by Bryan Chappell
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above.
Colossians 3:1

Once again we return to Colossians 3, and this time we ask, “Does grace lead to godliness?” I mean, if God’s going to forgive you anyway, if His mercy is infinite, if His love is unconditional, if it’s all grace, why be good at all? Just bank on all that grace.
There is a math of the mind that clearly can take advantage of the grace of God to say, “It doesn’t matter. I’ll just do as I please, and He’ll make it right later.” And believe it or not, that theology is somewhat undeniable because His grace is infinite, and He will forgive repeatedly, and His mercy is far beyond your worst sin. But the reason grace is powerful for godliness is because there is a chemistry of the heart that is greater than the math of the mind.
In these verses the apostle is going to do something with that great statement about who you are and how that should affect the chemistry of your heart. Now, he’s going to say what’s expected of those who are raised with Christ, hidden from His wrath, and due to appear with His glory. When he said, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above,” he was saying, “Just consider this; think on these things: You’ve been separated from the evil of the earth. You’ve been separated from that which is polluting. Think about where you really are and act accordingly.”
A Hurricane Katrina survivor related how he and his family fled to their attic as water quickly rose and flooded the first and second floors of their house. As the water continued to rise, they realized they were going to drown, and so they kicked out their roof and were rescued. As the man shared his story, he began to shake with the reality that they had been facing death, but were given life again.

Thought to Remember for Today

Paul said to you and to me in words we have trouble seeing for all their weight, “I want you to set your mind on this. I want this to grip you. I want this reality to be what you are living day in and day out. Do you remember what you were and what you deserve but where grace has brought you now? You set your mind on this.”

Fitzpatrick, E. (2016). Grace untamed: a 60-day devotional. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook.