ACC ~ Colossians 3 v1

STRIVE FOR PERFECTION. ORIGEN: But he who keeps the commandments not in perfect love, but in dread of future torment and in fear of punishments is indeed also himself a son of Abraham; he too receives gifts, that is, the reward of his work … nevertheless he is inferior to that person who is perfected not in slavish fear, but in the freedom of love. … “Leaving the word of the first principles of Christ,” he is borne to perfection. “Seeking the things that are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, not the things that are on the earth,” he “looks not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.” In the divine Scriptures he does not follow “the letter which kills” but “the spirit which quickens.”From those things he will doubtless be one who does not receive “the spirit of bondage again in fear, but the spirit of adoption, whereby they cry, Abba, Father.” HOMILIES ON GENESIS 7.4.

LIVE ON THE HEIGHTS. CHRYSOSTOM: See the wisdom of our teacher and to what a height he immediately raises those who listen to him. He cut a path through the midst of all the angels, archangels, thrones, dominations, principalities, virtues, all those invisible powers, the cherubim and seraphim and set the thoughts of the faithful right before the very throne of the King. By his teaching he has persuaded those who walk the earth to sever the bonds of the body, to take flight and to stand in spirit by the side of him who is the Lord of all. BAPTISMAL INSTRUCTIONS 7.20.

LOOK AT HEAVENLY THINGS. APHRAHAT: Let us think upon the things that are above, on the heavenly things, and meditate on them, where Christ has been lifted up and exalted. But let us forsake the world which is not ours, that we may arrive at the place to which we have been invited. Let us raise up our eyes on high, that we may see the splendor which shall be revealed. SELECT DEMONSTRATIONS 6.1.

ISAAC OF NINEVEH: What is the resurrection of the soul, of which the Apostle speaks, saying, “If ye be raised with Christ”? When the Apostle said, “God Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined into our hearts” the resurrection, he showed this resurrection to be the exodus from the old state which in the likeness of Sheol incarcerates a man so that the light of the Gospel will not shine mystically upon him. This is a breath of life through hope in the resurrection, and by it the dawning of divine wisdom shines in his heart, so that a man should become new, having nothing of the old man. … Then the image of Christ is formed in us through the Spirit of wisdom and revelation of the knowledge of Him. ASCETICAL HOMILIES 37.

INWARD RENEWAL. AUGUSTINE: Because the inner man, too, if he is certainly renewed from day to day, is surely old before he is renewed. For that is done inwardly, which the same apostle says: “Put off the old man and put on the new man.” And he offers an explanation of this in the words that follow: “Wherefore putting away lying, speak the truth.”But where is lying put away, except inwardly, in order that he may dwell in the holy mountain of God who speaks the truth in his heart. … And the words of the apostle are in keeping with this mystery [i.e., of inner resurrection]: “But if you have risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God; mind the things that are above.” ON THE TRINITY 4.3.6.

Col