In 3:1 Paul tells us to seek the things which are above, and in verse 2, to set our mind on the things which are above. In this message we shall consider what it means to seek the things above and to set our mind on them.
Paul wrote the book of Colossians in a very concise way. In only four chapters he presents many riches. In 1:12 he indicates that Christ is the portion of the saints. The One who is our portion is the image of the invisible God, Firstborn of all creation and also the Firstborn from among the dead (1:15, 18). Paul also tells us that Christ is the mystery of God (2:2) and that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him bodily (2:9). As the mystery of God and the embodiment of the Godhead, He is the reality, the body, the substance, of all positive things (2:16-17). The more we enjoy Him as this reality, the more we hold Him as the Head of the Body and thereby become Body-conscious. Then we shall experience Him as our life (3:4) and as the constituent of the new man (3:10-11). In the new man, Christ is all the members and in all the members. In this Epistle Paul mentions all these great matters without defining them. However, he does indicate that those of us who enjoy Christ and partake of Him, those who are being constituted into members of the new man, have our life hidden with Him in God. Now we should seek the things which are above and set our mind on them.
Although Paul charges us to seek the things above and set our mind on them, in Colossians he does not define what these things are. However, in other New Testament books, namely, Hebrews, Ephesians, and Revelation, there are some windows through which we can see into the heavens and come to know what is taking place there. If we look through these windows, we shall know what are the things above.
Paul and John wrote along very similar lines. In Colossians Paul presents the Christ who is the fullness of the invisible God. After mentioning aspect after aspect of such a Christ, he speaks of the new man. Between Christ as the fullness of God in chapter one and the new man in chapter three we have the experience of Christ and the enjoyment of Him. The issue of our experience and enjoyment of the all-inclusive Christ is the church as the new man. Hence, the new man comes out of our enjoyment of Christ as the fullness of God. As we enjoy Christ daily, He is wrought into us, constituted into our very being. In this way, Christ becomes our constituent. Day by day, Christ is being constituted into us. Eventually, we all shall be thoroughly constituted of Him. As a result of being constituted of Christ, we become the new man. In this new man there is no place for any natural person; there is room only for Christ. Christ is all and in all in the new man. To repeat, in the new man Christ is all the members and is in all the members.
The only way Christ can be all and in all in the new man is for Him to constitute Himself into us. The process of being constituted of Christ takes place through our enjoyment of Christ. We need to say, “Lord Jesus, I love You, I treasure You, and I enjoy You. Lord, I am here on earth for You and for You alone.” The more we open to the Lord and contact Him in this way, the more He infuses Himself into us and fills us to the brim. As we call on the Lord, praise Him, and offer Him our thanks and adoration, we are filled with Him. Through such an enjoyment of Christ and experience of Him, we are gradually constituted of Christ. It is as we enjoy Him that He constitutes us of Himself.
Eating and digesting food is a good illustration of how Christ is constituted into our being through our enjoyment of Him. Through a process of digestion and assimilation, the food we eat becomes part of our constitution. If we realize this, we shall be careful of what we eat. Some dietitians say that we are what we eat. If we eat an extraordinary amount of any one particular food, we shall become a constitution of the elements of that food. Years ago, I noticed that the daughter of our family doctor in Taiwan had developed a yellowish complexion. The doctor explained that this coloring was the result of eating too many carrots. His daughter had eaten so many carrots that she was eventually constituted of them to the point that it affected the color of her skin. This case is evidence of the fact that the food we eat becomes our constitution. The principle is the same in our experience of Christ. As we enjoy Him by eating Him, He is constituted into us.