Colossians, chapter number three.
Scripture Reference
Colossians 3:1-4
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Introduction
Christ is the Center of Christianity — Part 4. In this message Dr. Terry LeQuieu continues the study in Colossians and moves from doctrine to daily living. If Christ is the center, then our life must reflect that truth in four central ways: a new mission, a new mind, a new message, and a new motivation. These are not merely topics to admire; they are practical calls to change what you think about, what you live for, and how you influence others. The passage in Colossians 3:1–4 is short but heavy with the expectation that those who have been “risen with Christ” will live differently.
Grab your Bibles. If you would. Go to Colossians with me. Colossians. Colossians, chapter number three. If you would, when you get there, go ahead and stand with me. Colossians, chapter number three. Pray for Blair. She’s got some health issues. Many of you know that. So keep that as a matter of prayer, if you would. There is a remedy. Amen. His name is Jesus. He’s a great physician. He’s the great I am. He can do anything. And we know that.
Outline
- New Mission — Seek Things Which Are Above
- Heaven is above — The Christian’s mission is eternal, not merely temporal. Our responsibility is to point people toward Christ and the hope of heaven. The urgency is real because we do not stay here forever; those who are saved ought to labor to “make heaven overcrowded” by sharing the gospel.
- He is above — Christ sits at the right hand of God. That means our mission is centered on the One who reigns and who is already victorious, ruling in power.
- Help is above — The right hand of God is the place of power and help. When we face trials, our mission continues because help and strength come from the exalted Savior.
- Practical implication — Let daily decisions, conversations, and priorities be shaped by the purpose of reaching souls and honoring the Lord who is above.
- New Mind — Set Your Affection on Things Above
- Affection explains thought and desire — “Affection” here (love, longing, desire) describes what fills your mind and heart. The Christian’s mind must be occupied with heavenly realities rather than earthly cravings.
- Renewing the mind — This requires intentional spiritual disciplines: Scripture, prayer, Christian fellowship, and obedience. Paul connects this idea elsewhere (Rom. 12; Eph. 4) to putting off the old and putting on the new.
- Examples of misdirected affection — Whether it is materialism, entertainment, or even well-meaning pursuits that displace Christ, anything that controls us must be re-aligned under Christ’s Lordship.
- Practical implication — Evaluate time, media, conversations, and ambitions. Let your affections be captured by Christ so that your desires reflect His will.
- New Message — Believers Are Dead to Sin; Our Life Is Hid With Christ
- Dead to sin — Salvation brings decisive change. We are not free to continue in sin as a lifestyle. Scriptures like Romans 6 and Galatians 2:20 teach the believer’s identification with Christ’s death and resurrection.
- Hid with Christ in God — Our identity is now hidden in Christ. That hiding is not hiding to avoid responsibility but a placing under Christ’s life and authority so that He is seen in us.
- Master of disguise vs. chameleon — The Christian should not blend into the world or be merely pragmatic. Instead of being shaped by culture (thermometer), we are to shape culture by Christlike witness (thermostat). Our “disguise” is Christ living through us so that others see Christ instead of the self.
- Practical implication — Cultivate holiness and dependence on Christ: crucify the self-life daily (Gal. 2:20), pursue accountability, and practice spiritual habits that produce visible Christlikeness.
- New Motivation — Christ Is Our Life, Longing, and Lord
- Christ is our life — The believer’s motivation flows from the recognition that Christ gives purpose and sustains life. Daily choices should be evaluated: “Will this honor Christ?”
- Christ is our longing — Christians live in eager anticipation of His return. A constant expectation of Christ’s appearing should intensify gospel urgency and holy living.
- Christ is our Lord — Salvation makes Christ your Savior; daily submission makes Him Lord. That Lordship shapes priorities, ethics, speech, and stewardship.
- Practical implication — Live as one who expects Christ momentarily: share the gospel often, choose purity in small matters, and let the potential nearness of Jesus shape your choices.
Summary
The heart of Colossians 3:1–4 is a call to a changed life because Christ is central. If you are risen with Christ, you have been given a new mission to aim at heaven, a new mind that sets its affections above, a new message that proclaims a life dead to sin and hidden in Christ, and a new motivation built on Christ as your life, longing, and Lord. These realities are not abstract theology for scholars; they are practical, daily, and visible marks of a Christian life. The call is not optional. If Christ truly sits at the center, then everything else moves into proper place under His rule.
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Quote to Ponder
“Here we have a new mission. Why? Because heaven is above. We’re not here much longer. Not only is heaven above, but notice he is above. It says where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”
Application for the Week
Practical steps to live out Colossians 3:1–4 this week. These are simple, concrete actions. Pick one or two to begin intentionally, then add more as you grow.
- Schedule a daily “Heaven Pause”
- Each morning (or evening if mornings are impossible), spend 5–10 minutes reading Colossians 3:1–4 and praying a short prayer: “Lord, set my affection on things above today.”
- Align your media and time
- Make a list of the top three things that consume your free time (social media, streaming shows, gaming, shopping, etc.). For the week, reduce one of them by half and replace that time with Scripture reading, prayer, or sharing the gospel.
- Share the Gospel with One Person
- Pray for boldness and identify one person—co-worker, classmate, neighbor—pray for them daily, and look for an opportunity this week to speak a clear gospel invitation or offer to pray with them.
- Crucify a stronghold
- Ask the Lord to show one area where you habitually “blend in” with the world (language, dress, entertainment). Confess it and take a specific action to change it this week—delete an app, refuse an ungodly habit, or set accountability.
- Practice living like Christ is coming today
- Before each major decision this week (a purchase, entertainment choice, or an important conversation), ask: “If Christ returned right now, would this be the first thing I would present to Him?” Let that thought shape your choice.
- Memorize and meditate
- Commit Colossians 3:2–3 to memory this week. Hide it in your heart and repeat it during transitions (driving, before bed, at meals).
Make a plan and share it with a trusted brother or sister in Christ who can pray for you and hold you accountable. As Dr. LeQuieu reminded us, resurrection identity produces a new response: our mission, mind, message, and motivation must all point to Jesus—now, and until He comes.
0 Comments