Welcome to Yankee Arnold Ministries. Dr. Arnold will be with you in just a moment. But first, we want you to know how much we appreciate your prayers and financial support.
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Now, here is Dr. Arnold with today’s message.
Turn in your Bible to the book of Colossians and chapter 3. Colossians chapter 3. I want to look at a few things this morning, just a few verses.
And we’re going to do a little running around so that you can get a better foundation for it. If you’ll notice there in verse 1, If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above. When he makes the statement, seek ye then, before this he must have been covering something.
And because of what he was covering before, then because of that, we ought to do something. So you go all the way back to chapter 2 and verse 12. And if you read verse 12 where it says, Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
And then you go straight to verse 1 of chapter 3. The other verses are kind of like in a parenthetical expression in a sentence. You can take it out and leave it in, but it doesn’t hurt to flow.
So because of our identification with Christ, then set your affections on things that are above. And that’s why he says here, seek those things which are above. And then the next verse says, set your affections on things above.
What he’s talking about is think heaven. Always be thinking about heaven. Now, we know that we’re going to heaven.
We’re just not there yet. But we’re supposed to live in light of that wonderful truth. That’s where we’re going.
So our affections should be set there. We seek those things which are eternal, not temporary. Everything in this life, everything that we see is all temporary.
All the positions that we have, all the ministries that we have, everything we’re doing is just all temporary. Nothing lasts here forever. You don’t want to lose something there over something so temporal here.
But I want you to look there in verse 12 of chapter 2. Buried with Him. Now, if you just stop and think about that, Christ not only died on the cross for me, and so we know there’s verses that talks about we were crucified with Christ.
because the Bible makes a statement in the book of Philippians chapter 3 and verse 9, and be found in Him not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. Found in Him. It means that our life is hid in Christ.
Christ did all of this for us. And because He did it for us, what He did was put to our account as though we did it. It is appointed unto every man once to die, and after this, the judgment.
So we all know we’re going to die. Well, Christ died for me. His death is put to my account.
If somebody asked you the question, do you know who you are? You are in Christ. You are a Christian.
If I say, where are you? Where are you? Well, I’m right here.
No, I mean, where are you? Really, where are you? I’m right here.
Did you know that it all depends on perspective? In God’s eyes, from His perspective, you’re not here. You’re there.
You are in Christ, seated in the heavenlies. God sees you in His Son. Now, this is what blows our minds, because it’s hard for us to fathom what He’s saying.
You see, God sees it as though it’s already done. That’s why He can give us the prophecies in advance, because God sees the end from the beginning. It’s as though it’s already happened.
He knows how everything is going to turn out. He already sees you there in Christ. He sees you perfect in Christ, in the heavenlies.
Seated. I mean, this is unreal. That is how secure you are.
So, the very day you died, and when did you die? You know, I’m still alive. When did you die?
According to God. You died when you trusted Christ as your Savior. When you accepted His death as your death, you paid for your sins.
Of course, you and I didn’t do it. He did it for us. But it was put to our account as though we did.
He died for me. Hold your place right here and take a look over there in the book of Romans, the book of Romans, chapter 6. Romans chapter 6.
Romans chapter 6 makes this statement in verse 1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin?
Should we continue to live the way we were living before we died? Now that God has given me a new life, where did I get this new life from? The new life is his life.
His life came from him. He has shared with me his eternal life. So my new life came from Christ.
My new life has no sinful nature. My new life, I am to live, as he says here, in newness of life. See the last few words there in verse 4?
Newness of life. New life. I got new life.
So I died and I was given new life. So now I am supposed to see myself the way God sees me. So he says there in verse 2, God forbid, how shall we that are dead, descend, live any longer therein?
No, you’re not that. So many of us were baptized into jesus Christ, were baptized into his death. So whenever you trusted Christ as your Savior, and you had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the only baptism that puts you in Christ.
So when you were placed in Christ, it was not only his death, but also his burial and his resurrection. Therefore, in verse 4, we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also, we also, we also should. Now, what we should do, and what we have to do is two different things.
We should walk in newness of life. Is it possible for a Christian, born of God, crucified with Christ, buried with Christ, risen with Christ, for him to still continue in sin and not walk in newness of life? Yes.
A lot of Christians do. We should walk in newness of life, but most of God’s people don’t. That’s why he uses the word henceforth.
That means from now on, this is what we should do. See there in verse 6, Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth, you ought to underline the word henceforth, henceforth we should, should. See, a lot of people like to say, well, you will.
Oh, you must. You have to. No.
What we should do and what we have to do is not the same thing. We should, as he says here, not serve sin. Do you still have a no-sinful nature?
Yeah, boy. So whenever you see sin in your life, it’s just a sign to you that it’s still alive. But he says in verse 7, for he that is dead is freed from sin.
You’re free from the sinful nature. It doesn’t have to control your life. And that’s why you’ll find out it talks about yield, yield, yield, yield, yield to your members as instruments of righteousness, because a lot of people will not yield.
They still have a will, and they defy God. Is it possible for a lost man to defy the gospel of Christ and not trust Christ as Savior? Yes.
But isn’t it the will of God that everyone should believe on the Lord? But they can defy that. Can a Christian defy the will of God for his life?
Yes. Should he? No.
But this is why this is so important for people to get that. So just to kind of give you an idea, look what he says here in verse 10. For in that he died, he died unto sin once.
So when Christ died, how many times must he die for my sins? One time. because I am appointed unto death to die.
And then after that to judgment. He took my judgment. He died for me, so I don’t have to pay for my sins.
And he only has to do it once for every individual. So he did it all at one time, one payment for everybody. And he said he died unto sin once, but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
The next verse says, likewise. Consider this. In your own mind, it’s like pretending, but as you and I pretend, in God’s eyes, it’s a surety.
It’s guaranteed. It did happen. It’s how God sees us.
Therefore, likewise, as he says here, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead, indeed, unto sin, and alive unto God. Dead, unto sin means that God had to separate you from your old sinful nature. See, the new birth is a birth that’s separate from the old one.
The old one, nothing from the old came into the new. All things are new, the new birth. Nothing from the old went into it.
I did not transfer my old sinful nature over. I got a new birth, a life that came from God. And so, in verse 12, he says, Let not sin, that old sinful nature that you have, therefore reign in your mortal body.
Now, the mortal body is the body that’s subject to die. It just ain’t died yet. But when the body dies, you’re rid of the old sinful nature.
You see, when a man dies and the body’s laying up here, he no longer lust for the things of the world. He’s no longer in love with the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride. He don’t have to worry about that anymore.
He’s dead. The body has no desires anymore. It’s not hungry anymore.
It doesn’t need any more sleep. It doesn’t… nothing.
It’s dead. It’s just the body. While we are alive, mortal individuals subject to death, we have this old sinful nature living within us.
And the old sinful nature has these desires and these desires still want to be satisfied. So how do you mortify the deeds of the body? By not satisfying the desires of that old sinful nature.
So you have a battle on your hand. And this is what we go through. But he says, you don’t have to obey.
You have the desires. So he says in verse 12, Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in the lust thereof, because you still have an old sinful nature. You’re tempted to sin, and you have a tendency to obey the desires of the sinful nature.
So he says in verse 13, Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness. Understand, don’t let the old sinful nature use that one body that you have to serve sin. Use that one body that you have to serve Christ.
When God talks about, He set us free. Doesn’t mean we’re free to live the way we want to live. No, you were set free from the old sinful nature that wouldn’t let you live the way you should have lived.
Now that you have the Holy Spirit living within you, now you can live the way God wants you to live. You always have the old nature there, the old man. But you’re supposed to count him as though he died.
So if he died, I don’t have to live the rest of my life satisfying him. I want to live the rest of my life satisfying him, who gave me new life. Now, take your Bible and turn to the book of Galatians, the book of Galatians and chapter 2.
Galatians and chapter 2. Galatians chapter 2, there’s an interesting verse. You’ve seen it before, but look at verse 20 one more time.
because this is why God says, you’re no longer under the law, and the law cannot condemn you. And the reason is because the law cannot condemn a dead man. And it says here in verse 19, for I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live under God.
See, as long as I was under the law, I was under a curse. What? A curse to die.
The law condemns everyone that’s not perfect. So when I died, the law can’t touch me again. Why?
because I’m dead. That’s why a Christian can never be condemned in the future because he is dead to that which would condemn him. The law has no power over him because he’s already died once and paid for the sins.
He can’t be judged again for the sins. Well, this is why it’s important for people to understand how many of my sins did he die. Now, if he paid for them just up until the day I believed, then that’s a whole can of worms.
But if he paid for all of them once and for all, then it never has to be done again. And Christ says he only died once. So if he didn’t pay for the ones that I’m going to do tomorrow on the next day, I’m in a heap of trouble because he’s not coming back to pay for those sins.
But I’m glad that when he died, he died for all of my sins. So when I died, I satisfied God. I paid my debt to the law.
Therefore, I am free from the law. The law can’t touch me. I don’t have to pay for ever my sins ever again.
I’m free. So he says this here in Galatians in Chapter 20. I am crucified with Christ.
It means when Christ was crucified, so was I. because he did it and put it to my account. Nevertheless, I live because I really didn’t die.
It’s just it was imputed to me, put to my account, though I did. He says, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. My new life as a child of God is life from Christ.
Some people say this, you know, it’s so hard to live the Christian life. Well, if Christ lived his life through you, then all you’re doing is yielding to him. And he says, my yoke is easy, my burden is light.
So the Christian life should not be hard. There is a struggle in the yielding, because I have a will contrary to his will, and I want to do things my way. But can I yield and do things God’s way?
Now, once you live long enough and you’re in the habit, it’s a good habit to get into. just submit. Stop fighting God.
Don’t worry about things. Commit things to the Lord and say, Lord, this is what you want me to do, this is where you want me to be. just do what you can with what you have where you are.
And be content. Let God open doors, let God close doors, and you never have to worry about it because you know that your heavenly Father in heaven is going to take care of you and bless you if that’s what you want. Or you can fret about everything and worry about everything, and it will make you one bitter individual because nothing is going to work out your way.
It will not be according to your plans. But look what he says. He says, and the life which I now live in the flesh, that means in the body, in this body that I’ve got.
I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Now, Paul is telling you why he’s doing what he’s doing. It would be good if every Christian could adopt this verse and say, this is why I also do what I do.
Paul said, I do this because of what God has done for me. I have been crucified with Christ. That’s why he makes a statement in chapter one in verse 10.
Do I seek to please men or do I seek to please God? because, you see, you can’t please both. But if I’ve died, then I only want to please the one who died for me.
But if not, then you’re going to have a struggle in your life. Now, look what he says in verse 21. I do not frustrate the grace of God or set it aside, for if righteousness comes by the law, Christ is dead in vain.
If I could be saved any other way, then righteousness should have been by the law, and Christ would not have had to die. But since I could not save myself by my works, I needed Christ. So he did not die in vain.
So take your Bible and turn it back to the book of Colossians. And you’ll notice where he makes a statement there in verse 12. In Colossians chapter 2, buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him to the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Ain’t that something? Your new birth was performed by an operation of God. Did you feel it?
No. Did you see it? You didn’t even see it.
It’s a spiritual birth. You were born again because of what Christ did on the cross for you. And you believed it, and you were born by the Spirit of God.
And it is an operation of God. And he says, who hath raised us from the dead. So by your new birth, you were separated from your old birth.
Now, you’ve heard how in the Old Testament, even in the New Testament, they had their young boys, they would have them on the 8th day circumcised, cutting away the filth of the flesh. And it was a sign of the seal of the righteousness they had because of what Abraham believed. So that’s what it was a sign of.
But a lot of people can have the sign, but not have the righteousness. A lot of people had been circumcised, the Jewish people, but didn’t have the righteousness that God gave to Abraham because they did not believe. Is it possible today that people could be baptized in water, which is simply a picture of this operation of God without hands, where when you believe that Christ died on the cross to pay for your sins, and that you were buried with him, and that you were raised with him and ascended with him and seated at the right hand of the Father in Christ, all of that was put to your account.
See, when you’re baptized in water, water is simply a picture of that, but is it possible for somebody to accept the sign and never trust Christ as Savior? There’s a lot of people who have been baptized in water, but never trust the Lord. The Jewish people were circumcised, but did not believe in the righteousness that comes by faith and faith alone and what Christ did for them, or believing in the promise of what he was going to do.
So he makes a statement in verse 13. And you, being dead in your sins and uncircumcision of your flesh, dead in your sins. I wonder what that means.
Dead in your sins. Well, think about it this way. God passed a law and says, thou shalt not walk on the lawn.
You walked on the lawn. You transgressed the law. The law says thou shalt die if you walk on the lawn.
You walked on the lawn. You gotta die. So you, as far as the law is concerned, even though you’re still alive, you’re as good as dead.
It’s kind of like the person who jumps off the Empire State Building halfway down. Hey, so far, so good. But you know they got an appointment with the concrete.
You’re not getting out of this. But you and I, because of sin, we’re dead. Separated from God.
And that’s what death means, separation. So whenever you physically die, you’re separate from the body. Well, see, when you trusted Christ as your Savior and His death was put to your account, as though you were separated from this old physical body with its old sinful nature, and God’s given you a new birth, and we really didn’t die.
And He is my life. But I got to share this one body. But I’m supposed to live as though this old man has died.
When he has desires that he wants to do certain things, I’m supposed to mortify the deeds of the flesh, not fulfill those desires. It means to mortify. Has you ever heard of a mortician?
Mortuary? Mortify? Count it as dead.
Don’t satisfy the desires. And that’s why you have to be careful what you dwell on. So He says the answer to this is to set your affections on things that are buffed.
So look there in verse 1 of chapter 3. If you then, and you’re to count this as though it’s true, if you then be risen with Christ, so we talked about you were crucified with Christ, you were buried with Christ, and now you’ve been raised with Christ. So if you have been risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
just hold your place right here. Look there in Ephesians in chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1, and look at this interesting little verse.
In verse 3, where it says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord jesus Christ, who hath blessed us, past tense, he hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. You see, God sees you already arrived, because we’re in Christ and he’s arrived. That’s how sure your salvation is.
That’s why once you trusted Christ as your Savior, you can’t go to hell in the future. You can never be condemned again. You have his life, eternal life, living within you.
But since I’m not really there, I’m really here. And I still have my old body and I really didn’t physically die. But I’m supposed to live like I did.
And I got this old sinful nature, which I really don’t want, wish I didn’t have. I got to put up with it, but God says, pretend like he’s dead. Boy, you talking about easy preaching and difficult living.
Anybody here have a problem with their old nature? just a couple of you? You’re lying, you’re dying.
Everybody has this old sinful nature, and we’re having to deal with it. And buddy, sometime we wish we just, just leave me alone. just leave me alone.
And he won’t leave you alone. He’s always working on you. And he will try to convince you that, you know what’s best for you?
trust me. trust me. Yeah, right.
But we just so willingly obey the old sinful nature. Like, we don’t think. We just do it.
It’s all instinct, you know. Well, he said, set your affections on things that are above. Look at this verse.
Seek those things which are above, where Christ set it on the right hand of God. So there’s something about where we’re going and where we’re supposed to be looking and focused upon. If you don’t focus upon that, then you’re going to get all messed up.
because then you’ll focus upon the world. You’re going to focus upon yourself. And when you turn inward and you just start looking at yourself, then that’s one bad place to look.
You’re going to see all of your faults. You don’t want to see all of those, do you? You really want to see how bad you are.
You keep focused upon how good God is, how good Christ is. And set your affections on things that are above. See the next verse?
Set your affections. That means those desires, the godly desires, on things that are above, not on things on the earth. If you have too much problems in your life, it could be because you’re not focusing upon that, but upon this.
This world instead of that world. Where are we going? We’re going to heaven.
Think heaven. Think about where you’re going to spend eternity.
Have you ever heard that faith without works is dead? Or have you ever read James Chapter 2? Does your faith produce good works?
Some teach that if you don’t serve the Lord, you’re not saved. Is that true or false? Pastor Yankee Arnold has prepared just the right book with answers straight from the Bible.
The book is called, Gospel Driven Man, and Pastor Yankee wants to send it to you free of charge. Simply write to PastorYankee at Yankee Arnold Ministries, 7028 West Waters Avenue, Suite 316, Tampa, Florida, 33634, and request the book. Or request by email at Yankee at yankeearnold.com.
That’s Yankee at yankeearnold.com.
Thanks for listening to today’s broadcast. We pray that today’s message was a blessing to you and your family. You may help support this radio ministry by donating online at yankeearnold.com or by mail at Yankee Arnold Ministries, 7028 West Waters Avenue, Suite 316, Tampa, Florida, 33634.
Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound and we will be changed, caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day believing that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up.
