The Grands Letter (Col/GLJ)
Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D. on December 20, 2019 10:48 pm (CST)Dear Grands,
Colossians 3:1-3, “If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
I talked with a friend today about parenting. Her children are now adults, so it was not as if she needed advice or even encouragement in that matter. Yet, we both agreed that good children are not good by accident; and children who have not learned good behavior are more likely than not either to have never had good parenting or self-elected to ignore the good teaching they had received.
When Paul says “If then you have been raised up with Christ,” he is saying, “If…, and you have.” He is encouraging those who are true believers to “keep on seeking the things above…” (He could hardly encourage them to “keep on” with anything unless they had already been doing it.) And it’s the “things above” that really count because that’s where Christ is!
Our minds can and must be trained to follow the LORD. That’s why we’re instructed to keep our minds focused on things above. There are so many glittering, but evil attractions on this Earth, that we must determine the LORD’s course for us and follow it assiduously –constantly, diligently! Satan subtly seeks to convince us that our LORD’s direction in life is wrong. He tells us that the world is having all the fun, and we’re missing it because we’re following Jesus. But, we cannot allow ourselves to follow Satan’s deception because we “have died” to the world and its ways. Our lives are hidden with Christ in God.” That’s what Christianity is all about! One might as well speak of “heavenly devils” as to speak of “worldly Christians.” Use the time the LORD has allotted you to glorify Him! Share Him boldly!
Share Him often! There’s a Great Day Coming; and the LORD Jesus is leading the pack.
Heartily in Christ Jesus,
(Dado III)
Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America
“We never know that God is all we need
until He becomes all that we have.”
