, to spiritual stimuli.

You could not keep seeking and setting your mind on things above, you were dead, but that dead person has died and you are now free to experience the supernatural Christian life as you seek and as you set your mind on the things above as you go hard after the Lord Jesus Christ. In Galatians 2:20, Paul declares, I have been crucified with Christ. In other words, Paul says, I have died. And Paul goes on to say, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.

In Romans 6:6, Paul says, our old self was crucified with him, our old self has died is what he is saying, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. It is the old fallen dead self. That has died. Do you believe that?

To the Ephesians, Paul says in chapter 2 verse 1, and you were dead in your transgressions and sins, and then just a few verses later, he says, but God, being rich in mercy because of his great love with which he has loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, God made us alive together with Christ, he says, by grace, you have been saved. And so herein we have sufficient motivation to control and redirect our thought life toward heavenly realities. Not only have we been raised up with Christ as we see in verse one, but here in verse 3, we are told that we have died.

We have died.

That old evil, sinful man is dead, according to the word of God. Yet Paul provides one more reason for us to seek and set our mind on things above. He says, your life is now hidden with Christ and God, for you have died and for your life is now hidden with Christ and God. The believer's spiritual life and ultimate eternal life is to be found in the heavens in Christ.

Thus to find our life, we must look to Christ. This is why we must seek and set our mind on the things above. This implies, this implies that fulfillment is to be found in Christ alone. He is our ultimate fulfillment.

The Bible describes him, he speaks of himself as the bread of life. He is the living water. He is the way. The truth and the life.

And we must therefore feast on him. We must derive refreshment from Jesus. We must seek life. In him.

In John 10:10, Jesus says, I came. I came That they might have life and might have it abundantly. Abundant life is to be found in Christ alone. Thus, we do well to seek and to set our mind on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

This same verse directs us to the next truth. Number 6, number 6, we have a mighty refuge. We have a mighty refuge in whom we are protected and preserved. We have a mighty refuge.

Christ is our refuge and in him, we are protected and we are preserved. We see this in verse 3B. Listen to what Paul says. Your life is hidden with Christ and God.

The word to highlight here is hidden. The Greek kakrouptai is translated hidden, concealed, covered. And there is a sense in which our life is hidden from the world. The world fails to understand what it is that makes Christ followers tick.

They just don't get it. I remember back in 1991, and many of you have heard parts of my story. I was a college student. And part of a fraternity.

Can anything good come out of a fraternity? Somehow I was conned into attending a Campus Crusade for Christ conference in San Francisco and it was at that conference when I first heard the gospel and understood it and the old Carlos died. I ran around the college campus afterwards, after being saved and returning back, I, I ran around the college campus seeking to share Christ with everyone I knew. I shared the gospel with every one of my fraternity brothers, and they could not comprehend what they were hearing.

They thought that I had lost my mind. One brother told me that it was like I went away. I died and I returned a different person. They could not comprehend the change that God brought into my life through the power of the gospel.

It was ludicrous to them. It made no sense to them. And sadly, I failed in my every attempt to lead my fraternity brothers to Christ. They were blinded and failed to comprehend what God had done in my life.

I had died and my life was hidden. And it was hidden from them and from their ability to fully comprehend and understand what I was all about anymore. Notice that our life is hidden with Christ. The anointed one, the Messiah.

That Christ is with us and we are with Him. Our life is hidden with Christ, and we do well to embrace the fact of our relationship with Christ that has been established through his death on a cross for us. And again, the world fails to understand the reality of our relationship with Christ. Do you feel misunderstood by unsafe people?

Do you try to explain and they look at you with that look in their face like what are you talking about? Have you had family members just misunderstand you, they misjudged you, they misperceived you, why? Because your life is now hidden with Christ and God, and they're not going to get it, they cannot get it unless the Lord sees fit to turn the switch on and to cause the light to shine, they're in they're blinded, they don't comprehend. And so our life is not just hidden with Christ, it is hidden with Christ and God speaks of our, this speaks of our union with Christ, but also Christ's union with God, and that's our union with God as well.

Guys, we have every reason to feel secure. There's a sense in which our enemies can do us no harm. The world and the devil might attack our flesh, but our life is hidden with Christ and God. Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:28, do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul, but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

The enemy may burn us alive, but he has no power to destroy our soul. However, God is able, fully able to destroy both our soul and our body, but for the believer, his life is now hidden with Christ in God, he is protected, we are protected, and we have no reason anymore to fear. In an ungodly way, we need not fear God in an ungodly way. We are to fear Him in the sense that we respect him, but we are to embrace this fact that we are secure in Christ.

In declaring that your life is now hidden with Christ and God, Paul wants you to know that you are protected. The Bible provides. provides us with descriptions of the Lord that gives every reason for us to feel safe. And secure In the Lord, we, we in fact have a mighty refuge in whom we are protected.

And preserved. Throughout the Psalms, for example, David uses language about the Lord that parallels and underscores this point. Listen to some of the descriptions that David gives to us of the Lord. The Lord is our rock.

He is our shield, our fortress, deliverer. He is our stronghold, he is our salvation, our shepherd, our king, our redeemer, all of these descriptions of our Lord parallel and underscore the fact that in the Lord, we have a mighty refuge. In whom we have protection and we are preserved. Listen to what David declares in Psalm 11:1, and this is just one example.

I'm just giving you one example of, of a verse, of a, of a Psalm that we can look to to see how it is that David's view of the Lord enables and empowers him in the midst of the most trying times. Listen to what David says. Psalm 11:1, in the Lord, I take refuge. In the Lord, I take refuge.

How can you say to my soul, flee as a bird to your mountain, for behold, the wicked bend the bow. They make ready their arrow upon the string to shoot in darkness at the upright in hearts. They're gonna come after you. They're gonna kill you if the foundations are destroyed.

What can the righteous do? Here in this verse, in this passage, in this Psalm, David implies that the Lord is his refuge and he affirms that in the Lord, he takes refuge. He has safety, he has shelter, he has protection in the Lord. This speaks of where David goes when times are tough.

He goes directly to the Lord in whom he finds refuge. You will know this, that there are other voices that vie for David's attention. these are friends of his, if you were, these are, people of, that, that are associated with David. They are part of the kingdom of David, if you will, soldiers and whatnot.

And listen to what, what David is going to be asking here. He, he asked this question, how can you say to my soul, How can you say to me, and listen to what his well-intended counselors are saying, flee as a bird to your mountain. David's counselors view the mountain as a place that David needs to flee for refuge. They see the mountain as a place of safety.

They are convinced that David's greatest need is to run to a high place, run to the mountain. There they believe David will find the refuge that he needs, and they go on to provide reason why David needs to flee to the mountain, for behold. Old David, the wicked bend the bow. They make ready their arrow upon the string to shoot in the darkness, to shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.

They're coming after you. They're gonna get you. They've got their bows and their arrows and they're ready and in the night watch when you're not looking, when you are asleep, they will attack you. David, flee to the mountains.

David's counselors are telling him he must flee. Because the enemy will overtake him. They identify the mountain as the place of refuge, but David sizes up the situation and he concludes that the Lord is his refuge. He sees the Lord as the one to whom he must flee for protection.

He recognizes that in the Lord, he has a mighty refuge in whom he is protected and preserved. And so child of God, child of God, where do you go? When seeking shelter, to whom do you turn during times of trouble? Are you seeking after and are you setting your mind on the things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God?

I want to encourage you this morning that in the Lord, you have a mighty refuge. He is your refuge who protects and who preserves you. He is a place of safety, and this is what the apostle Paul is communicating when he declares, your life is hidden. Your life is heaven with Christ and God.

When you affirm this truth, when you embrace this reality, when you really believe that your life is hidden with Christ and God, you will increase the likelihood of experiencing the supernatural Christian life. Embracing this truth will fuel you. It will fuel you with confidence, courage, and commitment to continue seeking and setting your mind on things above, even when you are assaulted with affliction. And this is what Paul is doing while writing this letter.

In chapter 1 verse 24, he declares that he is suffering. At the end of this letter, in chapter 4 verse 18, he refers to his imprisonment, so he's suffering, he is imprisoned, yet he perseveres in his pursuit of Christ, and he continues in his commitment to kingdom living. His circumstances do not rob him of his joy and commitment to Christ. The truths that Paul is writing about are the very truths that he himself embraces as he triumphs through the trials of life.

He knows that his life is hidden with Christ and God. He knows that in Christ, he has a mighty refuge, that he is protected, that he is preserved, that he is safe, and Paul in his letter to the Colossians illustrates with his own life, the supernatural Christian life that he desires for his readers to experience as well. And so Paul thus gives ample reason for us to be encouraged and to be motivated as we seek after and set our mind on the things above, but he has more to say and this takes us to the next truth, number 7, Truth number 7, we have a returning king.

We have a returning king.

He says in verse 4, when Christ, who is our life, is revealed. A point not to be missed as we read over this passage is that Christ is our life. He is our life apart from him, we cannot claim to have life. I am sure that you are familiar with the saying, get a life, get a life.

This passage reminds us that in order to get a life, we need Christ. Life is derived from Christ, sustained through Christ. Life grows because of Christ. Thus we can say, Christ is our life.

If you are here with us this morning and you, if you have yet to put your trust in Christ, then it follows that you do not have life. You might have physical life for the time being, but you do not have the type of life that is most important. You do not have eternal life apart from Christ, you do not have eternal life, and you do not possess a life marked by eternal meaning and significance. And I would encourage you this morning.

To flee to Christ. To come to faith in him. To transition from darkness and to enter into light. to stop living for self and live for the savior who died on the cross for you, that your sins might be forgiven, so that you might say, I have been raised up with Christ and the old man has died.

I am a new creature in Christ. But the point I want for us to focus on here now is the fact that Christ will be revealed. Christ will be. Revealed.

This, this is his second coming. Paul does not say if. If Christ is revealed. It is an established fact that Christ will be revealed.

He will return as sure as he came to die on the cross for us the first time, so he will come again to reign here on the face of earth as King. He will return and the only question is when? When will he return? We don't know.

We don't know the day or the hour. He's gonna come like a thief in the night. We can't predict with precision when he will come. All we can say is he's going to come again someday, and that should make a difference in our lives.

That should make a difference in how we live out our lives. Brothers and sisters, this is a truth that will facilitate our experience of the supernatural Christian life. It'll help us to gain ground in our spiritual growth. He will return.

I want us to wrap our mind around this fact of his return. God's word gives us much to consider in connection to the return of Christ. I wanna share with you just a few points flowing from this along with some verses. just, just listen, you can write down the reference if you would like.

we do well to turn from sin. As we eagerly anticipate the return of Christ. He's coming. And we would be wise, we would do well to turn from our sin as we anticipate his return.

1 Thessalonians 1:9. Speaking about the Thessalonians. Writing to them, Paul says, they themselves report about us what reception we had with you, and how you, the Thessalonians turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God and to wait for his son from heaven. You see the link between turning from idols to serve a God living and true and waiting for the return of Christ, they come together.

Part of their motivation for living to the glory of God is knowing he's coming again someday. We should anticipate rejoicing over one another when Christ returns. There will be rejoicing and our hearts will be filled as we think about and as we behold one another in the presence of the Lord. Listen to what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 2:19, he says, who is our hope or joy or crown of Exaltation, is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming, at his coming, for you are our glory and our joy.

I anticipate the day when Christ returns, and you will be my glory. You will be my joy in the presence of Christ. It's a source of joy to him to think about that day. And we should strive for holiness as we anticipate the return of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 3:13, and Paul tells his readers he is praying, he's praying for them that God may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all of his saints. He's looking forward to the day when Christ returns and he wants so badly for his readers to be holy and blameless when that day comes, and such a truth should have such an effect on us, having the desire for ourselves and for one another to be ready for that day when we behold Christ face to face.

We should derive comfort from the fact that the Lord will return. What a comfort it is to know he's coming again, and how Paul writing to the Thessalonians beginning in chapter 4 verse 15, they're concerned about those who have fallen asleep in Christ, those who have died in Christ.

And notice what Paul says, the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. The dead will rise first, he says. Then we who are alive and remain, we shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. We shall always be with the Lord.

He says, therefore, comfort, comfort one another with these words. Again, brothers and sisters, we should derive comfort from the fact that the Lord will return. we will experience relief from our affliction when the Lord is revealed. We see this in 2 Thessalonians 1:6.

For after all, it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven. There is going to be a relief from affliction that comes upon the return of Christ, and Paul is looking forward to that day. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 reads, and then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of his mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of his coming.

Satan needs to watch out because when Christ returns, that's gonna mark his doom.

We should anticipate being awarded when Christ returns. There is an award waiting for us. Listen to what Paul 2 Timothy says in 2 Timothy 4:8. In the future, he says, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day.

I will be awarded with a crown of righteousness. I look forward to and I long for that day, but he doesn't end there, he says, and not only to me. Not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. Brothers and sisters, I submit to you that we have much to look forward to.

We should live in light of the return of Christ and allow that to motivate us in our godliness in the here and now. Keep seeking the things above. Set your mind on things above. We should expect personal purification.

As we anticipate the coming of Christ. And we're not expecting it then, though it will happen then, but even now, listen to what John says. First John 3:2, beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him.

We shall be like Him. And he goes on to say, because we shall see him as he is, and he says, everyone who has this hope fixed on him purifies himself right now as I'm writing, if you have this hope fixed on him, you are purifying yourself, that has a purifying effect on you, is what he's saying. And so back to Colossians 3:4, where Paul says, when Christ is revealed. He does not leave the return of Christ to chance.

God in His word is revealing through Paul here that the Lord Jesus will in fact and without doubt return again someday, and this truth should make a difference in our lives. But in our passage, Paul goes a step further than simply declaring that Christ will be revealed. He swings back to the matter of our own lives, he is, he is going to swing back to the matter of our own lives. that are hidden with Christ and God.

And so this takes us to the final truth that we do well to embrace in order to experience the supernatural Christian life. Number 8, we will be revealed in glorified array. Brothers and sisters, take heart. Look to the future and smile.

And know that though you have to live life in this fallen dark evil world and you battle with the remnants of indwelling sin, know that the day will hate, the day is coming where you will be revealed. In glorified array, we see this in verse 4B, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. You also will be revealed with Him in glory. Paul says, then.

You also. Then refers to the time when Christ is revealed. When that happens, then every believer will also be revealed. What was once hidden will be fully disclosed when Christ returns.

Our life that is hidden with Christ will come to the surface and everyone will be able to Behold it, we will not simply be revealed, but we will be revealed in glory, he says. Note that prepositional phrase, in glory, we will finally experience in full force and functionality, the life that is ours in Christ. The transition from position to practice will be complete. The battle with indwelling sin will be over.

We will be revealed with Christ in glory, and this has nothing to do with location. Paul's not saying that we will be revealed with Christ in the location of glory, that's not what he's saying. Rather, the preposition, the Greek word in is best to be understood as with. We will be revealed and when we are revealed, there will be a glory that is attached to our being.

That is an amazing thought. We will be revealed with Christ, with glory. There will be a weightiness to our being. We will be glorified, we will finally be what we were meant to be all along, and no longer will we struggle with the remnants of indwelling sin.

We will be like Him. And we will bear the image of the heavenly. We will be completely conformed into the image of Christ. Elsewhere, the apostle Paul references this idea in Philippians 3:20.

Listen to what he says in Philippians 3:20. Our citizenship is in heaven. From which also we eagerly wait for a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We anticipate his return, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory.

There is a transformation that is coming, there is a metamorphosis, there is a change, you will be conformed completely. Into the image of Christ. And he says he'll do this by the exertion of the power that he has even to subject all things to himself. First John 3:2, listen to what John says.

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know, we know that when he appears, we shall be like Him. We shall be like Him. Brothers and sisters, look around you.

Look at the people that are sitting next to you. Look at the folks in this room. If they are believers in Christ, then the day will come when they will be revealed with Christ, with glory. The same can be said of your believing spouse and children.

Oh, come on now, Pastor Carlos, you're taking it too far now. Seriously. Your spouse. will be beautiful.

Beyond what you could ever have comprehended. This side of eternity. Your believing children as much as they might struggle in this fallen world, if they are believers in Christ, the beauty that will ooze from their being is beyond your ability to comprehend. What a blessing To think about these things.

And you too. You If you have put your faith in Christ. You will one day be revealed with Him. In glory.

With glory Paul does not say that this is something that might happen. As sure as Christ will return again someday, so you who believe will certainly be revealed. With Him in glory. Listen to the verse again.

First John 3:2, beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet appeared as what we shall be. We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him. We shall be like Him because we shall see Him just as he is, and everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies Himself. Present tense, active voice purifies Himself just as he is pure.

This idea that Christ will return and when he does, we will see Him and be like Him has a purifying effect on us as believers. The verb gnet sai means he purifies Himself. He cleanses himself. The supernatural Christian life is marked by personal purity and cleanliness, and when we joyfully anticipate the coming of the Lord and how we will see Him face to face and be like Him.

We experience a cleansing. The verb, present tense, active. John is not just referring to the ultimate cleansing when Christ returns, but that as we anticipate his coming, we are right now in the present being cleansed. If you desire to experience the supernatural Christian life, then seek and set your mind on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father and embrace the fact that he will return again someday, and when he does, you will see Him and you will be like Him.

When Christ is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him. In glory. This is our blessed hope. And it can make a tremendous difference in our lives and in our ministry to one another.

In fact, the entire passage, verses 1 through 4. Can and should be implemented. In our personal lives and in our ministry to one another in order that we experience the supernatural, resurrected, abundant, victorious Christian life. Christ is the key.

We've been reminded of 8 truths. 1, we have been raised up with Christ. 2, we have a responsibility to relentlessly pursue Christ. 3, we have a sufficient resource in the person of Christ, our refuge.

Our lives are hidden with Him and God. 4, we have a responsibility to control and redirect our thought life towards heavenly realities. Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth. 5, we have sufficient reason to control and redirect our thought life towards heavenly realities, he says.

For you have died, and your life is now hidden with Christ and God. 6, we have a mighty refuge, a mighty refuge in whom we are protected and preserved, 7, we have a returning king, when Christ, who is our life is revealed. And number 8, we will be revealed and glorified away. When Christ who is our life is revealed, then we too will be revealed with him in glory, glorified.

And what a blessing. Embrace these truths, believe these truths, apply these truths to your life. And you will gain ground in your experience of the supernatural, resurrected, abundant, victorious Christian life. When they ask you to join with me in prayer as the ushers come forward so that we might receive the offering.

Let's take a moment to bring our time here to an end before the Lord. Dear Lord, we just come before your throne of grace once again. We thank you for your word, Lord, the hope that is ours through your word. Help us, Lord, to apply these truths to our life.

Help us, Lord, to, to keep seeking the things above, to set our mind on things above. Help us to believe and embrace these precious truths. That by them, Lord, we would experience growth, that we would experience this supernatural Christian life. It is a life that is to be lived in the ordinary, ordinary events of the day, but inside of the ordinary, we can be extraordinary.

As we reflect your image and glorify you, God. Bless your people, encourage them, strengthen them. For those of us that gathered together later in our care group, bless our time of interaction. May we be encouraged through that time.

And now as we take time to sing on to you, Lord, we just pray you would bless us, that Lord you would receive our offering, it's a small, a small token of what you have given to us, we return back to you a portion of what you have given to us, Lord, and we just pray that you would use it. to advance your kingdom. Lord, we ask these things in Jesus' name for his name's sake. Amen.