Introduction: Does it matter how you live? Do your thoughts matter? Two weeks ago, we learned that if we maintain steadfast faith in Jesus, and we do not “shift” away from Him, we can be certain that we are saved from our sins. That makes us think that what we do does not matter as long as we do not turn away from Jesus. In Colossians 3, Paul tells us that what we do and think matters. We are not free to do whatever we want, secure in the idea that “God will forgive.” God will forgive, but that should not be the point of reference for our thoughts. Let’s jump into Paul’s teaching about how we should think and live our lives as children of God!

I. What Next?

A. Read Colossians 3:1. When Paul starts out with, “If then you have been raised,” what point is he making? Why is this important? (Paul is writing to those who have been saved by faith alone. He is not writing to those who are confused about whether their works are part of the key to their salvation.)

1. If you are secure in your salvation, what should we seek? What are the “things that are above?” (Heaven.)
2. If I told you to “seek heaven,” what would you do? How would you respond to me? (I would respond that I must put my faith in Jesus. But that does not seem to be the way Paul wants us to respond.)
3. Consider again Paul’s “If, then” statement. If you are saved by grace, then you should be thinking about acquiring (seeking) heavenly things. Is that how you understand it?

B. Read Colossians 3:2. Does this describe you? My initial reaction is that it does not describe me. I think about the things that are around me. I think about what I need to do, what I would like to do, and how I would like to improve things.

1. My second thought is that thinking about the things around me sets my mind on “things above,” at least to some degree. For example, I’m thinking right now about how I should best write this teaching outline. I’m currently in Michigan to help the future of Andrews University – an overtly Christian university. Does this satisfy Paul’s direction to think about things “above?” Or does the fact that Andrews and I are on earth mean this does not count?

C. Read Colossians 3:3-4. Paul uses another connecting word. He says “for” you have died – meaning died with Jesus when you were baptized. See Colossians 2:12. What does our death in Christ, and being “hidden” in what Jesus has done for us, have to do with where our mind is focused? (Being hidden in Jesus means that we are secure in Him. We can focus on something else.)

1. I’ve never started a business, but I assume that when the business starts the owner works completely on the basics of keeping the business open. What if a rich investor comes to the owner and says, “Don’t worry about keeping your doors open, I’ll take care of that. Instead work on how you can improve the business.” How would that refocus the thoughts of the owner?
2. Is this a fair analogy? That instead of being focused on defeating the sins in our life, we instead focus on bringing others to Jesus?

II. Kill It

A. Read Colossians 3:5. When I read this I think what I just wrote is wrong. Paul writes about dealing with specific sins. It sounds like Paul wants us to focus on the sins in our lives. Was I leading you in the wrong direction?

1. If a person put to death those evil things Paul mentions, would it free the mind to think and plan about advancing God’s kingdom? (Think back to verse 3 which says that you have “died.” Paul says that we need to give the same fate to these listed sins. We need to make them dead.)
2. Can you see a way to focus on making these sins “dead” and still set our minds on heavenly things? (Part of focusing our minds on heaven and advancing the kingdom of God is not focusing our minds on bad things. In that sense we “put to death” the “earthly.”)
3. Look at the list of sins in verse 5. What do they have in common, other than being sinful? (They are “desire” sins. They are something that you want, many of which are tied to sexual desire.)

a. Consider this example. You meet a very attractive member of the opposite sex. Is your first reaction, “How can I get her/him to like me?” Or is it “How can I get her/him to like the gospel?”

b. Does this illustrate how we can focus on heavenly things while at the same time killing these sins of desire?

4. Notice that covetousness is called “idolatry.” How do you explain that? It is not bowing down to some figure. (This is another great illustration of the contrast between setting our minds on heavenly things and setting them on sins  of desire. To covet something is to want what belongs to another. The sin is to scheme how to get that thing for yourself. A focus on heavenly things would be a scheme to create things that advance the kingdom of God.)

B. Read Colossians 3:6. Why do these “desire” sins cause judgment to come? (If the Christian is focused on satisfying his desire, and not advancing the kingdom of God, there is no reason for God to wait further to return.)

C. Read Colossians 3:7-9. Look at this new list of sins. These are not “desire” sins. What are they? What is their common thread? (They are sins that break people apart.)

1. Is this an argument for trying to avoid insulting others? (Something about believing that you know the truth causes strong opinions. I do not think there is anything wrong with strong opinions, but we must be emotionally intelligent in the way we share.)
2. I was just questioned about an article I wrote (not in GoBible) in which I took a “wrecking ball” approach to an opposing view. Should we always be very careful not to offend? (I’ll let others decide upon the merits of my approach in that article. But I see a difference in arguing ideas and concepts pushed by other groups, and debating with another person. Look at what Paul is doing here: he is writing about killing certain ways of thinking.)

III. Heal It

A. Read Colossians 3:10-11. Is Paul still on the subject of avoiding breaking people apart? (Yes, he is now writing of attitudes that bring us together. If we see that all these different groups are together in Jesus, it changes our attitude about differences.)

B. Read Colossians 3:12. What is common to these attitudes? (They heal differences. Having these attitudes help to avoid disputes.)

1. But what if your opinion is right? (Two things. Being right is important and the morally right thing should not be compromised. But are you sure that you are right? How would “humility, meekness, and patience” affect how graciously you hold your view?

C. Read Colossians 3:13. When we consider the cost of forgiving a person who has wounded us, what should we contemplate? (How much Jesus has forgiven us. And what His forgiveness cost Him.)

D. Read Colossians 3:14. How does love “bind” us together? (You give more latitude to those you love – at least you should.)

E. Read Colossians 3:15. If you are not in conflict with others, is your life more peaceful? (Of course. That is what Paul is offering us, a more peaceful life.)

1. How important is Paul’s last point in this verse, the admonition to be “thankful.” (This attitude is the opposite of coveting. I think being grateful is incredibly important to a peaceful life.)

F. Read Colossians 3:16. What practical guide do we have for living a more peaceful, heaven-focused life? (Doing what you are doing right now, which is dwelling in God’s Word. Learning and teaching God’s Word.)

G. Read Colossians 3:17. Is this a heaven-focused life? That whatever we do, we do it in the name of Jesus?

1. How, exactly, would you do that? (You should look for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and you should ask yourself, “What is the Christian thing to do here?”)

H. Friend, do you have a better idea now about how to focus your mind on heavenly things? Why not ask the Holy Spirit, right now, to help you in that transition?

IV. Next week: Living With Each Other.

Copr. 2026, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail, but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study.

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