Monday, June 10 | Colossians 3:1-11 | Amy Jackson
One of the things I appreciate about Paul is that his letters are so logical and organized. Often, Paul begins his letters with right teaching about the Christian faith. Then, he moves to explain right living - because, when we really understand the truth of the gospel, this understanding helps us to know how to live in light of these truths.
Paul has spent the first two chapters of his letter rebuking false teaching and reminding the church that their hope is in Christ and His work on the cross - that the hope of salvation is not a “Jesus plus something else” formula but is only in what God has done for His children in Christ. In Colossians 3:1-11, Paul gives us several verbs to help us to know how to live in light of this truth. First, our immediate response ought to be worship! We have been raised with Christ, our lives are hidden with Christ in God, and one day we will appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:1-4) - these truths should stir up worship in our hearts!
Second, Paul calls us to seek and set our minds on the things that are above (Colossians 3:1-2). Now, Paul isn’t talking about gazing at clouds everyday (although I think spending time in nature helps us worship our Creator, so cloud gazing is good!). Rather, Paul is talking about us seeking Christ, setting our minds on Him. To seek after or to set your mind on something is active, requiring deliberate concentration. In a world full of distractions, believers are called to focus on what is above - and ultimately - Who is above. Christ is reigning and that changes how we live. Two practical ways we seek and set our minds on Christ are through studying Scripture and prayer, asking that God would align our hearts with His and make us more like Jesus.
Third, Paul calls us to “put to death what is earthly in you” (Colossians 3:5). I like that Paul again uses such a strong image to convey the importance of battling sin! We aren’t called to sit by idly and wait for sanctification to happen, but to comply with the Holy Spirit and to be actively seek how we might put sin to death in our own lives. John Owen, a Puritan pastor, told believers to “be killing sin or it will be killing you.” As Christians, sin is no longer our master, yet sin wounds the heart of God and we must guard against evil grabbing a foothold in our lives. We trust that in Jesus, we are justified before the Father and through the work of the Holy Spirit, we are sanctified to become more like Jesus. Part of the work of sanctification is putting sin to death.
Pray about where you should focus on killing sin in your own life. As that God would help you as you seek after Him and set your mind on Him - because setting our affections on God and killing sin are connected. As hymn writer Helen Lemmel put it, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face - and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”
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