For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:3 NIV
Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are partakers of His death and resurrection. Through our faith in what He did, we also died and awoke to righteousness. Furthermore, our lives are hidden with Him. (Rom. 6:4)
That your life is hidden with Christ assures your protection. That old you who could have been easily killed or tormented by the kingdom of darkness is dead. A new you that is now protected by Jesus Christ Himself has been born. You have been born into the family of God, snatched away from the reach of the devil (Rom. 8:15).
According to Google, “with” can easily be replaced with “in the company of”. You are in the company of Jesus. Not just for a moment, but always –since He has promised to never leave nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5b). The children of Israel were untouchable whenever the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud were with them. They were protected whenever they were in the company of God. You are also in the company of God, through Christ. Your life is hidden with Him.
For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
Romans 6:4 NLT
Colossians 3:3 tells us of our identity and newness in Christ.
The statements that build up to what we have in verse 3 of our anchor text tell us what is expected as those made alive with Christ. It mentions how we are raised with Christ, not just in terms of spiritual resurrection but also in terms of glorification. It then prompts us to set our minds on those things above. That is, those things that should concern someone in Christ. Essentially, verse 3 tells that we are no longer what we used to be. That old self died and a new self is now secured in Christ.
For a lot of believers, this is deliverance. Many of us have for so long allowed ourselves to be tormented by the devil because we do not grasp that we now have a new identity, a new life, hidden with Christ. The devil comes with accusations of your lifestyle before Christ. He comes with condemnation because of that sin you committed. And most times, he is ruthless about it. But if you do not remind yourself –and tell him –that you have died and your life is now hidden with Christ, he will only succeed in pulling you down. If you do not recall that because of the new life you have in Christ you are no longer what you used to be, you will only fall prey. (2 Cor. 5:17)
This scripture tells us what is expected of us as those who are made alive in Christ. Faith in Jesus means partaking in His sacrifice, His death included. One may wonder, does it mean you actually have to die first? Of course not. We partake of His death by dying to sin. Those sinful things that once made us excited should not excite us as much. In Colossians 3:5 we are told to put to death all those things that belong to our earthly nature. Those things should be dead to us now. Only things that belong to our Christly nature should be found in us. And it will take intentionality and dependence on the Holy Spirit to attain that.
Ultimately, your life being hidden with Christ means unity with Him. The word “with” means “together”. Your life is now together with Christ. Through your faith in Him, you have become united with Him. Whatever cannot happen to Jesus should not happen to you. Whatever Jesus cannot do, you also should not do. Essentially, the life you live is now Christ’s. This new –real –life that you have received must be to glorify God. it must be used remembering that you no longer belong to this world. Instead, you belong to the kingdom of God. You are united with Him. (1 Cor. 6:17; Gal. 2:20)
It is only someone who has died to worldly pleasures and sin that can actually say his life is hidden with Christ. And it is only someone whose life is hidden in Christ that can enjoy its advantages. Believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour identifies you with His sacrifice. Believing all that He did is what makes you a partaker of His death and resurrection. It is what gives the confidence that your life is hidden with Him.
Call to Salvation: Dear Jesus, I thank you for your sacrifice of love for me. I accept you today into my life as my Lord. Today I partake of your death and resurrection. I live in assurance that my life is hidden with you and I receive the grace to live worthy of your death and resurrection Amen.
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