When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)

The world clings desperately to life and fears death, but for those hidden in Christ, death is no longer a terrifying end—it’s a doorway to gain Whom we’ve lived for. Jesus has already defeated death, and because we are in Him, the grave no longer has the final word - He does. It’s simply the moment we step from walking with God by faith to seeing Him face to face in the fullness of glory.

This promise is certain: when Christ appears, we will appear with Him—transformed, radiant, and fully alive in His presence. But that’s the then. Until that moment comes, this truth should still shape our now. Philippians 1:21 says, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Can we honestly say that’s true of us?

People are often known for what they live for—which often turns out to be sports, career, hobbies, etc. But for the follower of Jesus, our identity and devotion should be summed up in this: “Christ is my life.” Our calendars, conversations, and choices inevitably reveal what we truly live for.

The question now that remains: Is Christ YOUR life?

This is something we should dig into with God. Because this is one of the major areas the devil tries to deceive us in. The enemy actively works to deceive us into thinking God doesn’t love us as much as He does – and also works to deceive us into thinking that we love God more than we do.

We know the “right Christian answer” is “Christ is my life” but is He really?

I encourage you to take time with the Lord and ask Him to reveal if there is anything currently in the way of saying that honestly – Christ is my life.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3)

Paul calls us to seek the things above and set our minds there—but this isn’t just a nice suggestion. This command is given in the present tense, meaning it’s meant to be our continual way of life. Yet, interestingly, the verb is in the passive voice. That means we’re not the originators of this action—God is—but we are active cooperators. God works; we respond.

Being raised with Christ and hidden in Him means our identity is secure. It should stir us to willingly join in His work, turning our gaze from the fleeting shadows of earth to the eternal realities above. Philippians 4:8 reminds us to fix our thoughts on what is true, pure, and praiseworthy—things that align with heaven’s perspective.

God is the Author and Finisher of our faith, but He doesn’t force our cooperation. Every day, we choose whether to align our thoughts with His or drift with the currents of this world. To set your mind on things that are above is to make a conscious, ongoing choice to forsake the pull of the temporary and anchor yourself in the eternal. In doing so, we live not just for Christ, but with Christ—securely hidden in Him, awaiting the day our lives are fully revealed in glory. So if you have been raised in Christ – seek the things that are above.

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ… If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. (Colossians 2:16-17, 20-23)

Christ has called us to freedom—so why live under the weight of legalism? Paul warns that there will be those who judge us for not keeping their man-made rules or interpretations of the Law. But the Law was only a shadow, and chasing shadows when we have the substance—Christ Himself—is a tragic waste.

Romans 10:4 says Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes. He fulfilled it. Now His Spirit lives in us, writing God’s law on our hearts. We’re no longer bound by the Law, but we willingly walk in its moral truth as we follow our Savior in freedom.

Paul reminds us we have died to the world and are alive in Christ—so why submit again to its regulations? Galatians 5:1 is clear: we’ve been set free, so don’t take on the yoke of slavery again. Legalistic rules may look wise and offer an enticing image of “Christianity”, but verse 23 tells us they are nothing more than self-made religion—powerless to actually stop the indulgence of the flesh.

Only God can keep us from stumbling and present us blameless (Jude 1:24–25). When we try to add our own works to secure righteousness, we’re feeding pride and rejecting the simplicity of grace. Jesus already paid our debt with His very life. The only truly correct response to God’s grace is to receive it fully, walk in His freedom, and abide in Him—the only place where true victory over the flesh is found.