YOU HAVE BEEN RAISED WITH CHRIST

Passage: Colossians 3:1-11

Key verse: 1

NIV

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ

3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,(A) set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.(B) 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.(C) 3 For you died,(D) and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your[a] life,(E) appears,(F) then you also will appear with him in glory.(G)

5 Put to death,(H) therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature:(I) sexual immorality,(J) impurity, lust, evil desires and greed,(K) which is idolatry.(L) 6 Because of these, the wrath of God(M) is coming.[b] 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.(N) 8 But now you must also rid yourselves(O) of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander,(P) and filthy language from your lips.(Q) 9 Do not lie to each other,(R) since you have taken off your old self(S) with its practices 10 and have put on the new self,(T) which is being renewed(U) in knowledge in the image of its Creator.(V) 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew,(W) circumcised or uncircumcised,(X) barbarian, Scythian, slave or free,(Y) but Christ is all,(Z) and is in all.

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Footnotes
  1. Colossians 3:4 Some manuscripts our
  2. Colossians 3:6 Some early manuscripts coming on those who are disobedient
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Put On the New Self

3 (A)If then you have been raised with Christ, seek (B)the things that are above, where Christ is, (C)seated at the right hand of God. 2 (D)Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For (E)you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ (F)who is your[a] life (G)appears, then you also will appear with him (H)in glory.

5 (I)Put to death therefore (J)what is earthly in you:[b] (K)sexual immorality, impurity, (L)passion, evil desire, and covetousness, (M)which is idolatry. 6 (N)On account of these the wrath of God is coming.[c] 7 (O)In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now (P)you must put them all away: (Q)anger, wrath, malice, (R)slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 (S)Do not lie to one another, seeing that (T)you have put off (U)the old self[d] with its practices 10 and (V)have put on (W)the new self, (X)which is being renewed in knowledge (Y)after the image of (Z)its creator. 11 (AA)Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,[e] free; but Christ is (AB)all, and in all.

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Footnotes
  1. Colossians 3:4 Some manuscripts our
  2. Colossians 3:5 Greek therefore your members that are on the earth
  3. Colossians 3:6 Some manuscripts add upon the sons of disobedience
  4. Colossians 3:9 Greek man; also as supplied in verse 10
  5. Colossians 3:11 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; likewise for Bondservants in verse 22
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Set your hearts and minds on Christ (1-4)

What defines you as a person? What are your passions and pursuits? Paul writes that since we have been raised with Christ, we are to set our hearts on things above, where Christ is. It means that we are to be consumed with his love and grace. We long to know more of his person and character, as well his glory and joy. Our minds are to be set on things above as well. Too often we are preoccupied solely with our daily needs and our worldly desires. Those whose lives are hidden with Christ will one day appear with him in glory. This is the hope that should occupy our hearts and minds each and every day.

2. Take off the old self and put on the new (5-11)

Now that we have been raised with Christ and have the hope of glory, there are things of our old nature that must be put to death. There is no place for them anymore. We are to rid ourselves of sexual sins and covetousness, which are forms of idolatry. We are to cast off hateful emotions and speech as well, rejoicing in the fact that all the barriers we used to know have been broken down in Christ.

Prayer: Lord, our hearts and minds are yours.

One Word: Set your hearts on things above