If You Live in My House
- Jun 15
- 4 min read
Look Up: Living in Light of Who You Are in Christ
Growing up, many of us heard some version of the phrase:
"If you live in my house, you'll follow my rules."
It wasn't really a question. It wasn't an invitation to debate. It was a statement built on an established reality. Since you lived in the house, certain expectations followed.
The Apostle Paul uses a similar pattern as he begins Colossians 3.
"If then you were raised with Christ..." (Colossians 3:1)
Paul is not questioning whether these believers belong to Christ. He's not asking them to prove their salvation. The "if" here carries the idea of "since." Since you have been raised with Christ, here is how you should live.
Everything Paul says in this chapter rests on one foundational truth:
You have been raised with Christ.
Since I Have Been Raised with Christ...
Just a few verses earlier, Paul reminded believers that before Christ they were dead in their sins. But through faith in Jesus, they were made alive. Their old life was buried, and a new life began. This wasn't a future possibility—it was a completed reality. They had been raised with Christ.
The same is true for every believer today.
When we trust in Christ, we enter into an unbreakable relationship with Him. His victory becomes our victory. His resurrection becomes our resurrection. His future becomes our future.
Because of that reality, Paul gives several practical responses.
I Continually Prioritize What Is Important to Christ
Paul writes:
"Seek those things which are above, where Christ is..." (Colossians 3:1)
To seek something means to pursue it intentionally. It becomes a lifestyle, not an occasional activity.
Paul is calling believers to develop spiritual awareness—to remember that what we can see is not all there is. The worries, pressures, frustrations, and distractions of everyday life are
not the whole story.
There is a greater reality at work.
Seeking things above doesn't mean ignoring responsibilities on earth. Jesus calls us to be salt and light in this world. But it does mean refusing to become consumed by the temporary.
When life feels overwhelming, Paul reminds us to look up.
Christ is seated at the right hand of God. He is not anxious. He is not surprised. He is not losing control. He reigns in complete authority and continually intercedes for His people.
That truth changes how we face whatever comes our way.
I Continually Focus on Christ
Paul reinforces the idea in verse 2:
"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."
What captures our attention eventually shapes our lives.
Our thoughts influence our attitudes.
Our attitudes influence our actions.
Our actions influence who we become.
Several weeks ago in our study of Colossians, we heard a simple but powerful phrase:
Where you root affects your fruit.
The same principle applies here.
Where we place our attention, affection, and focus shapes the people we become.
If our minds are constantly rooted in negativity, fear, outrage, and anxiety, those things will begin producing fruit in our lives.
But when we intentionally view our circumstances through the lens of God's truth, everything begins to look different.
Elevating Our Blessings
Think about a blessing in your life.
Maybe it's your family, your health, your home, your job, or a close friendship.
Now ask yourself:
How can I elevate that blessing?
How can I use what God has given me to serve His purposes?
How can this blessing become a tool for His kingdom?
Elevating Our Trials
Now think about a burden.
A difficult relationship.
A financial challenge.
A health concern.
A situation that simply won't go away.
Paul doesn't tell us to pretend trials don't hurt. But he does invite us to elevate them.
Instead of asking only, "How can I get out of this?" we begin asking:
What is God doing through this?
How is He growing me through this?
What can I learn about Him here?
The trial may remain on earth, but our perspective is lifted above it.
I Live Securely Because My Life Is Hidden with Christ
Paul continues:
"For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:3)
At first glance, this sounds confusing.
In verse 1, believers are raised with Christ.
In verse 3, believers have died.
The answer is that both are true.
We have died to the old life of sin and been raised into new life with Christ.
Sin no longer owns us.
Fear no longer controls us.
The world no longer has ultimate authority over us.
Our lives are now hidden with Christ.
That is a picture of complete security.
Nothing is safer than something held by Jesus Himself.
When we lose sight of that truth, we begin focusing on the storm around us rather than the Savior who holds us.
But when we remember whose we are, peace begins to replace panic.
I Live with Confidence in Christ's Return
Paul saves the greatest motivation for last.
"When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." (Colossians 3:4)
Notice the word "when."
Not if.
When.
Paul points believers toward a guaranteed future.
Jesus is coming again.
The Christ who came as a humble baby in Bethlehem will return as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
He will establish perfect justice.
He will make all things right.
He will answer every unanswered question.
He will fulfill every promise.
For believers, this future hope changes how we live today.
Our circumstances are temporary.
Our struggles are temporary.
Our suffering is temporary.
But Christ's kingdom is eternal.
Because we know how the story ends, we can live with confidence today.
Look Up
Paul's message in Colossians 3 is beautifully simple:
Since you have been raised with Christ...
Look up.
Prioritize what matters to Christ.
Focus on eternal realities.
Trust that your life is secure in Him.
Live with confidence that He is coming again.
The world constantly pulls our eyes downward toward fear, frustration, and uncertainty.
The Gospel continually lifts our eyes upward toward Christ.
And when we look up, we discover that our greatest hope was never found in what is happening around us.
It has always been found in the One who reigns above it all.
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