Our Heart’s New Address (Colossians 3:1-3)
- Ben James
- May 10
- 4 min read
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. –Colossians 3:1-3
Almost ten years ago, my wife and I bought our first house. The only problem was that the house, in Indiana, was two states away from Missouri, where we lived. For a few months we found ourselves living in two places. We watched two different weather channels; we read news articles for two different cities. While we still lived in one place, our life was already beginning in another and so we would often think about and look to our life to come.
Paul speaks to a similar reality for the Christian: we have a new life and a new home in heaven, even as we’re still here on earth.
Our New Address
Think about the amazing truth that your life is hidden with Christ in God. What is “your life”? It most certainly includes your eternal life with Christ (John 3:16). But I think it has even more depth. In this week’s passage and a few verses prior (2:20), Paul says we “have died”—past tense. And yet we are still breathing and very much alive. Paul must be referring to our old “self” or spiritual existence. Our rebellious, God-hating hearts have died; they died with Christ on the cross (Rom 6:3). Then, since Christ Jesus was raised from the dead, we too rose from the dead (Eph 2:4–5). We were made spiritually alive with Christ, and through Christ. This is why we are new creations—we are not who we were, that person has truly died and we are now truly alive (2 Cor 5:17).
It is this eternal, true, and spiritual life that is hidden with Christ Jesus in God the Father. As author Benjamin Merkle explains, “[This verse] stretches our capacity for understanding the glories of the gospel.” (ESV Expository Commentary: Ephesians–Philemon, 241). The riches of this treasure are inexhaustible! Christian, your true life is in the safest place in the universe: it is in the joy-filled presence of Christ Jesus, it is in the blessed bosom of God the Father. The world does not see this reality. We can easily forget this truth when life is difficult or temptations of the flesh arise. But in truth, our hearts have a new address—the heart of God.
Our New Affections
Just like owning a home in a new place causes us to think about our new community—our heart has a new address and, with it, we have new affections.
The text emphatically tells us that because we have been “raised with Christ” and our life is “hidden with Christ,” we need to long for and look to the things above—our true home. The word used for seek carries the idea of longing for and setting one’s affections and desires on something (BDAG, s.v. "ζητέω "). Another way to say it is, your heart’s greatest desire is now for Christ and His presence. To seek the things above is to cry out with David, “One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).
We don’t, however, just long for the things above with our hearts, we are also called to “set our minds” on these things—to think about them. We are told to think about what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise (Phil 4:8). This means our whole person—our thoughts and our loves—are to be set on Christ, His presence, and His character.
What Paul wants us to see is that our life, which was formerly wrapped up with earthly concerns and loves, has ended. Through the gospel our old life has died, and we have been given a new life which has its home in heaven with Christ. While we still wait to fully experience our new life with Christ, we need to set our minds and our affections on the place and person with whom our life truly resides. We are called to live our present life on earth with our minds and hearts set on our forever life with Christ.
For Reflection
What things or habits in life cause you to forget your heart’s new address?
Think of a few practical steps you can take this week to grow in setting your mind and heart on Christ and the things above.
How does setting your heart on things above help you to share (and show) the Kingdom with your friends and neighbors?
Ben James is the Associate Pastor of Chapelwood Baptist Church in Indianapolis, IN. He has served Chapelwood since 2020, beginning as an elder and going on staff in 2022 following his graduation from Indianapolis Theological Seminary in 2022. He also serves on the Administrative Team of Plant Indy which works alongside churches in the central Indiana area to plant and revitalize churches. He is married to Brentyn, and they have three wonderful children.
