Colossians 3:1-17

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Scripture: Colossians 3:1-17

3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set 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, 13bearing 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. [1]



Devotion   



Verses 1-4 of chapter 3 serve as a transition between what came before and the practical section in chapter 3 and 4. Paul encourages us to seek the things of Christ which are above. Setting our hearts on things of heaven where Christ is instead of setting them on earthly things. Using the example of baptism where our old self dies, and our new self takes over. We are hidden with Christ until he appears in glory until he appears at the 2nd coming. Then we shall appear in glory with him.

We are to put to death the evil that lies within our mortal bodies so that the wrath of God will not touch us. Things such as sexual immorality, impurity evil desire, and covetousness which is idolatry. In these we once participated and were enemies of God. And these are things that the wrath of God is kindled against.

We must also put away all anger, wrath, malice, slander and obscene talk from us. And we shall not lie to one another. We must put off the old nature and put on the new. As Paul writes in Corinthians “we have become a new creation” so the Christian is to be transformed into a new creature with new life. There is now to be no difference between Greek and Jew (racial differences), circumcised and uncircumcised (religious differences), slave or free (social differences) barbarian or Scythian (cultural differences) but we are all one in Christ. Christ indwells us all and makes us all equal at the foot of the cross. “The reason human categories no longer matter is that Christ is all, which means Christ is central and supreme. Our relationship with him is really all that matters. Unity within the community is based on the fact that Christ is in all. He indwells all believers and permeates all our relationships.” [2][emphasis in original]

Now that we have put off the old nature, Paul then describes the new nature we are to put on. “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.[3] We are to live in imitation of Christ. “Verses 12–17 contain the virtues that stand in contrast to the vices mentioned in the preceding verses. With the old discarded, the character of Christ is to be displayed in its place. The transformation process includes more than don’ts. There are some dos as well.”[4] Paul says above all we should put on love for one another. As this is the key to living a Christ like life. Loving each other to the point of sacrificing ourselves our very lives for one each other. Just as in Ephesians 6 Paul urges us to get dressed in a compassionate heart. Then we are to put on kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Above all says Paul we are to put on love that we may live in harmony with each other. Forgiving one another and bearing with one another.

Thankfulness is to be our signature emotion. Always thanking God in word and deed that he has loved us enough to save us from this dark world of sin. God’s will direct us to find ultimate fulfilment in him and in his people. We are to worship. Raising our voices in songs of praise and thanksgiving to the one who saves us. That whatever we do it may be done in thankfulness to the Lord.

Finally, “The life transformation process is to include any and all areas and activities of life. In all places, in all ways, the believer is to honor the name of the Lord Jesus. Genuine spirituality is not found by following false teaching which leads away from Christ. Genuine spirituality is found in having our lives transformed into the character of Christ.[5]


[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 3:1–17.
[2] Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 330.
[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 3:12–15.
[4] Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 330.
[5] Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 332.

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