Living the New Life
This lesson contains repetition of content from previous lessons.
This lesson has numerous reminders of familiar Biblical principles.
This lesson presents a huge challenge.
Colossians 3:1-4 NLT
Living the New Life
3:1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
Examine the Scriptures:
Colossians 3:1-4 NLT
Living the New Life
3:1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ,
- The Colossians were Christians (believers).
Colossians 1:6 NLT
6 This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.
Colossians 1:27 NLT
27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.
Colossians 2:5 NLT
5 For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.
As Christians, the Colossians have been raised to new life with Christ.
- Believers experience a spiritual resurrection, a new life, through faith in Christ.
Colossians 2:12-13 NLT
12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.
13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.
Colossians 1:13 NLT
13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,
Romans 6:4 NLT
4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
Philippians 3:20 NLT
20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.
- Christ lives in believers.
Ephesians 1:3 NLT
Spiritual Blessings
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
Galatians 2:20 NLT
20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
set your sights on the realities of heaven,
The challenge:
- As Christians we need to be developing a mindset and lifestyle that focuses on eternal values.
We need to be shifting our mental and spiritual focus from the temporary, earthly concerns to the eternal, heavenly ones.
We need to think about and meditate on the nature of heaven, its promises, and its realities, recognizing that our true home is in heaven.
where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.
- Christ is in a position of authority and honor.
Luke 22:69 NLT
69 But from now on the Son of Man will be seated in the place of power at God’s right hand.
1 Peter 3:22 NLT
22 Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.
Hebrews 1:3 NLT
3 The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.
Believers have a connection to Christ, who is seated in heaven.
What is Christ doing for us?
Romans 8:34 NLT
34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
interceding for us. (ESV, NIV)
Heaven is the place we, as believers, will be with Christ for all of eternity. It certainly merits our attention.
2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
Two options.
The contrast between “things of heaven” and “things of earth” highlights the fundamental choice believers face.
This reinforces the previous verse (“set your sights”), emphasizing the need for a conscious and deliberate focus on spiritual matters.
It’s not just about outward action but an inward mindset. The heart and thoughts should be oriented towards God’s purposes, values, and kingdom, rather than being consumed by earthly desires or anxieties.
Christians are encouraged to cultivate a mindset fixed on eternal realities, which influences how they live in the present.
- The believer’s focus should be on eternal, spiritual matters, rather than earthly concerns.
Romans 12:2 NLT
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Philippians 4:8 NLT
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Matthew 6:19-34 NLT
Teaching about Money and Possessions
19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
…
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
1 John 2:15-17 NLT
Do Not Love This World
15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
3 For you died to this life,
Romans 6:5-11 NLT
5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT
17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
Galatians 6:14 NLT
14 As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.
Believers are united with Christ.
Their penalty of sin was paid.
They arose with Christ in new life.
- Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.
A believer’s security and identity are in Christ.
1 Corinthians 6:17 NLT
17 But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
2 Peter 1:4 NLT
4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
John 10:28 NLT
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,
Hebrews 7:25 NLT
25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.
1 Peter 1:4 NLT
4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.
- Believers have “died” to their old, sinful nature. Their true life is now secure, hidden in Christ. This speaks of both security (protected in God) and mystery (our full identity in Christ is not yet fully revealed).
4 And when Christ, who is your life,
When Christ who is your life ESV & NIV
- “Christ who is your life” reiterates that Christ is the source and essence of the believer’s life.
Christ is the one who gives spiritual life and sustains it.
Believer’s identity, hope, and purpose are rooted in Him.
The believer’s life is to reflect His character, values, and love.
4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. ESV & NIV
Revelation 19:11-16 NLT
The Rider on the White Horse
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. 12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. 13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. 15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. 16 On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
This looks forward to Christ’s return, when believers will fully share in his glory.
- When Christ returns believers will share in all his glory.
