Redirected by the Resurrection
How the Resurrection Changes Everything About Your Life
Colossians 3:1–4
There are moments in life that permanently redirect us.
Some are beautiful. A wedding. The birth of a child. A move across the country. A new opportunity that changes the trajectory of your life. A job change.
Others are painful and unexpected. A loss. A betrayal. A diagnosis. A season of suffering that quietly reshapes the way you think and live.
Before Christ, we were spiritually dead, living for ourselves, trapped in sin and separation from God. But through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have been given an entirely new direction, a new identity, and a new future.
So how does the resurrection redirect our lives? In Colossians 3, Paul gives us three practical ways the resurrection redirects the way we live.
#1. The Resurrection Redirects Your Identity
One of the greatest struggles many Christians face is with their identity.
And often we answer the question of who am I with:
* our failures
* our past
* our wounds
* our success
* our politics
* our career
* what other people think about us
But Paul says believers are no longer defined by those things. “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3)
One of the clearest pictures of our new identity in Christ is found in the baptism of Jesus.
Jesus did not need baptism the way everyone else in the Jordan River did. The crowds came confessing sin and repenting. Jesus had no sin to confess. He is fully holy, righteous, and obedient.
So why was Jesus baptized?
Because Jesus came to identify with us.
From His birth to the cross, Jesus continually stepped into our place so that through faith we could be united to Him.
And before Jesus performed a miracle, preached a sermon, or went to the cross, the Father spoke over Him:
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:17
Jesus received the declaration of His identity before He did anything publicly.
That really speaks directly into our culture’s identity crisis. How many times do have we receive our worth by our accomplishments, failures, careers, politics, or the opinions of others. But the real danger to for the believer is when our identities become handed to us by people who did not create us. True identity can only come from God.
How do we change? First, spend time identifying your false identities
Ask yourself honestly:
* What label do I return to most often?
* What voice defines me when I fail?
* What am I afraid people will think about me?
Write those things down. Then compare them to what God says is true about you in Scripture.
Preach truth to yourself daily
Every morning this week, remind yourself:
* I am united to Christ.
* I am forgiven.
* I am loved by God.
* My identity is secure in Jesus.
Read Colossians 3:1–4 slowly each day
Do not rush through it. Meditate on it. Let it reshape how you think about yourself.
# 2. The Resurrection Redirects Your Pursuits
Paul does not stop at identity. He moves to pursuit.
“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
Colossians 3:2
What fills your mind eventually shapes your life.
Most people are constantly meditating on something:
* fear
* success
* comfort
* politics
* relationships
* control
* anxiety
But Paul says believers are called to intentionally redirect their minds toward Christ.
This does not mean ignoring real problems. It means allowing eternal truths to shape how we respond to temporary circumstances.
Paul reminds believers that Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Jesus rules over our:
* suffering
* uncertainty
* fear
* your future
* your present circumstances
Nothing in our lives sits outside His authority.
But the truth is many of us are stuck living in fear because, it's not that we don't know Gods word, it's that we don't believe God's word.
How do we grow in not only knowing God's word but allowing the Spirit to seal it on our hearts. It starts with limiting the noise shaping your mind. Here's what I mean. Pay attention this week to what consumes most of your attention:
* social media
* news and politics
* fear-based thinking
* endless distraction
This is why Paul’s antidote for the Colossians church, who were wrestling with false teaching about Jesus, was to call them to “seek the things that are above.” That statement can feel very vague, so what does the Apostle mean when he instructs them to seek the things above?
Four Ways to Seek the Things Above
Seeking the things above cannot be occasional. It has to become a daily habit.
Here are four simple ways to practice this:
a. Study your Bible.
Use the year-long Bible reading plan in our church app. Open the app, click Bible, then go to Plan in the bottom right. Follow along each day.
b. Meditate on Scripture.
Do not just read quickly and move on. Slow down and ask, “How should this Scripture redirect the way I think?”
Philippians 4:8 tells us to dwell on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and worthy of praise.
Thomas Watson wrote:
“Meditation imprints and fastens a truth in the mind… as a hammer drives a nail to the head, so meditation drives a truth to the heart.”
c. Pray the Scriptures.
Let God’s Word shape the way you pray for yourself and for others.
d. Gather with people who reinforce God’s truth.
Do not walk alone. Get into a Vintage Community where you can grow with others, be encouraged, and be reminded of what is true.
Seeking the things above is not a one-time decision. It is a daily direction.
# 3. The Resurrection Redirects Your Future Hope
Paul says:
“When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Colossians 3:4
Christians do not simply have wishful thinking about the future. We have resurrection hope.
That means:
* suffering is temporary
* death is not the end
* sin will not have the final word
* glory is coming
Paul reminds these Colossians believers that their lives are hidden with Christ right now, but one day what is true spiritually will become fully visible.
One day:
* suffering ends
* sin is gone
* faith becomes sight
* believers will be with Jesus forever
That future hope changes how Christians endure the present.
Questions to Consider
Ask yourself where your hope really rests. What are you looking to for security right now?
Anything temporary will eventually disappoint you if it becomes your ultimate hope.
Remember that this world is not the destination. Our ultimate future is glory with Christ. So we are to hold earthly things with open hands. Enjoy God’s gifts without making them your identity or hope.
The resurrection of Jesus did not come merely to make people religious or slightly improve their lives.
The resurrection redirects everything.
It redirects:
* your identity
* your pursuits
* your future hope
And because Jesus walked out of the tomb, you no longer have to live trapped by the past, controlled by fear, or consumed by temporary things.
The invitation of the gospel is not self-improvement. It is resurrection life through union with Christ.
There are moments in life that permanently redirect us.
Some are beautiful. A wedding. The birth of a child. A move across the country. A new opportunity that changes the trajectory of your life. A job change.
Others are painful and unexpected. A loss. A betrayal. A diagnosis. A season of suffering that quietly reshapes the way you think and live.
Before Christ, we were spiritually dead, living for ourselves, trapped in sin and separation from God. But through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have been given an entirely new direction, a new identity, and a new future.
So how does the resurrection redirect our lives? In Colossians 3, Paul gives us three practical ways the resurrection redirects the way we live.
#1. The Resurrection Redirects Your Identity
One of the greatest struggles many Christians face is with their identity.
And often we answer the question of who am I with:
* our failures
* our past
* our wounds
* our success
* our politics
* our career
* what other people think about us
But Paul says believers are no longer defined by those things. “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3)
One of the clearest pictures of our new identity in Christ is found in the baptism of Jesus.
Jesus did not need baptism the way everyone else in the Jordan River did. The crowds came confessing sin and repenting. Jesus had no sin to confess. He is fully holy, righteous, and obedient.
So why was Jesus baptized?
Because Jesus came to identify with us.
From His birth to the cross, Jesus continually stepped into our place so that through faith we could be united to Him.
And before Jesus performed a miracle, preached a sermon, or went to the cross, the Father spoke over Him:
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:17
Jesus received the declaration of His identity before He did anything publicly.
That really speaks directly into our culture’s identity crisis. How many times do have we receive our worth by our accomplishments, failures, careers, politics, or the opinions of others. But the real danger to for the believer is when our identities become handed to us by people who did not create us. True identity can only come from God.
How do we change? First, spend time identifying your false identities
Ask yourself honestly:
* What label do I return to most often?
* What voice defines me when I fail?
* What am I afraid people will think about me?
Write those things down. Then compare them to what God says is true about you in Scripture.
Preach truth to yourself daily
Every morning this week, remind yourself:
* I am united to Christ.
* I am forgiven.
* I am loved by God.
* My identity is secure in Jesus.
Read Colossians 3:1–4 slowly each day
Do not rush through it. Meditate on it. Let it reshape how you think about yourself.
# 2. The Resurrection Redirects Your Pursuits
Paul does not stop at identity. He moves to pursuit.
“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
Colossians 3:2
What fills your mind eventually shapes your life.
Most people are constantly meditating on something:
* fear
* success
* comfort
* politics
* relationships
* control
* anxiety
But Paul says believers are called to intentionally redirect their minds toward Christ.
This does not mean ignoring real problems. It means allowing eternal truths to shape how we respond to temporary circumstances.
Paul reminds believers that Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Jesus rules over our:
* suffering
* uncertainty
* fear
* your future
* your present circumstances
Nothing in our lives sits outside His authority.
But the truth is many of us are stuck living in fear because, it's not that we don't know Gods word, it's that we don't believe God's word.
How do we grow in not only knowing God's word but allowing the Spirit to seal it on our hearts. It starts with limiting the noise shaping your mind. Here's what I mean. Pay attention this week to what consumes most of your attention:
* social media
* news and politics
* fear-based thinking
* endless distraction
This is why Paul’s antidote for the Colossians church, who were wrestling with false teaching about Jesus, was to call them to “seek the things that are above.” That statement can feel very vague, so what does the Apostle mean when he instructs them to seek the things above?
Four Ways to Seek the Things Above
Seeking the things above cannot be occasional. It has to become a daily habit.
Here are four simple ways to practice this:
a. Study your Bible.
Use the year-long Bible reading plan in our church app. Open the app, click Bible, then go to Plan in the bottom right. Follow along each day.
b. Meditate on Scripture.
Do not just read quickly and move on. Slow down and ask, “How should this Scripture redirect the way I think?”
Philippians 4:8 tells us to dwell on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and worthy of praise.
Thomas Watson wrote:
“Meditation imprints and fastens a truth in the mind… as a hammer drives a nail to the head, so meditation drives a truth to the heart.”
c. Pray the Scriptures.
Let God’s Word shape the way you pray for yourself and for others.
d. Gather with people who reinforce God’s truth.
Do not walk alone. Get into a Vintage Community where you can grow with others, be encouraged, and be reminded of what is true.
Seeking the things above is not a one-time decision. It is a daily direction.
# 3. The Resurrection Redirects Your Future Hope
Paul says:
“When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Colossians 3:4
Christians do not simply have wishful thinking about the future. We have resurrection hope.
That means:
* suffering is temporary
* death is not the end
* sin will not have the final word
* glory is coming
Paul reminds these Colossians believers that their lives are hidden with Christ right now, but one day what is true spiritually will become fully visible.
One day:
* suffering ends
* sin is gone
* faith becomes sight
* believers will be with Jesus forever
That future hope changes how Christians endure the present.
Questions to Consider
Ask yourself where your hope really rests. What are you looking to for security right now?
Anything temporary will eventually disappoint you if it becomes your ultimate hope.
Remember that this world is not the destination. Our ultimate future is glory with Christ. So we are to hold earthly things with open hands. Enjoy God’s gifts without making them your identity or hope.
The resurrection of Jesus did not come merely to make people religious or slightly improve their lives.
The resurrection redirects everything.
It redirects:
* your identity
* your pursuits
* your future hope
And because Jesus walked out of the tomb, you no longer have to live trapped by the past, controlled by fear, or consumed by temporary things.
The invitation of the gospel is not self-improvement. It is resurrection life through union with Christ.
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