Colossians 3
Colossians Chapter 3, Explained
Colossians 3 flows from the truth that believers have died and been raised with Christ, so Paul says: set your hearts and minds on things above, where Christ is seated. Because our real life is now hidden with Christ in God, we can let go of the old way of living and put on a new one.
He gets wonderfully practical, telling us to put to death the old habits of anger, malice, and lying, and to clothe ourselves instead with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, forgiving as the Lord forgave us, and over it all putting on love. Whatever we do, in word or deed, we are to do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God through Him.
Key verses from Colossians 3
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”
Colossians 3:1
“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
Colossians 3:2
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;”
Colossians 3:12
The main point
Colossians 3 is about living out a new identity in Christ, clothed in love and doing everything for Him.
How Colossians 3 points to Jesus
Because we have been raised with Christ, our life is now bound up with His. He is the one seated above on whom we fix our hearts, and it is His forgiveness and love that we put on toward one another.
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Read Colossians 3 with its meaning · The book of Colossians: summary · All chapter guides