Colossians 3:1-15 is all about our position in Christ. Our position is everything and it is one of the biggest challenges as well as mysteries in the Christian life. “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God”.
We are placed above the dead world system of sin and bondage. We are seated with Christ. It is the chief business of any Christian to maintain his relationship with Christ as the most vital union at all times. Everything that has happened to Christ is now shared by the person who is in Him. We should not forfeit this position for anything. We have arrived in a place where we are able to abide because we are seated.
Most Christians today are preoccupied with their condition, but God’s word tells us to set our minds on our position. “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”. He raises us to newness of life and the next thing we find ourselves seated with Him, because the old man has died with Him at the cross.
Some of our old habits and vices are still hanging around. If we want to see the new we need to put to death whatever belongs to our earthy nature, which is idolatry, and get rid of lying, anger, slander, and filthy language.
We need to take off our old practices and as God’s elect holy and beloved, we are to put on a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness and longsuffering. These characteristics are ours, we are created in God’s image. The perfect bond of love holds it all together. To return evil for evil is demonic, to return good for good is human, but to return good for evil is divine.
This will move us forward towards the goal of maturity in Christ.