"IF THEN?"

Colossians 3:1-2                         (ESV)
"1 "IF THEN" you have been raised with CHRIST, seek the things that are above, where CHRIST is, seated at the right hand of GOD.
2 SET YOUR MINDS your minds on THINGS THAT ARE ABOVE, not on things that are on earth."



This whole week MY MIND has been in turmoil over a number of THINGS that are of "this world"!  Things that could be considered very important to someone who doesn't have the assurance of their future bought and paid for by JESUS CHRIST!  While it is true we live IN THIS WORLD, John 17:6 says we are not OF THIS WORLD, just as JESUS is not OF THIS WORLD.  And yet I tend to get caught up in all of the injustices and immorality of evil when JESUS CHRIST paid the ultimate sacrifice for me to be set free!

1 Corinthians 7:23 tells us "You were bought with a price; DO NOT become bondservants of men."  Since I have been bought with a price why would I want to continue living in a MINDSET of doom and defeat?  Can you imagine a child being locked up in a miserable, punitive institution and being gloriously adopted by a King, only to continuously return to captivity that they once experienced on their own volition?

Well, we do the very same thing very often.  Just because we are temporarily "in this world", we seem to have the MINDSET that we are here permanently!  The current state of the affairs of our lives doesn't mean our destination has been realized.  We are on the marathon journey for The King of Kings and Lord of Lords and we don't need to allow the enemy to try to sell us his lies of deceit.  "IF THEN" doesn't indicate we may not win, rather it might be better stated SINCE WE HAVE BEEN raised with CHRIST!

Our minds are a battlefield where critical battles are constantly fought.  We should not allow the enemy to have a foothold to set up camp in our minds, and thus our lives.  "IF THEN" we are a child of the King we need to remember that and we have the MIND of CHRIST (1 Corinthians 2:16) and the enemy is not welcomed here!  Don't linger near the captivity of your past!  Celebrate being an adopted CHILD OF THE KING!