Raised With Christ

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Scripture: Colossians 3:1-4 (NIV)

Since then, you have been raised with Christ; set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Devotion:

Paul doesn’t begin this passage by telling us what to do; he begins by reminding us who we are. “If then you have been raised with Christ…” Everything that follows grows out of that reality. The Christian life is not an attempt to climb our way up to God — it is the daily practice of living out what God has already done. We have been raised. We belong to Christ. Our lives are hidden in Him.

Because of that, Paul calls us to seek the things that are above. This isn’t escapism. It’s not withdrawing from the world or ignoring the responsibilities God has given us. It’s reorienting our desires. It’s learning to want what Christ wants, to value what Christ values, to pursue what Christ pursues. Seeking the things above means letting the risen Christ shape the direction of our hearts.

Then Paul goes deeper: “Set your minds on things that are above.” Seeking is about desire; setting is about focus. Our minds are easily pulled in a hundred directions — anxieties, ambitions, distractions, and the constant noise of life. Paul calls us to a deliberate, disciplined re-centering of our thoughts on Christ. This is not a one-time act but a daily rhythm. We set our minds on Christ when we meditate on His Word, when we pray, when we choose gratitude over grumbling, when we remember His promises instead of rehearsing our fears.

Paul grounds all of this in a profound truth: “You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” The old self — the self ruled by sin, fear, and self‑reliance — has been crucified with Christ. Our true life is now secure, protected, and defined by Him. Hidden doesn’t mean lost; it means safe. It means covered. It means held.

And then Paul lifts our eyes to the future: “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” The Christian life is lived between resurrection and revelation — between what Christ has already done and what He will one day reveal. Our hope is not in our performance but in His appearing. Our glory is not self-made; it is Christ-given.

Prayer:

Lord, teach me to rest in what you have done for us through your life, death, and resurrection. Help us to realize that we can add nothing to what you have already done for us. Lead us to follow you without reservation, so that we may live lives of faithfulness and fruitfulness in the place you have called us. Help us to know who we are in you and rest in that knowledge. Amen. 

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