Colossians 3:1- “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. NKJV
I’ve been pondering on the truth that we are hidden in Christ. I have read several articles and a few blogs about the topic of being hidden in Christ, and let me say that it has intrigued me.
When I think of people being hidden, I think of danger. When Corrie Ten Boom and her family hid the Jews, it was done to keep the Jews safe from the Germans who wanted to annihilate them. When Jochebed hid Moses for three months, it was to keep him alive because Pharaoh had ordered his death. And when Rahab hid the two spies on her roof, she did this to protect them from her fellow countrymen, who indeed would have killed them.
Then there is the aspect of something or someone being hidden as a good thing. For example, when a celebration occurs, and someone walks into an empty space, only the people are hidden, waiting to yell, “Surprise!” Or when we hide God’s word in our hearts so we might not sin against Him. Then there are the secret things of God that have been hidden for the righteous. Hiding things can be for several reasons.
Paul wrote these words to the believers in Colosse:
“For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:3 NKJV
What did Paul mean by stating that our lives are hidden in Christ? Before this verse, Paul wrote:
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:1-2 NKJV
In my previous post, I wrote about us being alive in Christ and how water baptism symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Paul continues with this thought (because he didn’t write in chapters and verses) by saying if you are raised to new life with Jesus, then your focus should be on the things that His focus is on, heavenly things. For example, things pertaining to the Kingdom of God and the will of the Father. Not on earthly concerns. Now we all know that we must be concerned about how we provide for ourselves and our families, getting along with others, and things of that nature, but the bottom line is that during all that time, we live our lives as though they are hidden in Christ.
I believe Paul was more evident when he wrote about this concept to the Galatians:
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:20 NKJV
This verse has always been a personal favorite of mine. It reminds me that my life is different now than before I came into fellowship with Christ because I lived without Him, and now I live because of Him. Paul wrote that He lives in us because our old nature died and was crucified with Christ. Because Christ lives in us, we are hidden in Him, and the life we now live, we live by faith in the Son of God.
In my study bible, the reference scripture given alongside Colossians 3:3 is 2 Corinthians 5:7. Coupled with Galatians 2:20, I can see how it fits Colossians. It reads:
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV
This leads me to believe that a life hidden in Christ Jesus is lived in faith. A life that is not centered on this present evil world or the circumstances surrounding us, but a life hidden in Christ, relying on the truth of His word. We are hidden in Christ when our lives are lived by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us!
Our lives are hidden in Him because He is our mediator to the Father. When the Father looks at us, He doesn’t see us; He sees Christ because we are hidden in Him. Therefore, we have full access to the Father through Jesus. We are fully reconciled to the Father because of Jesus. And all that we need or could ever hope for, when we ask for it, the Father sees Jesus and supplies it.
There is another familiar verse that comes to mind when I think about being hidden in Christ:
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
1 John 3:2 NKJV
John wrote that now, we are children of God at this moment in time, and everything that goes along with being a child of God has not yet been revealed. It is hidden! But we know and understand that one day Jesus will be revealed to the world, and we shall be just like Him because we shall see Him as He is. We are hidden in Him. We don’t know or understand the fullness of all that entails. But we know that when He returns and is revealed, we shall no longer be hidden because we will be just like Him, and we will understand ourselves better because we will understand Him better.
In Romans, Paul made this declaration:
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18 NKJV
Isn’t this deep? Paul states that God’s glory in us is far greater than what we are encountering in this world. And although that glory has yet to be revealed, because it is hidden, it will be revealed! That’s incredible! Now let’s look at verse 19:
For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
Romans 8:19 NKJV
I’m getting excited now! The day is coming when God will take all the guesswork about who belongs to God and who doesn’t belong to Him out of the equation. He will reveal those who are children of God. And Paul wrote that the creation eagerly awaits that revealing.
So you see, I don’t quite understand all involved in us being hidden in Christ. But I know that God is up to something, and He is hiding us, protecting us in Christ until He is ready to fully reveal all of His children. Until that day comes, we must live by faith, knowing we are hidden in Christ! The same Jesus who loved us and gave His life for us! It’s a privilege that we should latch onto and never let go of. Wonderful Jesus!
Wonderful Jesus! 