“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Context! What is Paul saying here in Colossians 3:1-3? In chapter 2, he just got done talking about how we are to live our lives. After reading the exhortations, you might then think, “I can’t do this!” But then Paul says, “If then.” I love this phrase. It’s a little quirky in English, but it communicates beautifully. Paul is saying “If you’ve been raised, and indeed you have been.” In other words, you think you can’t do this, but here’s the reality, Jesus has done it for you! You have been rescued to live in a new way. Therefore, live like it.
Then Paul gets into some analogies to help us understand how we live out our salvation. First, he says we should seek those things which are above and seek to live them out in our daily lives. How can we do this? By focusing on Jesus Who is seated at the right hand of God. Jesus ascended to His throne in heaven and raises us to a new life in Him. If Christ is our Lord, then we too have been raised with Him. We are victorious over sin and death.
Second, he says that our life is hidden with Christ in God. Therefore, we are to set our minds on things above. Now, this doesn’t mean that we don’t think about anything “earthly.” You can appreciate meals, work, children, friends, family, games, laughter. But get the word picture Paul is painting here! Your life is hidden with Christ in God. I think of it as if I’m fully enveloped in God’s presence and my whole vision is affected by His glory. God is the lens through which I see everything else! His light, his wisdom, his truth now shades everything so that I no longer merely see the world around me in black and white. I see it in 4-D, HD, vibrant color! Because of this truth, Paul says that we are to live in such a way that shows the magnificence of God in everything we do.
So let’s live in light of these truths this week. If you are a believer, then you are hidden in Christ. Our minds should be set on the things in heaven and our focus should be on the One seated at the right hand of God – Jesus. Let’s celebrate His victory over sin and death by showing the world that we are His and we worship Him.