Hidden In Christ Jesus

Colossians 2:20 – 3:4

20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Howdy from the Panhandle, 

How many of you have played the game hide-and-seek? I guess just about every kid has played that game at one time or another. Well today we are going to look at being hidden in Christ Jesus. What does it mean to be hidden in Christ Jesus? It means security, a security that no one can take away from you. Security that translates into everlasting life with God.

Imagine that you are poor and needy. Your clothes are ragged and shabby, you are in desperate straights. You haven't eaten in several days, and you are cold and tired. It is getting dark and it looks like you will have to sleep out in the cold, on empty stomach again. Then you notice some lights in the distance through the trees. Your aching stomach urges your throbbing feet to keep moving, just a little further now.

As you draw closer, you see the lights are a blaze of white against the night. It's a huge house. Curtains are drawn back to reveal lots of people gathered in the house. You inch closer to the big window for a better look until your face is right up against the window. You stand there for a few moments without being noticed – you can't believe your eyes. It's a feast, with a huge table covered from end to end with more food than you have seen in months. There are all kinds of vegetables, steaming meat, heaps of mash potatoes, loaves of buttered bread, and gallons of ice tea. Your stomach rumbles, and your mouth waters, you feel faint from hunger.

As a butler is serving the guests, the master of the house glances over and notices your face in the window. He thinks to himself, “Here is a needy person.” He motions to the butler to go out and speak to you. Your first instinct is to try and run because you think you will be punished, but you are to weak. The butler calls out to you, “Please, come in the master would like to dine with him at his table.” So you go in, thinking all the while, “What will I have to do for this food?” When you get in the master says, “Sit, eat and drink all that you would like.” Your greatest need has been met by the fullness of the master of the house's table and all you had to do was come in.

In a similar way our greatest spiritual need has been met by the fullness of Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus is the fullness of deity. It is from His spiritual fullness that He has given us the spiritual fullness we need. Why look elsewhere? Why look for a treasure we already have? Why try and earn what has been given freely? As believers we have the awesome opportunity to feed at the table of spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.

You see, the thing about Christ Jesus is that He is the fullness of God, and we who are Christians have been given the fullness of Christ Jesus. And yet there are those who just can't accept this.

1. One Last Warning ( vs. 20-23)

Chapter 2, verses 20-23 is Paul's final warning against asceticism – a religious philosophy which teaches that depraving the body of its normal desires is a means of achieving greater holiness and approval from God. Paul reminded the Colossians that Christ Jesus had freed them from the taboos of asceticism, which can only give a pretense of wisdom, promote a self-made religion, and deal severely with the body. Paul basically said, “Enough, it is time for you to get passed all this and start growing and maturing in your spiritual walk with Christ Jesus.” 

Asceticism may have all the appearances of something better, but it is empty. There is no value in it, it accomplishes nothing spiritually. It may make you look like some kind of super Christian, but that is all it does. All the self-denial, the wearing of itchy and uncomfortable clothes, sleeping on hard or no bed, whipping oneself or prolonged fasting will not save you from your sins. Only placing your trust in Christ Jesus will save you. You simply need to yield to Him. 

Mickey Rooney, the famous actor, made witness to this in a television interview. Rooney has been crass, crude, often drunk in such appearances, usually angry and insulting. But the interviewer knew something had happened, and questioned Rooney about his recent past when he hit bottom emotionally and financially. Rooney calmly answered, “I don’t mean to sound ecclesiastical, but recently I gave my life to the Lord Jesus Christ and now my past is gone.”

What about you? Are you ready to quit trying to save yourself and let Christ Jesus save you?

The theme of Paul's letter changes here in the start of chapter 3. The false teachers at Colosse had attacked the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ Jesus. They had made Him less than God and had attempted to seduce believers into thinking that genuine spirituality was to be found in obtaining knowledge, keeping more rules, or having more experiences. In chapter 2 Paul told the truth about Christ Jesus (He is fully God) and Christians (we are given fullness in Him).

We have a new life, a life based on the things above and not of this world. As Christians we are freed from the ceremonial law, we must walk the more closely with God in obedience to him. Just as heaven and earth are contrary one to the other, both cannot be followed together; and affection to the one will weaken and decrease affection to the other. We must keep our minds on the things above.

2. Things Above (vs. 1-2)

Paul's premise was that the Colossians had died with Christ Jesus thereby trusting the finished work of Christ Jesus. Now they should be living fully dependent on Him, rather than following human religious regulations to produce holy living. In Plato's famous parable of the cave, centuries before Paul, shadows on the wall merely reflected the real world above. Many people in Paul's day believed that the heavenly realm were pure and eternal, in contrast to the temporal and perishable world below. Jewish apocalyptic writers also distinguished between the heavenly and earthly realms, emphasizing the purity of God's real and the upper heavens. 

 

Paul by contrast mentions one thing specifically in heaven, Christ Jesus. In the context, he includes heavenly values centered around Christ Jesus, available because those who died and rose with Christ Jesus are also exalted with Him. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 2:4-6). 

 

Paul's words encourage you to focus your life's aim on Christ Jesus. To seek that which is above is to be consistent with your salvation experience. The author of your salvation, Christ Jesus, is seated at the right hand of God. If you truly believe that Christ Jesus is your Lord and Saviour, then it is only constant with your belief to focus on Him who is raised above all earthly things. 

 

Christ Jesus, who is seated at the right hand of God should be the object of your focus. Is Christ Jesus your focus today?

Christ is, at present, one whom we have not seen; but our comfort is, that our life is safe with him. The streams of this living water flow into the soul by the influences of the Holy Spirit, through faith. Christ lives in the believer by his Spirit, and the believer lives to him in all he does. At the second coming of Christ, there will be a general assembling of all the redeemed; and those whose life is now hid with Christ, shall then appear with him in his glory. Do we look for such happiness, and should we not set our affections upon that world, and live above this? - Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary.

3. Your Life Secure In Christ Jesus(vs. 3-4)

A person does not change their behavior in order to earn a new life found in Christ Jesus. Their changed behavior is evidence of their new life. Paul began with a glance back. He told believers, you died. Believers have “died to sin” (Romans 6:2), this means that believers are no longer under the influence of sin's dominating power. 

Paul told believers in Colossians 2:20, that they had died with Christ to the basic principles of the world, meaning that the believer is no longer subject to the powers of darkness. The old order of things (slavery to sin and evil forces) are gone. 

The glance back gives rise to a glimpse of now. In the present our life is hidden with Christ in God. Hidden can refer to “safety” or “concealed.” Our life is doubly secure since it is with Christ in God. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.” (John 10:27-29 ). What a comforting reminder of the truth that no one can snatch the believer out of Christ Jesus' hand or the Father's hand. Because of Christ Jesus we are secure.

The term hidden - krupto (kroop'-to) means “concealed, unseen.” This means that our life is unknown or not understood by the watching world. See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. (1 John 3:1-2; NASU). The unseen realities will be revealed, with Christ Jesus' 2^nd coming.

Paul takes the idea of identification with Christ Jesus one step further. Not only is life shared by our identification with Christ Jesus; Christ Jesus is life itself. In Galatians 2:20 Paul writes, "I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 up for me.” (NASU) For us as believers, life isn't merely activity, details; life isn't acquisition or accomplishment. Life is Christ. He is the focus of our aspirations, the reason for our existence. 

 

Four times in four verses, Paul mentioned Christ Jesus. Why? Because Christ Jesus is central and supreme to our lives and Paul doesn't want us to forget this.

United with Christ Jesus in death; united with Him in the power of His resurrection; and united with Him on the day of His glorious appearance. This is our blessed hope! It is also the grounds for our consistent Christian living.