{"id":11162,"date":"2023-04-03T09:00:42","date_gmt":"2023-04-03T13:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trainchurchleaders.com\/practicum\/?p=11162"},"modified":"2025-07-11T13:44:54","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T17:44:54","slug":"decisions-from-raised-position","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trainchurchleaders.com\/practicum\/decisions-from-raised-position.htm","title":{"rendered":"Decisions Made from Our Raised Position"},"content":{"rendered":"

As believers we “have been raised with Christ … where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Col. 3:1). That’s metaphorically, or positionally, where we are now, present tense, but will one day be a literal reality. What we do, which begins with the decisions we make, should come from that raised position with Christ.<\/p>\n

When Decisions are Made from our Raised Position with Christ<\/h2>\n

Colossians 3:1-3 helps us know how our raised position with Christ affects decision-making.<\/p>\n

\"Decisions
\nSince, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Col. 3:1-3)<\/em><\/p>\n

1) We begin with a desire to intentionally align with His authority and ways.<\/p>\n

The NIV says, “set your hearts on things above” but the word for “heart” isn’t in the original Greek. A more literal translation would be to “seek the things that are above”. It starts with a desire, which in essence comes from our heart. We aim for these things, suggesting an intentionality. That which we seek after is what we find “where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God”, suggesting we align with Him, which requires yielding to His authority and ways in our decision-making.<\/p>\n

2) To align with Him, we must discern what truly is of Him.<\/p>\n

We see a contrast in Colossians 3:2 between “things above” and “earthly things”. His ways, as well as His thoughts, are higher than ours (Isa. 55:9) so when we set our minds on things above, we’re following His truth and priorities. “Earthly things” aren’t all bad, but they aren’t always best. Discernment in decision-making therefore isn’t just about separating truth from error or right from wrong but good from best. Some things won’t make sense from an human perspective but will count for eternity and that’s what we need to grab hold of in deciding what to do. Our faith doesn’t “rest on human wisdom but on God’s power” (1 Cor. 2:5). The power to have this kind of discernment, to know what truly is of God, comes from His Spirit (1 Cor. 2:6-16).<\/p>\n

3) Following through on decisions aligned with Him requires the right perspective.<\/p>\n

Notice in Colossians 3:3 that we “died”, past tense. Problems come when we forget what happened at the cross on our behalf (2 Pet. 1:3-9). Rather than make decisions from our new life in Him, we fall back on our self-centered old nature. We must always remember that our “life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). Our security lies in Him, not in what others think of us, or how smart or capable we are. If our decisions aren’t popular with the world, we can be at peace knowing we are secure in Him, hidden with Christ awaiting our literal resurrection (Col. 3:4). We make decisions based on the reality that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20).<\/p>\n

As we follow the above points in making decisions from our raised position with Christ, we’ll have a grid through which we consider our options. We’ll find ourselves looking at the bigger picture rather than merely “fixing” the here and now. We’ll make decisions that count for eternity.<\/p>\n

For how Colossians 3 relates to the way we communicate, go to: Empowered Communication Possible Because of the Resurrection<\/a><\/p>\n

For More, Go To:<\/strong>\u00a0Resources about Resurrection Power<\/a><\/p>\n

All Posts about Decision-Making:<\/h3>