What a wonderful thought the apostle Paul presents. Those who are raised with Christ are said to have died, and now have a life hidden with Christ in God! In the rest of Colossians 3, the apostle goes on to tell us what that means in the life of the Christian.
Before we look at the life changes which must take place, Paul alludes to our entrance into Christ. His mention of a death and a resurrection is an allusion to the penitent believer’s baptism. Only those who have been baptized into Christ can be raised to life with Him (Romans 6:3-5). Until we are buried in the likeness of His death, we cannot be in the likeness of His resurrection.
Set Your Mind
When we come to Christ, we need to have a change of perspective. The things of this life should become less important for us; our eyes should be directed toward heaven where the Lord is. Indeed, having put on Christ, we were made citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20).
In setting our minds upon heavenly things, we need not go to the extreme of the Essenes, who made vows of poverty and were ascetics. Righteousness is not mutually exclusive to enjoying the things of this life. That said, we need to have well set priorities. We must always put spiritual things ahead of secular. We belong to the Lord, not ourselves, and certainly not the world. We must focus our minds, having our lives directed by what will give honour to the Lord.
Put To Death
In order to be what God wants us to be, we need to make some changes. First, Paul reveals that we must put away, cast off, put to death our old man. We cannot cling to the sinful attitudes and actions of the past and expect to walk with God.
Many characteristics are inconsistent with being a child of God, and must be forsaken. The apostle gives a list (Colossians 3:5, 8-9), but it is not a complete list. Paul gave a list of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21, ending his list with “…and the like.” It is necessary that our senses be exercised to “discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14).
May we never convince ourselves that sin is not serious. Paul spoke of the result which sin has upon the world and in the lives of men. Hear his words:
Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of dis-obedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. (Colossians 3:6-7)
Not only is it unfitting that one who has been raised with Christ be involved in such things, but know for surety that the end of them is eternal condemnation.
The New Man
We would be in a difficult position if we were simply told to put these works of the flesh off, but not told what to put in place of them. Remember Jesus spoke of the man who was cleansed of an evil spirit, but failed to put good in the place of the evil. The spirit spoke:
‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes an takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. (Matthew 12:44-45)
Don’t become a swept home for wickedness to return to. Stopping our old ways is not enough. We need to
…put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him… (Colossians 3:10)
If we try to put off the old without putting on the new, we will make ourselves a swept house for wickedness to return to. The process is the same for any change we want to make in our lives. If we stop eating junk, but don’t begin eating healthy food, we will inevitably return to the junk food. The best was to kick a bad habit is to establish a good habit to take its place.
So, the apostle doesn’t just tell us what we need to put off, but he also tells us what we need to put on – what we need to fill our house (hearts) with. A list of characteristics are given in Colossians 3:12-14.
How do we purge the old man and put on the new? The apostle tells us how. Notice:
…let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 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. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. (Colossians 3:15-17)
Friend, let us write the word of God on our hearts (Psalm 119:11). That is how we will purge the old man and put on the new. That is how we will be hidden with Christ in God.
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