07 What It Means to Seek the Things Above (Colossians 3:1-7)

Colossians 3:1–7 calls us to a new way of seeing ourselves and our world: if we have died with Christ and been raised with him, then our true life is no longer rooted in this passing age, but “hidden with Christ in God.” In this episode, we look at what it really means to “seek the things that are above,” how that connects to holding fast to the true gospel, and why Paul links this heavenly perspective to a very concrete call: put to death the desires and habits that once ruled you. In this week’s episode, we explore:How Colossians 3:1–7 grows directly out of Paul’s warning against legalistic rituals in chapter 2, and why “seek the things that are above” is not a new technique for victorious living but a call to stay anchored in the hope of the gospel rather than man-made religion What it means that believers have “died” and been “raised with Christ,” and how Paul’s images of seeds, lobbies, and waiting rooms help us feel the tension of a life that is secure in Christ now but not yet revealed in gloryWhy setting our minds on things above is about focusing on our future inheritance and final resurrection, not escaping ordinary responsibilities or chasing mystical experiencesHow Paul’s command to “put to death what is earthly in you” contrasts with “submitting to regulations” in 2:20–23, and why outward rules can’t do what only a new heart and a real hope can accomplish Why Paul zeroes in on sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness—and how this list exposes the way unchecked desires and greed quietly claim the place of God in our livesWhat covetousness has to do with idolatry: the lie that God and his promised future are not enough, and that we must cling to money, pleasure, success, or security as if they could finally save usHow remembering the coming wrath of God sobers our view of sin, strips away sentimental gospels that ignore judgment, and drives us back to the cross as our only refugeThe difference between enjoying God’s good gifts and living as if “the lobby” is all there is—and how real hope in Christ’s return reshapes what we chase, what we fear, and what we are willing to lose now After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer sense of how Paul wants you to think about your life: as someone whose real future and identity are already bound up with Christ, waiting to be revealed. You’ll be invited to loosen your grip on desires and habits that once ruled you, to see covetousness and worldliness for the idols they are, and to set your mind again on the hope held out in the gospel—trusting that what is “hidden with Christ in God” is more solid, more lasting, and more worth living for than anything this world can offer.Series: Colossians: Getting the Gospel RightMost people fail at Bible study because no one ever taught them how. Bible Study Boot Camp fixes that: one short email a day for a week, plus a worksheet you can use on any passage for the rest of your life.Sign up for Bible Study Boot Camp