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We must remember that the attack upon the Colossians was not upon their "life",
for that was hid with Christ in God; but upon their "perfecting". The word "spoil"
(Col. 2: 8) we found to mean "to strip a vanquished foe of his armour", and the phrase
"beguile you of your reward" (Col. 2: 18) contains the word that is translated "prize" in
Phil. 3: As in the days of Job, so now, Satan has no power over our "life"; he can only
interfere with "those things that accompany salvation". He may cheat the believer of his
crown. Consequently Heb. 12: 1, 2 is to the point. He endured, He overcame, He sat
down, in connection with the "joy set before Him". You too, because He lives and
because He is seated, you too may overcome in connection with the "race set before you".
The epistle to the Hebrews not only throws light upon the teaching of Col. 3: 1: it
illuminates Col. 3: 2 also. The believer is exhorted not only to "seek those things
which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God", but also to "set the mind
on things above, not on things on the earth". A very full illustration of the practical
power of this is found in Heb. 11::--
"By faith he sojourned (paroikeo, dwell as a stranger, I Pet. 2: 11) in the land of
promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with
him of the same promise. FOR HE LOOKED FOR A CITY which hath foundations,
whose builder and maker is God . . . . . These all died in faith, not having received the
promises . . . . . and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For
they that say such things declare plainly that they SEEK A COUNTRY . . . . . they
DESIRE A BETTER COUNTRY, that is an HEAVENLY; wherefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them a CITY" (Heb. 11: 9-16).
We commend the parallel teaching of Hebrews to the student of Col. 3: 1, 2; for
therein we find inspired comment upon what it means to "seek those things which are
above, not on things on the earth".
As a supplemental commentary, the reader might turn to Phil. 3:, where the prize,
perfecting, minding earthly things, and a citizenship in heaven carry the same teaching
forward.
The rest of this ground of apostolic exhortation (Col. 3: 1-4) we must leave for the
next article. Meanwhile let us keep steadily before the mind the words "risen", "right
hand", "set" and "seek", and with the strength that such doctrines supply, grows up
into Christ in all things, which is the only true and lasting sanctification.