The principle is the same in being raised with Christ. If we stay in the spirit, we shall have the sense deep within that we have been uplifted, raised up with Christ. Sometimes the saints speak of being “down.” We are “down” because we are not in the spirit. Whenever we are in spirit, we are raised up. However, it is not possible to raise ourselves up. The more we try to do this, the lower we shall sink. But if we simply turn to the spirit and call on the name of the Lord Jesus, we shall be raised up with Christ.
In 3:1 Paul says, “If therefore you were raised together with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.” Notice that Paul does not speak of “things which are in the heavens,” but of “things which are above.” These things are high, superior things. Our natural virtues, however, are low and inferior. In 3:2 Paul continues, “Set your mind on the things which are above, not on the things which are on the earth.” What are the things above? As a child I was taught that the things above are the various features of heaven—the mansions, the pearly gates, and the golden street. However, if we follow the principle of interpreting the Bible by the Bible, we shall see that this is not the meaning of “the things above” in these verses. According to the New Testament, the things above include Christ’s ascension, His enthronement, and His being made the Head, the Lord, and the Christ. In Acts 2:36 Peter says God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ. In Hebrews 2:9 we are told that the Lord Jesus has been crowned with glory and honor. In Ephesians 1:22 we see that in ascension Christ has been made Head over all things to the church. In Revelation 5:6 we see that Christ as the Lamb with seven eyes is now on the throne executing God’s government. Such things are the things above.
In writing to the Colossian believers, Paul was charging them to no longer pay attention to Judaism, Gnosticism, or asceticism, all of which are elements of the world, things which are low and inferior. As those who have been raised up with Christ and who are now living with Christ in God, they should seek the things which are above and set their minds on them. Christ has been crowned and enthroned; He has been made the Lord and the Head over all things. He is even now the Lamb with seven eyes executing God’s government in the universe. These are the things above, the high, superior things, and we should set our mind on them.
Setting our mind on the things above will help us to experience Christ. The Christ whom we may experience is not only our food, drink, Sabbath, new moon, and feast. He is not only our daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly enjoyment. Our Christ is the One crowned and enthroned, the One who is the Lord and the Head, the One carrying out God’s governmental administration. How much richer our enjoyment of Christ would be if we set our mind on these things!
We in the churches in the Lord’s recovery talk much about the enjoyment of Christ. But our concept of enjoying Christ may not be high enough. According to our concept, Christ is our food, drink, clothing, transportation, and dwelling place. No doubt, all this is true. Nevertheless, our enjoyment of Christ still needs to be uplifted. We need to realize that our life is hidden with Christ in God. This means that our sphere of living should not be the earth, but should be God Himself. In 3:3 Paul clearly says that our life has been “hidden with Christ in God.” Paul does not say that our life is hidden with Christ in heaven, for that would be to emphasize something too material. Instead he says that our life is hidden with Christ in God. Whenever we are in the spirit, we are raised up and have the sense that we are in God, far above everything and everyone. At such a time, we are living in God. But when we are not in the spirit, we have the sense that we are still living on earth. God is high, far above everything and everyone, even far above the heavens. When we are in the spirit, we are living in God.
We have seen that, according to 2:16-19, to enjoy Christ is to hold Him as the Head. When we hold the Head, we absorb all the rich elements of Christ into our being. Two elements of these riches are the facts that we have died with Christ and have been raised up with Him. When we remain in the spirit holding the Head, we can proclaim that we have died to everything other than Christ. We have died from all the elements of the world. We can also proclaim that we have been raised with Christ and are now hidden with Christ in God. We shall have the boldness to testify that our realm, our sphere, is not the earth, but God. Praise Him that we have died from all the elements of the world and have been raised up to live with Christ in God! Do you have the boldness to say that you are now living in God? You will have this boldness if you are in the spirit. But you will not have it if you are in the flesh living on earth. Only when we hold the Head by abiding in the spirit do we have the experience of being dead to the elements of the world and of being raised to live with Christ in God.