By Ruby Ramsey

"If, then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on thing above, not things on the earth." (Colossians 3:1-2)

When we are baptized into Christ, we leave our old lives of sin and walk in newness of life. We leave our fleshly way of living and become spiritual people. We are no longer worldly, so we should not participate in worldly things. We should concentrate on spiritual things, Godly things.

"There is, therefore, now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death. And verse 5 says: "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Romans 8:1-2)

We live in the world but we are not of the world.

Colossians 3:3 reminds us:

"For you died and your life is hidden in Christ."

We have died to our old sinful way of living. When you are in sin, you are spiritually dead. But you are alive in Christ.

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust can destroy and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)

When we are concerned about things of this earth

Accumulating things,....

          Building big bank accounts, etc......

...We do not have our minds on the things above. Rather we should be glorifying God, worshipping Him, doing His will and serving our fellow man. If we keep our minds busy with Godly thoughts, we will not have time for worldly thoughts. Remember the passage in Philippians 4:8:

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate (think) on these things."

These are the things God wants us to think about -- not the stuff that goes on in our world.

1 John 2:15-16 warns us:

"Do not love the world or things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world --- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but of the world."

We belong to Christ. He is our Redeemer, because He saved us from our sins, gave us salvation, mercy and grace. God has blessed us so richly. If we would just concentrate on this, we would not let our minds be cluttered with worldly things.

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) and raised us up to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-6)

We sit in heavenly places. We walk in the teachings of the Spirit. This is not possible unless we have our minds on things above, where God is.