Scripture
Living the New Life
1Since 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. 2Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4And when Christ, who is your[1] life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
5So 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. 6Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.[2] 7You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile,[3] circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized,[4] slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
12Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15And 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.
Translation notes (4)
- 3:4 Some manuscripts read our.
- 3:6 Some manuscripts read is coming on all who disobey him.
- 3:11a Greek a Greek.
- 3:11b Greek Barbarian, Scythian.
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.
I find that I often underestimate how powerful our thoughts can be. I have recently found major healing against anxiety by thinking to myself, "I can't think that way" when an anxious thought comes to mind. Similarly, I believe that adjusting our thoughts in the middle of temptation can help us have victory when temptation comes our way. We will talk about this today and be encouraged to set our minds on the things of God rather than the things and temptations of this earth.
Colossians 3 teaches the importance of shifting our thoughts to the reality of heaven. "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven," Paul writes (verse 1). He tells us to "put to death" sin and the things of the earth (verse 4). He writes that putting sin to death means that we "get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language" (verse 8). After we put to death our sins and the things of the world, Paul encourages us to "put on [our] new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him" (Verse 10). In other words, as followers of Christ, we are to live and think differently than the rest of the world. We are called to dwell on Christ and the things of Him. Our minds are powerful weapons. What we dwell on is extremely important because it affects what we do and the people we are becoming.
This type of thinking is particularly important as we talk about our temptations. When we face temptations, if we shift our thinking from the things tempting us to the things of Christ, we will be much more successful fighting against that temptation. Let's be people who focus on Christ and His kingdom. After all, He and His kingdom are eternal. They will last forever.
Moving Toward Action
As we consider the importance of how much power our thoughts have over our lives, we need to realize that re-aligning our thinking must become a habit. Start this habit today. Whenever you start to be tempted, think about the ramifications of giving in to that temptation. Then, say to yourself, "It's not worth the cost." Do this each time you are tempted. As you do this, it will begin to be a habit and aid you in your battle against your temptations.
Going Deeper
Read Colossians 3:1-15 (NLT)
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