Living from Above: Embracing Our New Identity in Christ

Walking in Newness: A Reflection on Colossians 3

Colossians 3 presents one of the most practical and transformative passages in Paul's letters. The chapter begins with a powerful premise: if we have been raised with Christ, we should set our hearts and minds on things above. This heavenly perspective serves as the foundation for everything that follows.

The chapter divides naturally into two parts. First, Paul calls believers to "put to death" the earthly nature (verses 5-11), listing specific sins to avoid. Then, he instructs them to "put on" virtues befitting their new identity in Christ (verses 12-17).

What makes this passage so compelling is how Paul grounds ethical behavior not in arbitrary rules but in our union with Christ. We don't avoid sin just because it's wrong, but because we've died to sin and been raised to new life. Likewise, we don't pursue virtues merely because they're good, but because they reflect our true identity as God's chosen people.

The chapter concludes with practical instructions for households—wives, husbands, children, fathers, slaves, and masters. In a radical departure from cultural norms, Paul infuses these relationships with Christ-centered purpose, calling everyone to serve "as working for the Lord."

What strikes me most about Colossians 3 is its beautiful vision of transformation. We're not merely improving ourselves; we're being renewed in the image of our Creator. Our old self has been stripped off like worn-out clothing, and we've put on a new self that grows in knowledge and reflects Christ.

This chapter reminds us that the Christian life isn't about following rules but about living from a new identity. When we grasp who we are in Christ, our behavior naturally follows. As we set our minds on things above, our lives below are transformed.

In the letter to the Colossians, chapter 3 delivers one of the most transformative roadmaps for Christian living found in Scripture. The apostle Paul, writing to believers in the ancient city of Colossae, provides profound guidance that remains remarkably relevant for us today as we navigate what it means to live out our redeemed existence in Christ.

Set Your Hearts on Things Above

Paul begins this powerful chapter with a revolutionary perspective shift: "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." These opening verses establish the foundation for everything that follows—our identity and focus determine our actions.

What does it mean to "set your mind on things above"? This isn't about disengaging from the world around us or merely thinking about heaven as a future destination. Rather, it's about viewing our present reality through the lens of our resurrection identity. We've been raised with Christ! This astounding truth should transform how we perceive everything.

When we fix our gaze on Christ and heavenly realities, our earthly priorities naturally realign. The promotion at work, the house upgrade, the social media validation—these things find their proper place when we're anchored in our heavenly citizenship. Our perspective shifts from temporal concerns to eternal significance.

The Great Exchange: Off with the Old, On with the New

Paul then presents one of Scripture's most vivid metaphors—changing clothes as a picture of spiritual transformation. He instructs us to "put to death" and "put off" aspects of our former selves while "putting on" our new identity in Christ.

The list of things to "put to death" includes sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed. Paul then adds anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, and lying. Notice that these behaviors range from internal attitudes to external actions, from private thoughts to public speech. The transformation Christ brings touches every dimension of our being.

But Paul doesn't just tell us what to remove—he describes what to put on: "compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." He instructs us to forgive as the Lord forgave us and to put on love, "which binds them all together in perfect unity."

This isn't about behavior modification or self-improvement. It's about living from our new identity. We don't change to become new people; we change because we already are new people in Christ. The old self died with Christ; the new self lives in Him.

No More Divisions

In this new community of the redeemed, ancient barriers dissolve: "Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all." The social, ethnic, and economic divisions that defined the ancient world are transcended in Christ.

This revolutionary inclusion doesn't erase our differences but reframes them. Our primary identity isn't found in nationality, socioeconomic status, or cultural background, but in Christ. How might our divided world change if we truly lived as if Christ were "all, and in all"?

Practical Holiness in Everyday Relationships

Paul moves from these lofty theological truths to their practical outworking in everyday relationships. He addresses wives and husbands, children and parents, slaves and masters. While some of these instructions reflect first-century cultural contexts, the underlying principles remain: mutual respect, love, and recognition that all our relationships exist "in the Lord."

Paul's instructions culminate in the all-encompassing directive: "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Here is the essence of redeemed existence—living all of life as an expression of our relationship with Christ.

Living Our Redeemed Existence

Colossians 3 presents a vision of the Christian life that is both radically countercultural and deeply practical. It invites us to live from our resurrection identity, to embrace the values of God's kingdom in a world that marches to different rhythms.

What might change in your life if you truly believed that you have died with Christ and been raised with Him? How would your relationships transform if you consistently put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience? What would shift in your work if you did it all "in the name of the Lord Jesus"?

The path Paul describes isn't a burden but a liberation—freedom to live as we were created to live, in communion with God and harmony with others. This is redeemed existence: not merely being forgiven, but being transformed; not just escaping death, but embracing new life.

Today, let's embrace our identity as those who have been "raised with Christ." Let's set our minds on things above. And let's put on love, which binds everything together in perfect unity.