“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:1-2).

Having addressed the pressing doctrinal matters troubling the Colossians, Paul moves on to make personal application in his epistle. It begins with the imperative to set their minds on and seek those things which are above. We live in this world, but our focus must be lifted to something higher and greater. Everything pertaining to our spiritual existence is now hidden with Christ who is seated above at the Father’s right hand. This truth must impact every decision we make while living in this world. Without this perspective, we will fail in many ways.

1. We will not put to death our sinful desires (Col. 3:5). “Put to death” is a serious command. It should get our attention. We are expected to exterminate and eliminate the desire to engage in fleshly sins. We can’t allow fornication, uncleanness, evil desires, and covetousness to live in our hearts – not even caged up in the corner. If they are allowed to remain, we will learn to live with and make concessions to these sinful desires. A Christian who is constantly losing the battle with these temptations is not seeking those things which are above.

2. We will not put off the old man and put on the new man (vs. 8-14). Being a follower of Christ calls for a drastic change in our thinking and behavior. In this epistle, Paul describes it as putting off the old man of sin (anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, lying) and putting on the man who is renewed in Christ (tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, forgiveness, and love). A Christian who is content to walk around in the “old man” is one who is not seeking those things which are above.

3. We will not live at peace with one another (v. 15). A worldly-minded person can’t maintain peace (James 3:13-18). Only when we surrender to the Prince of Peace will we learn to be at peace with God, others, and ourselves. A Christians who is constantly at odds with faithful brethren is not seeking those things which are above.

4. We will not worship as we should (v. 16). Worldly Christians can be faithful in their attendance. They will show up and participate, but their hearts will be far from the Lord. “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Matt. 15:8). Their bottom may be in the pew, but their heart is in this world. If we are seeking the things above, we will desire to worship with our brethren.

5. We will not diligently abide by Christ’s authority (v. 17). Worldly Christians aren’t governed by an insistence for Bible authority. They will do what feels right, what they’ve always done, what the majority thinks is right, what gets the desired results, what makes their children happy, etc. Why? They aren’t focused on the Lord reigning as King at the right hand of God (v. 1).

6. We will not have godly homes (vs. 18-21). Numerous things can contribute to family problems among Christians. Sometimes these problems are inevitable because the family has failed to follow God’s plan for their home. Husbands fail to love their wives, wives fail to submit to their husbands, parents fail to rear their children in the training and admonition of the Lord, children are allowed to disrespect their parents. Without the proper focus, the family will faulter, fracture, and fail.

7. We will not have a good attitude towards work and service (v. 23). Paul admonished bondservants to render obedience and hearty service to their masters. While we don’t live as masters or slaves in our modern society, the principle does apply to our jobs. With minds set on things above, we will see ourselves as always serving our Master in heaven. In every circumstance, we will give our best effort with the best attitude. We all have bad days, but show me a Christian with a bad attitude toward work and service and I will show you a Christian who is still focused on this world.

8. We will not continue earnestly in prayer (4:2). Without our minds on the Lord, we are left to ourselves to navigate the pathways of this life. The more time we spend meditating on heavenly things, the more we will desire to be with the Lord. This longing and desire should drive us to pray more often. It is no surprise that a Christian who fails to seek those things above has a poor prayer life.

9. We will not seek to save the lost (vs. 3-6). When we are living by worldly standards, we see others as they are in this world. When we set our minds on things above, we see others as eternal souls heading towards judgment (Heb. 9:27). Those who are prepared need to be encouraged, and those who aren’t prepared must be rescued. Show me a Christian who is apathetic towards the plight of the lost and I will show you a Christian who is not seeking those things which are above.

We can’t help the fact that we are presently confined to this physical world, but we can choose our focus. Have we set our minds on spiritual things or are we focused on the temporary things around us? Are we seeking the things above or the things of this world? The answer is revealed by the way we live.