1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (Colossians 3:1–2 NKJV)
Lenski’s translation of the same two verses depicts continuing action expected of Christians.
1 Accordingly, if you were jointly raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is sitting at God’s right hand. 2 The things above keep minding, not the things on the earth! (emphasis added)
“We have here a transition to the practical part of this Epistle” (Pulpit Commentary). “Our text gives us a magnificent picture of the higher life of man, indicating the means of its beginning, the signs of its progress, and the hope of its perpetuity” (Thomas, U.R.).
Ephesians 1:20, also Holy Spirit inspired and penned by the apostle Paul, likewise notes that God the Father placed the risen Christ at His right hand in Heaven. Mark 16:19 does the same.
The apostle having observed in the former chapter, that the believing Colossians were dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, were buried with him in baptism, and were risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, argues from hence how much it became them to regard a new and spiritual life, and to seek after superior and heavenly things, and treat with neglect and contempt carnal and earthly ones. For he does not here call in question their being risen with Christ, but takes it for granted that they were, and makes use of it as an argument for his present purpose. (John Gill’s)
There is a sense in which Christians—who imitated through baptism the death, burial and resurrection of Christ—are spiritually seated with Christ on the right hand of God. “We are already seated there in Him as our Head; and hereafter shall be seated by Him” (Brown).
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4–6)
Our seats in Heaven are conditional; we can lose our reserved seats in Heaven by misdirecting our affections and by an ungodly way of life, now, on earth (2 Peter 2:20–22).
If one wants to be close to God he must have a new nature, and that comes by not only being in Christ, but putting Him on day by day (Rom. 13:14; cf. 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 3:26-27; Col. 3:1:ff). His attributes of kindness, mercy, love, holiness, purity, etc. become our attributes. These attributes are exhibited for the world to see, and in so doing one becomes to the world salt and light by which men see his good works and glorify God in heaven (Mat. 5:13-16). (DuVerney emphasis added)
The distinction between outside of Christ and “in Christ” (Galatians 3:27) occurs at Bible baptism (instead of man-altered application of water called baptism). Yet, daily Christian living and a more mature understanding of God’s Word and how it applies remains a work in progress.
In these words Paul refers to what took place when they entered into Christ. “Having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.” (2:12.) Since then they had put off the old man of sin in baptism, and had been raised with Christ, and in Christ, carry forward this begun work of conformity to the life of Christ. (Lipscomb emphasis added)
Christians are called upon to aim high—to train their eyes always on the heavenly horizon and never failing to desire “the better and heavenly country, the continuing city, which is above the heavens, whose builder and maker is God…” (John Gill’s). In the mind’s eye, the child of God, as did the apostles in Acts 1:9–11, ought to trace with his gaze our Lord’s ascension into the heavens and long for His return at His Second Coming (2 Peter 3:12). The resurrected and ascended Christ is the reason for training Christians’ eyes heavenward. “Because these Christians [Colossians] had been raised with Christ, they were to be upward in their aspirations; they were to seek Heaven” (Taylor emphasis added).
“…In our minds we are truly sojourners in this world, and are not bound to it. The word rendered think upon expresses rather assiduity [diligence] and intensity of aim…” (Calvin’s Commentaries emphasis added). For many who have been added to the church by our Lord, there is an evident lack of “intensity of aim” in the execution of Christianity in their lives. Often, we have become homesteaders instead of being sojourners or pilgrims. Scripture, however, calls upon us to realize that we are just passing through to a better and promised land. Of the faithful in Hebrews 11, this was penned for our emulation, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13). Perhaps many of us are not “strangers” to the ungodly world around us! “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11).
A primary devotion and adoration of things on earth, though many things are not sinful of themselves, anchor us to earthly and physical trappings. Even innocent things on earth constrain our spiritual and upward journey. Whereas our resurrected and ascended Messiah draws us upward toward Heaven where He is, earthly things pull us downward. It is absolutely imperative that we develop a worldview—a comprehensive concept—that consistently views everything in our lives from a spiritual filter, so that we duly consider both life and our afterlife goals. Anything less risks missing an eternal reward in Heaven.
Several commentators suggest that to understand Colossians 3:1 and forward more easily, we should consider reading Colossians 2:12 and jump to Colossians 3:1. Barnes’ Notes says, “The apostle in this place evidently founds the argument on what he had said in Col 2:12… The argument is, that there was such an union between Christ and his people, that in virtue of his death they become dead to sin; that in virtue of his resurrection they rise to spiritual life, and that, therefore, as Christ now lives in heaven, they should live for heaven, and fix their affections there.”
After the somewhat lengthy digression of verses 13-23 in the previous chapter, the apostle comes back to apply the truth taught in verse 12. I think we shall get the connection better if we read these two passages without anything intervening: “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead… If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” (Ironside)
Adam Clarke’s Commentary also connects Colossians 2:12 to 3:1 and following. “Seeing then that ye are risen with Christ; this refers to what he had said, Col 2:12: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him. As, therefore, ye have most cordially received the doctrine of Christ; and profess to be partakers of a spiritual religion, that promises spiritual and eternal things; seek those things, and look to be prepared for the enjoyment of them” (Adam Clarke’s). Just here, this citation notes that it is with joy we train our thoughts, hearts and conduct on Heaven in eager expectation. “A definite act, not a state, is referred to. The definite act is named in Col 2:12 above. When they were ‘buried with him in baptism,’ they were also raised from this burial with him… The risen Christ ascended; let your aspirations ascend also” (People’s New Testament).
One draws nigh to God initially through obedience to the Gospel. Being baptized into Christ his sins are washed away and he rises from the watery grave sanctified, made holy (1 Cor. 6:11). Being raised up to walk in the newness of life, he puts on Christ and seeks those things which are above (Rom. 6:4; 13:14; Col. 3:1ff). (DuVerney emphasis added)
Verse one uses the word “if” in a hypothetical sense (Robertson’s) but to represent the actuality of the spiritual status of Christians. The practical application is really “since” as Christians “were raised with Christ,” they must reorder their priorities in life and allow for superimposition of trust acting out in this life, joyfully anticipating residence in the hereafter in God’s house. “…We could translate ‘If’ as ‘Since’” (Thomas Constable’s Notes).
Together, these two verses form a parallelism, essentially saying the same thing for the purpose of emphasis. “The similarity of the two commands in Col 3:1-2 reinforces their impact” (Bible Knowledge Commentary). “If then you were raised with Christ” refers to one’s conversion, which the apostle Paul described in detail in Romans 6:3–5.
Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.
“The resurrection is regarded in Scripture in three aspects—as a fact establishing our Lord’s Messiahship, as a prophecy of our rising from the dead, and as a symbol of the Christian life even now. The last is the aspect under which Paul deals with it here” (MacLaren). The opposite of being resurrected in Christ is “dead in your trespasses,” NKJV or “dead in your sins,” KJV (Colossians 2:13).
The balance of verse 1, “Seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God,” identifies the new direction and focus of one raised from the watery grave of baptism to “walk in newness of life” as “a new creation.” “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Whereas prior to conversion—prior to the baptism of the Great Commission (Mark 16:15–16)—a person’s undertaking was earth centered, the Christian, instead, needs to be Heaven centered. “‘If then ye have been once for all raised up…together with Christ’ (namely, at your conversion and baptism, Ro 6:4)” (Jamieson).
“The argument here is, that since Christ is there, and since he is the object of our supreme attachment, we should fix our affections on heavenly things, and seek to be prepared to dwell with him” (Barnes’ Notes). “Believers’ lives should be dominated by the pattern of heaven, bringing heavenly direction to their earthly duties” (Bible Knowledge Commentary). “‘The things above’ are all things pertaining to our true home—‘the new Jerusalem’ and ‘the heavenly citizenship,’ in contrast to ‘the things upon the earth’” (Pulpit Commentary).
“The word ‘seek’ marks aspiration, desire, and passion” (Morgan), as well as a continual, never-ending action. Those risen with Christ—Christians—are expected “to manifest the reality of this new life” (Hawker’s). “Seek” pertains to “the practical duty involved in this resurrection” (Pulpit Commentary). “To seek them means to inquire about and ask for them, as they are revealed in Holy Scripture” (Christian Workers’ Commentary). The Holy Word of God—the Bible—must be the basis of every spiritual thought and each corresponding action by the children of God.
Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount declared the proper order of one’s priorities with respect to Heaven and Earth. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these [other, physical] things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Rather than earthly “things” being one’s primary pursuit, the followers of Jesus Christ champion in their lives the heavenly destination. The verse contrasts “the kingdom of God” with “all these things” that unconverted souls seek first in their lives (Matthew 6:32).
It is impossible to seek spiritual (heavenly) things and physical (earthly) things at the same time with the same degree of devotion. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). The inspired apostle Paul penned, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:9–10).
Yet, many Christians—including church leaders—are captivated by earthly pursuits more than by heavenly goals. It is obviously true and demonstrated by their declared objectives in life, as well as by the intensity of their obsession with the material world and its goods. It’s easy to seek physical, visible things as mortals immersed in the physical world, but Christians have a new, better objective that transcends our earthly existence. While it is not wrong even to be rich in this world’s treasures and luxuries, the child of God must rise above those as the objective in one’s life, fixating, instead, on an other-worldly and eternal purpose.
“Intellectual brilliance, advanced education, or unusual physical strength are not required for a Christian to become great in God’s estimation. What He requires is faithful perseverance in the basics of the Christian life. Any Christian can do this…” (Thomas Constable’s Notes). We need to arise from our slumber each morning as Christians before we identify as citizens of some nation, a member of an ethnicity, or possessing some rank or station. Christians first! Anything and everything comes after first acting like, speaking like and thinking like a child of God. “The end and mark which all the duties of Christian life aim at is to enter into the kingdom of heaven, and to give ourselves to those things which lead us there, that is, to true godliness, and not to those outward and physical things” (Geneva Notes).
