Set Your Mind Above, Put On the New Man

Devotional

Day 1: Dead to Earth, Alive in Hidden Glory

Buried believers walk as the walking dead—alive to Christ but severed from sin’s grip. Their true life remains veiled, tucked into Christ’s victory until glory’s unveiling. Earthly failures no longer define them; every past, present, and future stain was erased at the cross. This hiddenness breeds bold freedom: what hell could threaten what Christ already conquered? Resurrection life pulses beneath the surface of daily struggles. [13:15]

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
(Colossians 3:1–3, ESV)

Reflection: What earthly identity or shame still clings to you despite being declared dead to sin? How might living “hidden in Christ” shift your focus when failure whispers condemnation?

Day 2: Affections Anchored Where Christ Sits

Distractions swarm—gas prices, politics, shortages—but Christ’s throne stands unmoved. Setting affection “above” isn’t ignoring pain but fixing hope where nail-scarred hands hold eternity. Like a child mimicking a father’s work, believers mirror the Son whom the Father sees when He looks at them. Pleasing God flows not from duty but delight in being seen through Christ’s perfection. [09:39]

"When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry."
(Colossians 3:4–5, ESV)

Reflection: Where do your daily conversations or worries reveal misplaced affections? What practical step could reanchor your gaze to Christ’s seated triumph today?

Day 3: Killing What Cannot Follow You Home

Mortify—starve sin’s carcass of power. Anger, lust, greed claw for attention, but their threats echo in an empty tomb. These “members upon the earth” have no passport to glory; why feed what dies at death’s door? Grace doesn’t excuse sin but exposes its futility. Each temptation becomes a graveside reminder: what’s crucified stays buried. [23:43]

"On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth."
(Colossians 3:6–8, ESV)

Reflection: Which persistent sin do you still mistake for a “travel companion” on the road to glory? How does Christ’s finished work disarm its power to shame you?

Day 4: Shedding Skin That No Longer Fits

The old self fits like a corpse’s clothes—rotting, restrictive, reeking of death. Filthy speech, deceit, malice belong to a shadow-life dissolved in resurrection light. The new self isn’t a remodeled version of the old but a foreigner wearing Christ’s likeness. Shedding happens not by self-policing but by breathing in the air of belonging to Another. [30:33]

"Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator."
(Colossians 3:9–10, ESV)

Reflection: What habit or attitude still feels “normal” even though it chafes against your new identity? How might truth-speaking in community help you live into Christ’s fit?

Day 5: Glorified Bodies and the End of Sin’s Shadow

Groaning creation awaits the reveal: believers’ bodies, now sin’s battleground, will mirror Christ’s radiant flesh. No more abortion debates, political rage, or addiction’s grind—just unbroken gaze at the One who finished the fight. Today’s aches are labor pains; glory comes not as escape but as birth. [18:06]

"Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is."
(1 John 3:2, ESV)

Reflection: What current struggle feels most opposed to the promise of a sinless body? How does the certainty of Christ’s return reframe your endurance in today’s battles?

Sermon Summary

Paul grounds Colossians 3 in the fact that believers are risen with Christ. Christ sits at the right hand of God, and that is where the believer’s mind needs to be set, not on all the stuff going on down here. The things of this earth can sure get a person wrapped up, whether it is politics, prices, food, entertainment, or the news, but God is the main point. Christ is coming back, and those who are in Christ will be caught up to meet Him in the air.

The gospel makes that hope sure. Christ died for sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Salvation comes by believing that, not by following Jesus in an effort to earn something, not by baptism, not by works, and not by trying to be good enough. The Holy Spirit baptizes the believer into Christ, seals that believer permanently, and makes salvation a done deal.

The believer’s life is hid with Christ in God. Past sins, present sins, and future sins were taken care of at the cross, forgiven and forgotten. Christ does it all. The believer does not live for Christ because there is a requirement hanging over his head, but because God is now his Father. God is not pleased with fleshly effort, because works mean nothing for salvation. Christ’s work means everything, and God sees His Son living in those who are in Him.

Christ who is the believer’s life will appear, and then believers will appear with Him in glory. The resurrection will bring the final change: a glorified body, no more sin nature, no more sinning, and no more dealing with the ugliness of this present world. That is the hope. Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection are the whole thing. Without them, there is nothing to look forward to.

Paul’s call to mortify earthly members means taking the power away from fornication, uncleanness, evil desire, covetousness, and every fleshly thing. Sin still shows up because human nature is still there, but sin no longer has the final word. God’s grace is always sufficient. The children of disobedience are not believers who fail in some way, but those who refuse God’s gift and will not believe the gospel.

The old man belongs to the former life. The new man is renewed in knowledge after the image of Christ as believers study God’s Word in context, rightly divided, and keep their focus on Him. Christ gets the glory, and God brings each part of the body forward for His own work.

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Key Takeaways

1. The gospel is a finished work. Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection are not the beginning of a list of things a person must do. Faith rests in what Christ already accomplished, because salvation is a gift rather than a reward for religious effort. The certainty of salvation stands on Christ’s work, not on the strength of human performance. [06:29]
2. Christ, not earthly chaos, is the focus. The world gives plenty of reasons to be fearful, distracted, and discouraged. Christ’s return puts all of that in its proper place, because the present age is not the believer’s final home. A mind set above does not deny present troubles, but refuses to let them become the main point. [09:39]
3. Forgiveness reaches every sin. Christ took care of sins past, present, and future at the cross. That does not make sin small, but it makes Christ’s sacrifice big enough. The believer can quit trying to repay a debt that Christ has already completely paid. [13:15]
4. Grace produces a different kind of life. The believer lives for Christ not to become accepted, but because he is already accepted in Christ. God is pleased with His Son, and Christ living in the believer changes the reason for obedience. Love for the Father becomes the reason to please Him, not fear of losing a standing that Christ secured. [15:12]
5. The new man grows through truth. The old life does not need to be glorified or constantly replayed. Christ renews the new man through knowledge of God’s Word, understood in its proper context. A body of believers grows stronger when Christ receives the credit and each person recognizes that God has a purpose for every part.

## [32:53]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:14] - Seek Things Above
[04:11] - Paul’s Letter to Colossae
[06:29] - The Gospel of Christ’s Death and Resurrection
[08:23] - Salvation Is Permanent in Christ
[09:39] - Setting Affection Above Earthly Trouble
[13:15] - Dead to Sin and Hidden With Christ
[15:12] - Living for the Father
[17:23] - The Hope of a Glorified Body
[23:24] - Mortifying Earthly Members
[26:47] - The Children of Disobedience
[30:12] - Putting Off the Old Man
[32:53] - Putting On the New Man

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Colossians 3:1-10
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” [00:01]

1 Corinthians 15:3-4
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” [06:33]

Ephesians 2:8-9
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” [27:50]

Observation questions

In Colossians 3:1-4, what reasons does Paul give for seeking things above rather than focusing on things on the earth? [09:33]
What events are included in the gospel summary in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, and how are those events connected to salvation? [06:33]
What kinds of sinful attitudes and behaviors are named in Colossians 3:5-9 as belonging to the old life? [23:32]
According to Colossians 3:9-10, what has been put off, what has been put on, and how is the new man renewed? [32:53]

Interpretation questions

What does it mean for a believer’s life to be “hid with Christ in God”? How can that truth give assurance when a believer remembers past sin or struggles with present weakness? [13:15]
Paul says to “mortify” earthly members while also teaching that believers are already dead with Christ. How can a believer take sin seriously without treating good behavior as a way to earn salvation? [23:46]
Why does Paul connect covetousness with idolatry? What does that reveal about the deeper problem behind wanting more possessions, control, comfort, or security?
How does the promise that believers will appear with Christ in glory change the way they understand present troubles and the pull of earthly concerns? [17:23]

Application questions

What earthly concern has been taking up the most space in your mind lately—news, finances, politics, health, relationships, entertainment, or something else? What might it look like to set your affection on Christ in the middle of that concern? [09:55]
When guilt over past failures or fear over future failures comes up, how does the finished work of Christ speak to that guilt or fear? Is there a way you have been trying to repay a debt that Christ has already paid? [13:33]
Is there an area of anger, harmful speech, sexual temptation, greed, or another fleshly habit that needs to have its power taken away? What practical step could help you turn from that pattern and look to God’s sufficient grace? [24:45]
Believers live for God not to become accepted, but because they are accepted in Christ. How would your daily choices change if pleasing the Father flowed more from love than from fear or pressure? [15:16]
What is one regular practice that could help you grow in the knowledge of God’s Word and keep your focus on Christ this week—reading, studying with someone, memorizing Scripture, or discussing it with the group? [33:19]
Each member of Christ’s body has something God can use for His glory. What gifts, experiences, encouragement, or service might God be bringing forward through you for the good of this group? [34:20]

Sermon Clips

41s

“Now think about that. We're dead. The walking dead people. Bible says so. It says your life is hid with Christ and God. We're dead to everything here on earth, dead to our sins. Our sins, the minute you're the minute you believe, your every sin you've ever committed is gone, and it's forgotten forever. Gone, done, over with.”

44s

“The image of Christ, that's who we're here to be like. The image of Christ, we cannot work for it. It's automatic. It is something that as we study God's word in context, rightly divided, as commanded, given it out, things change for us. The more we understand the doctrine of the Bible given to the church, which is the body of Christ, Christ be in the head, the more you become like him. Just by living every day, keeping your focus on Christ.”

42s

“The things in this world don't mean a thing. Those are past. They're gone. We we kill them off, so to speak, because they're dead to us, And we look forward to Christ. And what he's doing, what he's already done on the cross for us is beyond the imagination. You can't explain it, I can't explain it, but I can tell you this much, it's real. And one day we're going home. That's what we have to look forward to. And it's a it's a wonderful thing.”

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