“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 3:1-2)
Paul offers words of wisdom to help believers grow into the image of Christ, to gain spiritual maturity. This does not involve learning spiritual secrets, following the law, adopting an austere lifestyle or indulging in sensual experiences. The way we grow in Christ is by putting off our old way of living and thinking. Christians have died to their sinfulness and have become new creatures in Christ. This death is portrayed by baptism in which graphically proclaims that entry into the kingdom of God only comes by death. This death must take its effects over every aspect of our passions, lusts and selfish desires though it takes time and the disciplined work of the Holy Spirit to accomplish as He motivates us to set aside the old ways and put on the new.
And in this new life we are joined to Christ and so joined to all other believers as well. Men and women, slave and free, black, white, yellow and brown we are all equal in Christ so we should treat everyone accordingly. We are to focus on being tender-hearted and kind toward all people. We to forgive always even as we have been forgiven. We are never to seek our own agenda. This may disturb us because it will mean we will usually have to quietly accept abuse, scorn and reproach from our fellow human beings when we are really tempted to justify and defend ourselves to prove others wrong. The good Christian realizes however that his sense of worth and identity come from Christ not other men. All we say and do must be tempered by love, mercy and humility