CAN YOU BE SO HEAVENLY MINED THAT YOU ARE NO EARTHY GOOD?

Photo taken by B Smith from the kitchen window

     323 - CAN YOU BE SO HEAVENLY MINED THAT YOU ARE NO EARTHY GOOD?

     October 16, 1977

     Pastor Henry F. Kulp

 

Colossians 3: 1 - 5 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitters on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 

I wonder if you realize that we live in the best of all dispensations, the dispensation of the Grace of God, the dispensation of the church, the dispensation of salvation being offered to all, and this tells us how to live in this wonderful dispensation.

1/  It starts with the word, if and, of course, that immediately says to you, that’s conditional, but that is not true. In the Greek the word if can have four class conditions.  If it is first class condition, it means it is true. If it is a second condition it is false, or assumed to be false. If it is third condition, then it can go either way. It can be false or it can be true, and if it is fourth, class condition it is the expression of a wish or desire.  I wish it could be true, but it isn’t. Here in this verse it is a first class condition so it means it is true. If you are risen with Christ, and it is true.

2/  This is not a physical resurrection that he is talking about. This is a positional truth.  The physical resurrection for us is yet in the future. It will take place at the Rapture at the end of the age, but here Paul is talking about positional truth. He is talking about positional truth.  He is taking about the spiritual baptism that every believer experiences. For when we are saved, the Holy Spirit baptizes us at the moment of salvation into the death of Christ, the burial of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, and also the ascension of Christ.

3/  Let us look at some of the truths concerning this baptism. Some call it a Spirit-baptism.

1/  This baptism did not occur in any other dispensation other than the

dispensation of the Grace of God.  It is not the same baptism as at the day of

  Pentecost.

2/  This baptism was not prophesied, never spoken of in any other dispensation.

3/   It occurs at the moment of salvation.

4/   It is the mechanics of this salvation. I Corinthians 12: 13  For by one Spirit

     are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, where we be

  bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation takes every believer and enters him

  into union with Jesus Christ, identifies him with Jesus Christ.

5/   It is not something you feel or experience. You only know about it because

  you read about it in the Word of God.  It has nothing to do with aesthetics. 

6/   It unifies believers.  Galatians  3: 26 - 28  For ye are all the children of God

  by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ

  have put on Christ. There is neither Jew no Greek, there is neither bond nor free,

there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Notice there is neither Jew, nor Greek, there is neither bond, nor free, there is

  neither male, or female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. We are not all equal in

  life here on this earth, but in this baptism we are all equal. We are a member of

  the body of Christ.

4/  That should read, risen with THE Christ.

5/  Then we have the word, seek, and that is an interesting word. It should read KEEP ON DESIRING TO POSSESS AND ENDEAVORING TO OBTAIN. We would say, what are we seeking? Things above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. And this again should be where THE Christ sitteth on the right side of THE God, and, of course, that means the father.

6/  With this in mind, let us at Philippians 3: 20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: And here we are told our conversation, our citizenship is in heaven, so we are to look where our citizenship is. Our mind should be on heavenly things, even tho’ we are on earth, we should be Heavenly minded. 

When I went to California last March, I never changed my watch, and I knew it was 3 hours difference between California where I was and here in Altoona, and so I could look at my watch, especially on Sunday and Wednesday and I could picture just what was taking place here in the Altoona Bible Church, now at this point they are singing the Theme song, now they are singing the first hymn, and it is probably time for a special number, and now the preacher is bringing the message, and so by that watch, I was able to keep my mind when I wanted to back in Altoona, and I believe that is the way God wants us to do here on earth.

7/  Colossians 3: 2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Then He says, set your affection on things above. The word, affection, doesn’t mean love. Most people when they read the word, affection, think of loving someone, having affection for someone, but that word means THE MIND and it means to set your mind on these things—things above. Now let us look at another verse that gives us a very definite principle.

 

Matthew 6: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. This is true in every age. If our mind are on things on earth, then it can’t be on things in Heaven. And if it is on things in Heaven, then it can’t be on things on earth. This is the program for this day. We are to think Heavenly things.

8/  Let us make a contrast, under the earthy ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, this is not so. Notice, Matthew 5: 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. In this program of the Sermon on the Mount, earth is the main target.

 

Then go to Matthew 6: 10 and there we read, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Your mind is upon earth in this so-called Lord’s prayer, which is really the Apostle’s prayer. So when you rightly divide the Word, you see a contrast. In our program today, our mind is in Heaven, in the earthy program where Jesus Christ is King it is upon this earth.

9/  YOU MUST NOT ONLY SEEK HEAVEN, YOU MUST THINK HEAVEN. Believers  who have their minds on this earth, are certainly not following God’s program.

 

Philippians 3: 19 Whose end is destruction, who God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind early things.

Here we read about those who mind earthly things, and that is super-earthly things. We have many believers are minding super-earthly things, but God says, “NO”. Our minds are to be on things above.

  

10/  How do we do this?—only through the Bible.

11/  We know that things on earth are controlled by Satan. He rules this world John 12: 31 Now is the judgment on this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. John 14: 30  Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

 

But as we look at Romans 12: 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. We are not to be conformed to this world. 

12/  Galatians 1: 4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: And here we read, we have been rescued from the devil’s kingdom, therefore, we are to think like God, being Heavenly minded.

13/  It is necessary to us to ask can we be so Heavenly minded that we are no earthly good? Absolutely, we are to think about our everyday life. 

 

I Timothy 5: 8 where we read, But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. He that does not take care of his own is worse than an infidel. And so we have to work, and work here is a result of sin. I have met those who when they get saved, say now the Lord is going to take care of me, and all I am going to do is read my Bible and sit here and God will see that I get things brought into my house and take care of me—not so. God has ordained that we work. We have to think earthly thoughts in the sense of how to work, but even it is over-ruled by Heaven, because our work is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to think, how can I do my job so that God will get glory in it.  

14/  Colossians 3: 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Notice that statement—notice what it doesn’t say—it doesn’t say we have to die. It says you are dead—that is what we call positional truth. That is our place—we died with Jesus Christ, and there is nothing that severs earthly ties like death—in fact, there is no tie left. And that is what his argument is here—you are dead and as a dead person you are not to think about things on earth.

15/  And your life is hid in Christ with God. Notice again what it doesn’t say. It doesn’t say try to hide yourself with Christ in God—no—here he says you are hid with Christ in God and that position of safety, perfect safety. 

Suppose I were to take two cards—one to represent myself and another to represent Christ, and put them together. That would represent fellowship with Christ, for it says, with Christ  here—it doesn’t use the word, “ in ,“ it is the word, “with.” So you put the two cards together, and that is fellowship with Christ. You are together, but you and Christ together are in God the Father, and so I should take the two cards and put them inside a book—that is the position of you and the Lord Jesus where He is, you are. His safety is your safety.

16/  Then notice the word, HID. Here is a word that is peculiar. And many times we have it in the Bible. But I would like you to see this word used in another place.

 

Hebrews 11: 23. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment. That is just the way the parents hid the Baby Moses in order that Pharaoh might not get to him. So God is hid with you with Christ. God has hidden you with Christ, where Satan can never reach you. I don’t understand why folks don’t understand and receive gladly the fact that they are eternally safe. Those parents hid Moses the best they could and they were successful. The time came when they boldly brought him out saying, We are not afraid of the King’s commandment, but for three months they hid him in the place of safety, and that is what God did with you.

17/  Colossians 3: 4 When Christ who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also

  appear with hi in glory. 

 

Look again at those words, Christ our life. The devil would like to take from you your   Christian life. There is no doubt about that, but where is your life? If Satan wants to get eternal life away from the believer, he has to get the Son of God, for Christ is our life.

18/  Shall appear Then shall ye also appear with Him in Glory. The word, “appear” is

 a personal appearance. We have the same word in Hebrews 9: 26 For then must he

 often have suffered since the foundation the world: but now once in the end of the

 world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 

I Corinthians 4: 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come,

  who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest 

the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

And so, Colossians says, When Christ who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye

  also appear with him in glory. 

He will appear again, and when He appears, we shall appear, and notice where we will appear—in Glory.

AMEN

Ref: 10/16/1977 / 323 - CAN YOU BE SO HEAVENLY MINDED THAT YOU ARE NO EARTHLY GOOD? / 2020