Jun 19, 20202 min read

Colossians 3

Dig Deeper:

WHAT'S YOUR HEART SET ON? This chapter starts off with two commands that at first sound very similar, but although they are related, they are both distinct:

set your hearts on things above (v1)

set your minds on things above (v2)

Verse one translates literally like this: seek / look for / desire things that are above (Christ-like things), while verse two literally calls you to think about those things. In other words, make it your top priority to look for ways to make Christ the center of all you do, and then when you find those ways, keep your mental focus on those things rather than the mundane distractions of life.

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: It becomes way too easy for us to tolerate little sins. In fact, we still hang on to the old latin word for 'little sins' - peccadillos. You may not be engaging in the major sins mentioned in v5, but don't be too quick to give yourself a pass on all of the peccadillos in your life. It says to PUT TO DEATH (harsh language!) whatever belongs to your earthly nature... both big sins and little ones.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WORD: You're not told to just to have little bits and pieces of God's Word in your life, v16 calls you to let the Word of Christ live richly in you. The richer your intake of God's Word is, the richer you will experience the peace of Christ (v15). So don't be cheap with your Bible intake!

AWESOME LIFE MOTTO: Verse 17 is a great verse to memorize and make your life's motto:

Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

SUMMER RERUNS? This is the second time now in a couple of weeks that we've read about submission in Christian households. If you're still wondering about it, review the comments on Ephesians 5. We'll read very similar words later this year when we get to 1st Peter. Do you think God's design for our households is important?