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

As Christians we are united with Christ. Because Christ died for sin, we died to sin. Because Christ was raised, we also are raised to eternal life. And because of this, our hearts and minds should be fixed on things above, on heavenly things, where Christ sits at his Father’s right hand in his kingdom. Paul urges us to set both our hearts and minds on things above. Our hearts should belong to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and not on the things of this earth. Our minds should think about high and lofty things—the things of heaven. When Christ, who is our life, appears, we too will appear with him in glory.

As sinners, it is natural for us to be entangled in things like anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language. But since we have been raised with Christ, all of these things should be put to death. We need to rid our hearts and minds of sexual sins and covetousness. All of these were part of our old selves. But thanks to Jesus we have put that off! And we have put on the new self. We are all united in Christ, Gentile and Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free. Christ is in all!

Prayer: Father, we have been raised with Christ. Help us to keep our hearts and minds on things above.

One Word: Set our hearts on things above