If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
If (Seeing that) ye then. In Colossians 2:18; Colossians 2:23 he condemned the "fleshly mind:" in contrast he now says, 'If then ye were once for all raised (Greek, aorist) together with Christ' (namely, at your conversion and baptism, Romans 6:4): for death with Him implies also resurrection with Him (Colossians 2:20).
Seek those things which are above (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 3:20).
Sitteth - `where Christ is, sitting on the right hand of God' (Ephesians 1:20): involving 'indisturbance, dominion, and judicature' (Pearson). The Head being quickened, the members are so with Him. Where He is, there they must be. The contrast is between the believer's former state, alive to the world, dead to God, and his present state, dead to the world, alive to God; and between the unbelievers earthly abode and the believer's heavenly abode (1 Corinthians 15:47-48). We are already seated there in Him as our Head; and hereafter shall be seated by Him, as the Bestower of bliss. As Elisha (2 Kings 2:2) said to Elijah, about to ascend, "As the Lord liveth ... I will not leave thee:" so we must follow the ascended Saviour with the wings of our meditations and the chariots of our affections. We should trample upon our lusts, that our conversation may correspond to our Saviour's condition; that where the eyes of apostles were forced to leave Him, there our thoughts may follow Him (Matthew 6:21; John 12:32) (Pearson). Of ourselves we can no more ascend than a bar of iron lift itself from the earth. But Christ's love is the magnet to draw us up (Ephesians 2:5-6). The design of the Gospel is not so much to give rules, as to supply motives to holiness.