5/16/25 - “If Ye Then Be Risen With Christ”

“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” (Col. 3:1-4).

The first four verses of Colossians 3 contain encouragement, commands, and reminders, and give us insight into life from the time of salvation to the end of the world! Writing this in four verses must be a matter of inspiration (II Tim. 3:16-17) for what man could say all of this so succinctly? Let us study the truth found in these few verses.

“If ye then be risen with Christ” (v. 2). Who are those “risen with Christ”? The simple answer is those who were first “buried with Him in baptism” (Col. 2:12). In other words, Colossians 3 is written to Christians! Those who were baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38, 22:16) were not only buried like Christ, but raised like Him as well (Rom. 6:3-6)! In a figurative sense, we “reenact” the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ when we come to Him, dead in sin (Eph. 2:1), to be buried in the watery grave of baptism, and then be raised to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4-5). Have you been baptized for the remission (forgiveness) of sin? If not, then you cannot be “risen with Christ”!

Those “risen with Christ” (Christians) do not merely wait for the Lord to return and do nothing else for Him. Instead, we are expected to “seek those things which are above.” This means our motivations and goals should align with Christ’s teachings and principles. A Christian’s motivation now changes from worldly goals to reflect the goals of Christ. A Christian needs to consult God’s word daily and see what Christ wants done and said so that we follow His example daily (Col. 3:17; I Pet. 2:21-22; Lk. 9:23).

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2). This sentence tells us where our focus (affection, mind, mindset, thinking) needs to be. Zig Ziglar was known for saying, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” The Lord says aim at the things above! In the book of Romans, we learn that “to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6). Where is your mind focused? It is imperative that we know where our minds are concentrated because what is in our minds will defile us or bless us (Matt. 15:17-20; Phil. 4:8-9). What we think about, we will eventually do and say!

“Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God” (v. 3). “Dead” is a strong word. The word death means “separation.” When the prodigal son was separated from his father, he was called “dead” (Lk. 15:24, 32). When faith is separated from works, that faith is dead (Jas. 2:26).  In this passage, Paul is not saying we are dead physically, but a Christian must be separated from the world in mind, word, and action (II Cor. 4:17-18). We need to be joined to Christ as Paul discussed in Galatians 2:20. The Christian who was “raised with Christ” (v. 1) has this special relationship.

“Then shall ye also appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3:4). Here is the ultimate goal for all Christians. We eagerly anticipate the day when we will appear with Christ in glory. We do not want to hear the words, “depart from me ye cursed” or “I never knew you” (Matt. 25:41, 7:23). Instead, we long to appear with Christ in glory and then enjoy an eternity with Him! This is the culmination of our spiritual journey, the reward for our faithfulness. How does this happen? It happens when we do what was taught in Colossians 3:1-3. As we said at the beginning, to pack so much truth and give us insight into a person from salvation to the end of the world must be a matter of inspiration (II Pet. 1:20-21)! I am thankful to God for what He has revealed and want to strive daily to follow the Lord, yielding my stubborn will to His, and having my mind focused on things above!

How are you doing in following the truth revealed in Colossians 3?

– Jarrod M. Jacobs