Reflections for the Season
“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?” -- Galatians 4:8-9
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” – Colossians 3:1-3
Gracelife Family,
The theologian John Calvin wrote “The human heart is a perpetual factory of idols”. This is a fundamental problem that has been true from the time that Adam and Eve first disobeyed the Lord and sin entered into the world. In our disconnection from God, we commonly put other things in His rightful place of authority and adoration. In Colossians 3, the Apostle Paul highlighted that our natural inclination is to “set our minds [and affections] on things that are on earth”. There are a couple of inherent hazards in this endeavor. First, we need to understand just how easily earthly idols can take control of us. Paul made that point in Galatians 4 by referring to our being “enslaved”. Furthermore, not only is it incredibly dangerous to chase after worldly outlets, but it is equally useless because they always ultimately fail to deliver the lasting satisfaction we are desiring. The reason that’s the case is all of the idols of our hearts are “weak and worthless” according to Paul.
However, what is clear in both of these sections of Scripture is that once we have Jesus in our lives this pattern of settling for substitutes must be permanently broken. Paul exposed the utter foolishness of idolatry when he posed the rhetorical question “how can you turn back” in Galatians 4. His point is that there is no advantage to be gained and only loss to be experienced in our insistence on chasing after worldly substitutes. It’s also important for us to realize that not all forms of idolatry have the appearance of evil. In the case of Paul’s audience in Galatians, the idol that they were committed to was a form of religiosity which looked like law-keeping. Much of what we elevate as most important might even be good in itself. This goes to show us that we need to always be on spiritual guard of our hearts and mindful that we are capable of corrupting God’s gifts to us.
As a final thought, I want to draw our attention to what can help us in our battle against the idols in our hearts. The instruction we receive in Colossians 3:1-2 is to “seek and set our minds on things that are above”. This is a reference to continually be fixed on those things connected to God’s Kingdom and eternal realities rather than earthly relief and comfort. Often times, this seems easier said than done, because one is visible and tangible while the other is not. What enables us to be successful in this endeavor is to understand and embrace our standing and identity through Jesus.
Paul informs us in Galatians 4 is that we have the privilege of “knowing God”. That is only possible, because the Lord first chose to “know us”. This language of “knowledge” is not related to the intellect and understanding of the mind. Rather, it is a relational term emphasizing a bond of love and intimacy. The Lord set His unconditional affection upon us from before the beginning of time. We forever belong to Him. That glorious truth is something which should fill our hearts with such joy and satisfaction that we no longer want to settle for empty substitutes. What is emphasized in Colossians 3 is our spiritual union with Jesus. The language which is used is that “our lives are hidden with Christ”. This speaks to the Biblical mystery that we now share in and benefit from every aspect of what Jesus accomplished. Our destiny has been permanently secured. Our home is in heaven and therefore we shouldn’t be surprised that the things of this world don’t fulfill us. Additionally, we have been radically transformed. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have been delivered from our bondage to idols and can live in His power seeking His glory and honor above all else.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Keith