'If ye then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Set your affection on things above,
not on things on the earth.
For ye are dead,
and your life is hid with Christ in God.
When Christ,
Who is our life,
shall appear,
then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.
Mortify (or reckon as dead) therefore your members which are upon the earth;
fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness,
which is idolatry:
For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
But now ye also put off all these;
anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy,
filthy communication out of your mouth.
Lie not one to another,
seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
And have put on the new man,
which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created Him:
Where there is neither Greek nor Jew,
circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free:
but Christ is all, and in all.
Put on therefore,
as the elect of God,
holy and beloved,
bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
Forbearing one another,
and forgiving one another,
if any man have a quarrel against any:
even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
And above all these things put on charity,
which is the bond of perfectness.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
to the which also ye are called in one body;
and be ye thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;
teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed,
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.'
(Col 3:1-17)
Praise God!
* With instruction such as this, how can an argument such as this thread presents have any relevance to the one who has been declared 'not guilty' by God Himself in Christ, and made 'complete', and 'Holy and Without Blame'because of what Christ has done. In Whom 'there is no condemnation', and who has been 'made mete to partake of the inheritance of the saints' - 'in light'?
Anything less than this does no honour to the One Who has given us life eternal and full of glory, in Whom we are 'accepted in the Beloved'. Why would we need the shadows, when we have the reality in Christ.
Praise His Holy Name!
In Christ Jesus
Chris