Christian Living

Set Your Affections

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
01/18/21
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“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2)

Paul states that if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, we have been raised up with Him, as He was raised in the resurrection. This is the transition of leaving this life of trial and tribulation to a life of Love and Peace. “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.” (John 14:19)

The believer finds great hope in the death of Jesus on the cross. He paid the wage of the sins they have committed in their life, and by accepting His sacrifice as their atonement, their sin debt is paid in full. This is a marvelous gift, and by His resurrection, they have secured eternal life in the Kingdom of God. When the believer seeks the things above, it brings positivity to their lives. To dwell on the things of this world only brings a negative result. Considering the two options, one is the path of life, and the other leads to destruction. The affections should then be set towards the goal they wish to achieve: the overwhelming excellence of a home in the love of God and eternal peace. Men have fought many battles for worldly things at a high cost, but the battles for heavenly things are worth any cost that must be paid. When they then set their hearts to seek the heavenly treasures, their whole life will spring into obtaining that they love and desire.

The struggle is that the desires of the flesh are set against the desires of the spirit. “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” (Galatians 5:17) We have to purpose in our heart which direction, which path we are bound to be on. We find that our life is filled with competition between the flesh and the spirit. In this conflict between spirit and flesh, we have to choose the better part and leave the flesh on the cross with our Lord. “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5)

Our endeavor’s proper perspectives are that God is love and shows His grace by sending His Son to sacrifice Himself that we can obtain salvation through faith in Jesus. All we do for our lust of this world are but a loss when we compare the blessed state of citizenship in the Kingdom of God. That from this world we inherit nothing, but from the Kingdom, we inherit the riches of His glory.

God created us for a purpose and has an abundant life planned for that purpose here in this world. Our chief end is to glorify God in all that we do, and we do that by fulfilling the mission He has set before us. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) This reasonable service is a necessary qualification for having the inner joy found in the Lord.

Our motivations are founded upon His truth and persuade us to follow a more extraordinary life in the Holiness of His Kingdom. If we rise with Christ, then by our faith, we can see it, and by the testimony of His Spirit, we can know we are children of God. (Romans 8:16; Galatians 3:26) If we are transformed into the image of Jesus, we resemble Him and resemble Him in His resurrection. Christ died for our sin, and we must also die to our sin. He rose to a newness of life. We, too, must be transformed into a new life. Therefore, He ascended to the right hand of the Father; we should in our hearts ascend to the Holiness of His Kingdom. “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.” (Romans 6:4-5)

The things above are where our Lord and Savior sits at the right hand of God the Father and executes His judgments with power and dominion. From there, Christ, who is the head of His Church, directs His Church’s body to teach the gospel of His Kingdom. “These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:19-23)

To set our affections on the things of above is a much better mental experience than being weighted down with the thoughts of this passing world that results in no lasting gain—disciplining our minds on the things of above places the heart of the believer where their treasure is found. The Apostle Paul introduces this thought that if we are set on the flesh, then we are living according to the flesh but of the Spirit then we live according to the Spirit. “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” (Romans 8:5)

As we go through life, we dream of owning a home, a loving family, and secure retirement. As a believer, our home, family, and retirement are found in the inheritance reserved in Heaven where rust and moth cannot destroy. (Matthew 6:19-20) “To obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” (1 Peter 1:4)

We can’t help but watch and pray about the things of the world we are in, but we should never allow it to consume us to a distraction of the eternal world we are bound for. This world is passing by quickly, and in a short time, we will be in an eternal state. Think about that! We must set our affections on our eternal objectives leading our heart to meditate on the goodness we can find evermore. This is where our mind should dwell, for it is there it shall be. “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Thomas N Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, March 12, 2019