Colossians 3

The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ are at the center of everything that we believe as Christians (1
Corinthians 15:1-5). Without the sacrificial death of Jesus and His victorious resurrection we have no hope.

As we come to Colossians 3 Paul is eager for the Colossians to understand the correlation between the physical
death and resurrection of Jesus and the spiritual realities that we experience as those who believe.

When we come to faith in Jesus our old nature, our old self, is put to death. Just as Jesus died, we die. In the same
way, just as Jesus rose from the dead, we are raised with Him. Through faith we died and through faith we are
raised to new life in Him (Romans 6:1-11; Colossians 2:12-13).

That being said, in Colossians 3 Paul’s purpose goes beyond helping us understand our position in Christ; he wants
believers to understand how this new position should impact the way we live. As those who have a new position
and a new reality we should have a new focus. Our position in Christ should change our affections and our desires.

I. Seek vs. 1

SEEK, pret and pp. sought, pronounced sawt. L. sequor, to follow for to seek is to go after, and the primary sense is
to advance, to press, to drive forward, as in the L. peto. 1. To go in search or quest of to look for to search for by
going from place to place. The man asked him, saying, what seekest thou? And he said, I seek my brethen. Genesis
37 . 2. To inquire for to ask for to solicit to endeavor to find or gain by any means. The young lions roar after their
prey, and seek their meat from God. Psalms 104 . He found no place for repentance, though he sought it carefully
with tears. Hebrews 12

A. THE CALL TO HAVE A HEAVENLY MIND

If you belong to Christ, then in the truest sense, you do not live here on earth, but there in heaven: “You have
died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Nor is your life in Christ on full display now, but
only then: “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:4).
Your life is wonderfully, inextricably, eternally bound up with Jesus himself, who reigns there and will
appear then. And heavenly mindedness aligns us with that fact, teaching us to define our identity not by the
person we see in the mirror but by the Savior we see in Scripture.

Matthew 6:19-20

19
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves
break through and steal:

20
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves do not break through nor steal:

Yet such a mindset does not nullify the life we have on earth, but rather transforms it
according to the culture and norms of heaven. If we are hidden with Christ there and will be
revealed then, we cannot help but look more like Christ here and now. Paul develops this
point through the rest of the chapter, where he pens a portrait of the heavenly minded:
 1. Heavenly clothing Colossians 3:12
12
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness
of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

2. Heavenly character Colossians 3:13

13
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against
any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

3. Heavenly Charity

14
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

4. Heavenly comfort
15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be
ye thankful.

5. Heavenly Chorus

16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord

II. Set vs. 2

SET, pret. pp. set. L. sedo to compose, as a book, to dispose or put in order, to establish, found or institute,
to possess, to cease L. sedo, sedeo and sido, coinciding with sit, but all of one family. From the Norman
orthography of this word, we have assess, assise. See Assess. Heb. Ch. to set, to place. 1. To put or place to
fix or cause to rest in a standing posture. We set a house on a wass of stone we set a book on a shelf. In
this use, set differs from lay we set a thing on its end or basis we lay it on its side. 2. To put or place in its
proper or natural posture.

A. Set

III. Subdue vs. 5

SUBDUE, 1. To conquer by force or the exertion of superior power, and bring into permanent subjection to reduce
under dominion. Thus Cesar subdued the Gauls Augustus subdued Egypt the English subdued Canada. Subduing
implies conquest or vanquishing, but it implies also more permanence of subjection to the conquering power, than
either of these

words. I will subdue all thine enemies. 1 Chronicles 17 . 2. To oppress to crush to sink to overpower so as to disable
from further resistance. Nothing could have subdud nature to such a lowness, but his unkind daughters. If aught
were worthy to subdue the soul of man. 3. To tame to break by conquering a refractory temper or evil passions to
render submissive as, to subdue a stubborn child. 4. To conquer
to reduce to mildness as, to subdue the temper or passions. 5. To overcome by persuasion or other mild means as, to
subdue opposition by argument or intreaties. 6. To overcome to conquer to captivate as by charms. 7. To soften to
melt to reduce to tenderness as, to subdue ferocity by tears. 8. To overcome to overpower and destroy the force of
as, medicines subdue a fever. 9. To make mellow to break as

land also, to destroy, as weeds.

Past vs. 6-7

Present vs. 8-23

Future vs. 24