Raised With Christ: Your Past Does Not Own You

Raised With Christ Means You Have a New Start

Most people like new things. A fresh car feels good, while new clothes can make us smile. Specialized tools also help us work better. A new kitchen item can make cooking easier. New things feel fresh because they are not worn out yet.

Still, the best new thing is not a car, tool, or outfit. The best new thing is a new life in Jesus. Paul writes in Colossians 3:1, “If you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above.” That means a believer does not live as the same old person. Jesus gives His people a new start.

Before we knew Christ, sin ruled us. Titus 3:3 says we once lived as foolish people. Refusing to obey God, we chased wrong desires and hurt others. Others hurt us too. Some people may look worse than others, but all people need mercy. Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned.” No one can stand before God and say, “I never needed grace.”

Yet God did not leave us in sin. Titus 3:5 says God saved us because of His mercy. He washed us and made us new by the Holy Spirit. Jesus also said, “You must be born again” in John 3:7. That does not mean we fix our old life with a few small changes. It means God gives us a new life from above.

When Paul says we are raised with Christ, he points to our union with Jesus. Jesus died on the cross. He rose from the dead. Every believer shares in His death and life by faith. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ.” Then Paul says, “Christ lives in me.” That is a deep truth, but we can say it in a simple way. The old me does not get to rule. Jesus now leads me.

Raised With Christ Calls Us to Look Up

Paul does not only say we have a new life. He also tells us how to live. Colossians 3:1 says we should seek “the things above.” Verse 2 says, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” God wants our hearts to look toward Him.

This does not mean we stop caring about life on earth. We still work, love our family, help others, and pay bills. Yet we no longer let this world tell us who we are. Heaven now shapes our choices. God’s Word now guides our steps.

Peter once had his mind set on the wrong thing. In Matthew 16, Jesus told His disciples that He would suffer, die, and rise again. Peter did not like that plan. He told Jesus not to talk that way. Then Jesus said, “Get behind Me, Satan!” Jesus also said Peter had his mind on man’s things, not God’s things.

That scene warns us. Sometimes we think we know best. Often we want comfort more than God’s will. At times, we want an easy road more than a holy road. God sees more than we see. His plan may include pain, but He uses pain for good.

Your past may hold hard things. Maybe your home broke apart. Maybe you fell into deep sin. Perhaps you felt lonely, lost, or unwanted. Those things may hurt. However, they do not get the last word. Jesus gets the last word.

Because you are raised with Christ, your past does not own you. Shame does not own you. Old sin does not own you. God now calls you His child. Philippians 1:6 says God will finish the good work He began in you.

So look up today. Seek Jesus. Trust His Word. Let His love lead you. Your old life may explain where you came from, but Jesus now shows where you are going.

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