From time to time, one of the daily Bible verses my Bible app delivers to me really makes me think. When Colossians 3:1 came up the other day it was one of those occasions. The verse says we have been raised to a new life in Christ. Because of that, our view should shift from this world to heaven. Causing us to see the things of life different than we once did.
Colossians 3:1
1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
After I spent time thinking about that verse. I decided I needed to see it in its full context. While I have read Colossians multiple time for some reason chapter 3 really hit me hard this time. This chapter does not just have one or two impactful verses. The whole chapter makes an impact. Showing you how to live your life plain and clear. It really opened my eyes to see our need to live a new life in Christ.
A Heavenly Mindset
Living a new life in Christ requires a change in your mindset. You can no longer go on living your life with your mind set on the things of this world. Colossians 3 tells us to change our mindset plain and clear in verse 2.
2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
It goes on to tells us in the next verse that we died to this life. Saying that our real life is hidden with Christ in God.
3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
We died to this world when we went down in baptism and now we are made new. This is the reason we need to have a heavenly mindset. Opposed to the worldly mindset we once had. To do this we must first take off our old nature.
Take Off Your Old Nature
Taking off your old nature sounds a little strange. What I really mean is to live a new life in Christ we need to change our nature. No longer doing the same things we once did as
5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.
7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world.
8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.
9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.
Put On Your New Nature
Once you have removed your old nature it is time to put on a new nature. Figuring out what you should be doing can be difficult. Thankfully Collosians covers this as well in verses 10-14.
10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
If you apply everything mentioned in the above scriptures to your life everything will change. You will really begin to live a new life in Christ. In fact, I believe that you will begin to be far happier than you once were. Doing more than you have ever been able to do before. This is the life you were meant to live!
It Doesn’t Matter Who You Were
Please do not allow yourself to think that you cannot receive this new life in Christ. Your past is washed away when you go down in the name of Jesus. The things of old no longer matter. No matter what you may have done you are loved by God. No matter where you came from God loves you. Don’t allow the devil to convince you of anything else. For the same chapter that describes how to live a new life in Christ tells us it doesn’t matter who you were before.
11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
Go Forward Renewed In Christ
As you go forward live a renewed life in Christ. Live out the teaching that comes from this chapter of Collisions. It is not easy to turn from your past and live a new life. Thankfully we serve a God who hears our prayers. If you truly want to live a new life in Christ pray and ask God to help you!
I want to leave with just a few more verses from the third chapter of Colossians. Verses 15-17 are the best example of how we should live this new life in Christ. Full of peace, conscious of the fact that we are representatives of Jesus Christ, and always thanking and giving praise to our Creator.
15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.