As believers, what is our focus? Much of our national government appears to be headed towards the deliberate embrace of evil. I’ve seen many posts on social media regarding some of the terrible things going on, and the hypocrisy of those involved.
But, again, what is our focus? Colossians 3:1–4: “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory”(CSB17).
Look at how great those promises are! First, as believers, we have been raised with Christ. As Ephesians 2:6 also declares, we are seated in the heavens with Christ. That is where we are. Yes, we are Christ’s ambassadors here on earth, but our real location, our true home, is with Him in the heavenly realm. That is why we need to focus on what is above, not earthly things. Yes, things look to be getting much darker here—darkness that as the Scriptures declare, will continue to get worse (see 2 Timothy 3:13 for example), but our citizenship is not here on earth.
As believers, our lives are hidden with Christ in God. Think about that for a moment. While we are promised tribulation and suffering here on earth, the reality is that we are in Christ, and regardless of how bad things may get here, that is a safe place, and indeed the only safe place, to be.
Think of Roman times, when the Gospel was first being proclaimed. The church was facing much opposition, and often severe persecution. Yet, most of the New Testament letters contain some version of the phrase, “Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Again, things in our physical world things are getting more and more chaotic. But as 2 Corinthians 4:18 states, we are to focus on the unseen, for that is the eternal world, not on what is going on here. Let us all remember where our citizenship truly lies, and let’s proclaim the Gospel truth, as God enables and directs us.
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Dr. James W. Walraven
4/3/2026
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Advent, Part 6
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Advent, Part 4
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Advent, Part 3
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Advent, Part 2
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Advent, Part 1
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Asbury, A Clarification
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Follow-Up on Today's Post
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Thoughts on the Asbury Phenomena, Part 5
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Thoughts on the Asbury Phenomena, Part 4
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Thoughts on the Asbury Phenomena, Part 3
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Thoughts on the Asbury Phenomena, Part 2
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Be It Resolved? Part 8
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Be It Resolved? Part 7
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Be It Resolved? Part 6
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Be It Resolved? Part 5
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Be It Resolved? Part 4
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Be It Resolved? Part 3
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Be It Resolved? Part 2
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2/6/2023
Be It Resolved? Part 1
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Be It Resolved? Part 3
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The Danger of Unrepentant Sin, Part 7
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The Danger of Unrepentant Sin, Part 6
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The Danger of Unrepentant Sin, Part 5
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The Danger of Unrepentant Sin, Part 4
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The Danger of Unrepentant Sin, Part 3
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The Danger of Unrepentant Sin, Part 2
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The Danger of Unrepentant Sin, Part 1
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A Change in Direction
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An Unexpected Lenten Journey
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Thoughts for 2022: Will We Live in the Truth?
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Thoughts for 2022: How Will We Regard Others?
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Merry Christmas!
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Second Sunday of Advent: Preparing for Christ's Return
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12/4/2021
The Importance of Forgiving Others
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Good Friday
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Our Security in Christ
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What Do We Make of 2020?
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The Miracle of Christmas, part 3
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The Miracle of Christmas, part 2
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The Miracle of Christmas
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You Matter!
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9/8/2020
