Colossians 3:1-17 ESV

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices

10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

• I’d like to challenge every believer to take a moment to think about their daily decisions and priorities. It’s a good time to consider how these choices align with their commitment to following Christ.

Four Things We Are Called To Do To Live Out Our Higher Calling:

#1) PRIORITIZE HEAVENLY THINGS (V. 1-4)

VERSE 1: SET YOUR HEART ON CHRIST

Colossians 3:1 ESV

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

• Seek = ζητέω = zēteō = look for; desire; delight

Matthew 6:33 ESV

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Jeremiah 29:13 ESV

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Psalm 27:8 ESV

You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

Psalm 105:4 ESV

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Proverbs 8:17 ESV

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

Matthew 6:19–21 ESV

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

1 John 2:15–17 ESV

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Don’t let your heart be deceived to treasure things that will perish with the rest of the world.

VERSE 2: SET YOUR MIND ON CHRIST

Colossians 3:2 ESV

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

• Mind = phroneō = think; be wise; have understanding.

Romans 12:3 ESV

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

• We should have a a proper mind about ourselves and our gifts.

Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

• But once we are in Christ, we need to let our minds be renewed.

Romans 12:2 ESV

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

• The second command (Set your mind) speaks of your values.

Philippians 2:5–8 ESV

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of man, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Romans 8:5–6 ESV

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

VERSE 3 & 4: LIFE IS FOUND IN CHRIST

Colossians 3:3-4 ESV

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

There are three reasons why we should seek things above.

V1: The resurrection with Christ

V3: The new life source

V4: The manifestation of glory

John 14:6 ESV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 11:25–26 ESV

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

1 John 5:11–12 ESV

And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

• Life is found in heavenly things where Christ is at.

Living a SIMPLE Life:

1) Live Quietly 2) Mind Your Own Business 3) Work Quietly

• The simple life is to hide our righteous deeds and confess our sins.

#2) PURGE EARTHLY THINGS (V. 5-9)

VERSE 5: PUT TO DEATH SINFUL AGGRESSIONS

Colossians 3:5 ESV

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Five Sinful Aggressions

1. Sexual immorality = porneia = fornication; idolatry; whoredom; any sexual expression outside the boundaries of a biblically defined marriage relationship.
2. Impurity = akatharsia = impure; uncleanness; This seems to refer to the defiling that comes in connection to with fornication.
3. Passion = pathos = lustful passion. A passion is uncontrolled and habitual lust. When lust goes unchecked, a passion for what is forbidden arises.
4. Evil Desires = epithymia = lust for; evil craving. These are strong desires gone bad, misdirecting fulfillment of bodily appetites.
5. Covetousness = pleonexia = greediness. It is the longing for something that belongs to someone else or placing supreme value on something not (yet) possessed.

1 Corinthians 6:9 (ESV)

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,

1 Corinthians 6:18 (ESV)

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

Galatians 5:19 (ESV)

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,

Ephesians 5:5 (ESV)

For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 (ESV)

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;

VERSES 6 & 7: REASONS TO PUT TO DEATH

Colossians 3:6-7 ESV

6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.

• Paul gives us two more reasons Christians should never practice these sins…
  • V.6 — They bring the wrath of God.
  • V.7 — They characterized the former life.

Romans 1:18 ESV

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

What triggers the divine wrath of God?

Disobedience

Ephesians 5:6 ESV

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Rejecting Jesus Christ

John 3:36 ESV

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Hardened Hearts

Romans 2:5 ESV

But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

Refusal to Repent

Romans 2:6–8 ESV

He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

VERSE 8: PUT AWAY SINFUL ATTITUDES

Colossians 3:8 ESV

8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

Five sins that destroy social relationships:

1. Anger = orgēn = punishment; anger; to punish; wrath
2. Wrath = thymos = rage, intense anger, passionate outbursts
3. Malice = kakia = wickedness; evil; hateful feeling
4. Slander = blasphēmian = evil speaking
5. Obscene Talk = aishrologian = filthy language; abusive language

Ephesians 4:31 (ESV)

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

VERSE 9: PUT OFF SINFUL APPEARANCES

Colossians 3:9 ESV

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices

• Lies = pseudomai = lie; tell lies; tell falsehoods; communicate what is false.
• One thing is clear from this command: the Christian community should be all about truth and being truthful. All lying should be left behind with the old self.

CONCLUSION (Part 1)

• God commands us to put to death sinful aggressions, put away sinful attitudes, put off sinful appearances, and be like Christ, not like the World.
• Have a moment with the Holy Spirit and ask Him to search your heart and remove anything that resembles earthly cultures that are getting in the way of kingdom culture.

Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT)

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.