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The idea that we must die in order to truly live may seem strange, yet Paul reveals this to be the very heart of the Christian life. Because we have been raised to new life in Christ, we are called to put to death the things that once bound us to this world and to put on the new self that is being renewed in Him. In this transformation, our identity is no longer defined by who we were, but by who we now are in Christ.

As Paul closes this chapter, he decisively confronts the emptiness of legalism and every form of works-based religion. He clarifies what true freedom in Christ really means and warns believers to be discerning of those who display an outward appearance of spirituality while remaining disconnected from Christ Himself. In doing so, Paul anchors the believer’s identity and security not in external regulations, but in a living union with Christ.

Having shown in the previous verses the reality of the believer’s transformation in Christ, Paul now reveals the depth and power of that transformation. In this passage we learn what Christ has fully accomplished on our behalf through His death and resurrection. At the same time, Paul decisively dismantles the false teachings of the Judaizers and the claim that Christ was merely an angelic being, declaring instead the complete victory and sufficiency of Christ alone.

To be truly rooted in Christ, Paul teaches that we must first have a clear and settled understanding of who Christ is. In these verses, he presents three essential truths every believer must know and embrace about the Lord, while at the same time confronting the false teachings that were troubling the church at Colossae. Through this, Paul anchors our faith in the fullness, sufficiency, and supremacy of Christ alone.

Just as a house is only as strong as the foundation upon which it is built, so also is the spiritual life of any believer only as strong as the foundation upon which it rests.  In these three short verses Paul warns us about the need for every true believer to have themselves rooted in the foundation that is Christ.