The Book of Colossians Pt. 31 Believers Are Safely Hidden In Christ
Colossians 3:1,2 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
We began the process of understanding the duties that follow the doctrines taught by Paul.
I realize that in American Christianity, it is easy to leave a church and find one that tells you what you want to hear. However, we need to hear what God wants us to hear.
As God teaches us His word and doctrine, He lays duties upon us. These are not some onerous tasks, but are a means of serving Him with joy.
We owe all things to our Lord Jesus Christ. Why would we even debate about our Christian duties? It is a great privilege that God affords us the opportunity to put our faith into practice each day.
Thus, doctrine leads to duties. Belief impacts behavior and teaching leads to discipline and right actions.
Our life is hid with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Now the apostle gives us some compelling reasons why our Christian duty is right, honorable and joyful.
First, he tells us that we are dead to sin and dead to the world. We are buried with Christ and raised into the likeness of his death. Every Christian is crucified unto the world, and the world is crucified unto him, (See Galatians 6:14).
And if we are dead to the world, and no longer look to it for happiness, it is absurd for us to set our affections upon it, and seek it again. We should be like a dead object, unmoved and unaffected by the present evil world.
What does it mean that our life is hid in Christ? It means that Christ is our treasure; and where our treasure is, there is our heart.
Christ lives in the bosom of the Father and as our heart is in Him, we also sit in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. Christ is the life of your souls; and as He is hidden in the bosom of the Father, so are we hidden, who live through and in Him.
Our new man lives in Christ and is born and nourished from above. Our new man is hid with Christ, not only for secrecy, but hid for us, because of security. The life of a Christian is safely and securely hid with Christ. No one can pluck us out of the Father's almighty hand.
Jesus said "Because I live you shall live also," (John 14:19). Christ is yet hidden Christ, one whom we have not seen yet He is our comfort and our life is hid with Him, and kept safely with Him.
We love Jesus whom we have not yet seen.
1 Peter 1:7-9 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8) Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9) Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
This life is full of trials and troubles for each believer. Why? Because, if the world hated Jesus Christ it hates all who are born again into the family of God. It persecuted Him and we will also share in His sufferings.
Yet, our great hope is that one day, Jesus Christ will appear. He will return to this world to call His saints home to heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
We have not yet seen Jesus, for He is hid from us in heaven and our flesh is not equipped to see Him. We love Him whom we have not yet seen. We believe on Jesus Christ and have hearts full of joy and glory, because one day we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:1-2).
As the glory of Christ now is hid from the world, so also the glory of believers’ inner life, proceeding from communion with Him, is still hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, the Source of this life shall manifest Himself in glory, then shall our hidden glory be manifest.
Believers will shine with Christ's righteousness at the judgment day.
Matthew 13:40-43 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41) The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42) And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43) Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
The Christian’s secret communion with God will now at times make itself seen when we allow our light to shine as we do the good works God prepared for us to do (Matthew 5:14-16).
But the full spiritual reality of our new life in Christ will be seen when Jesus returns. The wicked will be gathered up and burned like worthless tares. Those who exercise repentant faith in Christ will shine forth with Christ's righteousness.
But until then, our life is hid with Christ.
The return of Jesus Christ and our transformation is certain.
Colossians 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Paul, like Peter looked forward to the return of Jesus Christ to take His bride, the church, home to heaven. Jesus Christ is the life and light of all living things. In Him is life and this life is the light of all men (John 1:4).
Jesus Christ is Creator and Sustainer of all life. He is going to come back for us one day. All the apostles and early Christians viewed the coming of Christ as an imminent event that could happen quickly, at a moments notice.
When the "rapture" takes place, we will appear in glory, in heaven, before the Father's throne, with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thoughts to Ponder...
Psalm 83:1-4 Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. 2) For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. 3) They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. 4) They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
The Psalmist could have written this text about the world we live in. It seems like the whole world is in tumult, almost every day. Fires burn out of control.
Dangerous storms cause much damage and loss of life. Drought threatens millions of people in many places around the world.
The costs of living keep spiraling upward with seemingly no relief in sight. Certain policies have put great stress on our energy supplies and are causing disruptions.
Cruel wars started by hostile actors have caused billions in damages and created much human tragedy.
Yes, our world is filled with tumult. The prince of the power of the air is having his way right now. He is ruining lives and damning souls as much as he can, and he is fighting against the purposes of God.
He is using his wiles and unleashing his devices against the people of God, but we are hidden in Christ.
We are caught in this age old conflict, but our life is safe and hid with Christ. No harm can come to the believer in Christ.
Praise God that this world is not our home.
Bob
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