#6 How Should I Act?
 

I'm Just a-Passin= Through
 

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above.
(Colossians 3:1)
 

  "Do you mean to tell me,@ you say, "that because I am united with Christ and because he was raised, that heaven is where I belong, earth is a temporary residence, eternity is where it's at, and time is fleeting?@
  Yes. Emphatically yes! That's exactly what Paul means.
    That being the case, there's a command we need to obey - "Set your hearts on things above.@ That doesn't make any sense at all until you understand the truth that is stated, then how that truth is applied. But when you do understand, it's nonsense not to obey.
    If it is true that he is raised and I am in him, then my affections need to be locked into Christ, locked into the right hand of the Father, locked into heaven, and locked into eternity. That's where my heart really is. The Lord Jesus said, "Where your treasure is. There will your heart be also.@
  The converse is also true. Where your heart is, that's where your treasure is going to be.
    So ask yourself a question: "Am I clear that Christ is at the Father's right hand? Do I understand that I, united with him, find my life where he is? And do I recognize that when my heart is seated in Christ at the Father's right hand, the place of authority and access to the Father, that eternity is reality and that heaven is my home?@
  When I understand all these things, my heart says, That's where I find my deepest desire. We see everything in light of this.
    Setting our hearts on things above presupposes that we'll guard our affection. How easily our affection can be infected! How often we see young people doing well spiritually until they reach that terribly vulnerable time when their affections start playing tricks on them. Having made a good profession of faith, they fall in love with someone who hasn't the slightest interest in Christ. And what happens? Christ is disregarded. He is disregarded because their affections are unguarded. I have seen it happen far too often.
    If we are seated with Christ at the Father's right hand, we also need to guide our affections, to focus them on him, so that we understand the truth and tune in to the right wavelength.
    Why do we need to guard and guide our affections? Because Christ is seated at the Father's right hand, and we are seated with him. Believe me, there's no better place to be.
    How are you doing at guiding your affection toward Christ and what is eternal?
 

~Stuart Briscoe~