Colossians 3:1-4, “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.”

Paul writing to the Christians in Colossae makes reference to “Christ, who is our life”. What does a Christian look like when Christ is their life? What are their characteristics?

1. They are “risen with Christ.” This is baptism that Paul referred to in 2:12, “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.” They began in obedience of the Gospel. See also Romans 6:2-4.
2. They “seek those things which are above… Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Since we have been raised from the watery grave of baptism, therefore our minds should be focused on heavenly things, not on the things of the earth. (cf. Matthew 6:31-33)
3. They “are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Death in the Bible indicates a separation (James 2:26), therefore we have been separated from the guilt of our past sins. Also while we remain in the world we are no longer are of this world. Our focus is now on spiritual things; we have separated ourselves from worldly, sinful activities. Our lives are “hid” with Christ in that our lives are to conform to His will to the degree that one could not distinguish “our life” apart from our life with Christ. Paul defines this for us in Galatians 2:20 when he says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Paul goes on to say in Colossians 3:5 that those whose life is Christ will “Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (ASV). We cannot set our affections on things above and practice these sins at the same time. One who has set his mind on things above will put to death the evil practices that Paul names. We put these to death by rejecting and turning away from them.

Paul then issues a warning and a reminder in 3:6-7, “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.” For those who practice such things, God’s wrath will come upon them. Paul then reminds them that they had practiced such things before their conversion. They should not want to go back there because God’s wrath waits. The challenge to dying to a life of sin is keeping it dead. Just because we put to death the old man doesn’t mean we don’t try to dig him back up sometimes. How do we keep from going back? By seeking “those things which are above”; by setting our “affection on things above, not on things on the earth”. This is to be our focus and is revealed in God’s Word. As one preacher quoted “What you go after here will determine where you go hereafter.”

-Jerry D. Sturgill