What does it mean that we are hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3)?

Risen with Christ, they were to set their affections on things above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God, and not on things on the earth. The two could not go together. To look, to have one's motives, above and below at the same time, is impossible. Be tempted by things, have to resist them, we may; but this is not to have them as our object. The reason for this is however found in our position: we are dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God. It does not say, "we must die." Man cannot do this by will: we cannot deny will by will. Nor would the will of the flesh ever do it. If it acts, it does not abdicate. We are dead: this is the precious comforting truth with regard to the Christian by virtue of Christ having died for him. He has received the life of Christ, and all that Christ did for him in that life belongs to him. Thus he is dead, because Christ died for him. The life with which the power of temptation, guilt, the attacks of sin, are connected, exists no longer to faith. By death all that was connected with it has come to an end. Now that which was connected with the life of the old man was sin, condemnation, weakness, fear, powerlessness against the assaults of the enemy — all that is past We have a life, but it is in Christ; it is hidden with Him in God We are not yet manifested in its glory, as we shall be manifested before the eyes of all in heaven and earth. Our life is hidden, but safe in its eternal source. It has the portion of Christ, in whom we possess it. He is hid in God, so also is our life: when Christ shall appear, we shall also appear with Him.

It will be remarked, that the apostle does not speak here of our union with Christ, but of our life, of the fact that we are dead, and that our life is hid with Him in God. He does not speak of the assembly with regard to our position; he speaks, no doubt, of Christ as being its Head, as to His personal glory, but not of it as to us. He speaks of us individually. Each one has his own life in Christ truly, but as his own; it is not union with other Christians. We have this life in Christ, but it is not here our union as one body with Him. It is the individual character of the Christian, to whom Christ, the Head, is everything.

But then that is not Scripture. The Scripture use and purport of the text which Mr. Goodwyn quotes is far otherwise. "Ye are dead," says the apostle, "and your life is hid with Christ in God; when Christ our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." The passage belongs to the first class of texts pointed out, in which our life is identified with its origin. Christ is this life. He is hid in God, and the world sees Him not until the day of His appearing. Our life then is in character a hidden one, we shall not appear till we appear with Him. A life which draws its character from Him who is the soul of it cannot be known by a world which has rejected the Son of God and found no glory in the Lord of glory. With Him then we are dead. Our life is a hidden one, for Christ is hidden. But it is hidden in God, and so but waits for the time in which it will shine fully out. Christ is to appear; and then we shall. This has nothing to do with the question of security, or with eternity of living. It is Christ who is hidden, and who is our life. Our life, therefore, is hid with Him. But that is no denial of its being in us here, but implies the very contrary. It is our possession of it that gives us this character, and Christ being the soul of it, "the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not" (1 John 3:1).

There are things which find their centre in Christ seated in heavenly glory. They are "things above," that is, things which are heavenly in character. On these things our minds and affections are to be set, and not on earthly things. At the present moment Christ is not in manifestation here, He is hid in God. Now He is our life, and all the hidden springs of our life are consequently hidden with Him in God. The day approaches when He will be manifested, and then we shall be manifested with Him in glory. It will be quite clear in that day where our real life is found.

We have died judicially before God, and our true life is hid with Christ in God (v.3). What perfect security! It is untouchable by men or the devil. The true character of that life is only seen fully in Christ who is Himself the very image of God. That life cannot be fully manifest in us toward the world as long as we also still have the fleshly nature, even though the believer has eternal life abiding in Him. So, at the present, eternal life's absolute perfection and beauty is hid with Christ in God.

But its future manifestation is certain. When Christ is manifested, we also shall be manifested with Him, and in glory, no longer in circumstances of weakness and trial. Before that manifestation, we will have been taken up to be with Him at the Rapture, before we can come with Him in the day of His manifestation. Our life then will be no more hidden, for Christ is our life.

The life of the world consists in the enjoyment of the things of the world, such as they are. Christ, who is the believer's life is hidden from the gaze of the world, and hence the world cannot see the source and spring of the Christian life. Christ can be said to be that life for, in Christ in glory, we see the setting forth of the believer's life in its own proper sphere. This life will be manifested in all its blessedness when Christ appears and we appear with Him in glory. It will then be seen what sustained the believer in life as he passed through the world during the absence of Christ.

"Our life is hid with Christ in God" (Col.3:3). The world does not know us, and nobody can see this life from the outside, but we know we have it. We have a wonderful, precious possession in ourselves to live according to it. God has given us His own Spirit to lead us in accordance with this high and wonderful position He has given to us.

Our interests, our purpose and aspirations, yes, our life is there. It is "hid with the Christ in God." Christ is already glorified in the Father, but the world does not yet see any of it. Our life is hidden with Him. But not forever. The moment will come when He will appear in glory and "be revealed" (v.4). Then we too will be revealed with Him.

Life is characterized by relationships, affections and enjoyments. If then our life is hid with Christ in God, all our relationships, affections and enjoyments are there.

When it speaks of "your life", that which we have in possession, it is a hidden matter. When it is defined as "Christ who is our life" it has manifestation in view. The day is coming when it will be manifested in the world to come that the life we have been living now is that very life which will be in evidence then.

In such a daily life self is practically out of sight, as by the death of Christ self is judicially out of God's sight, and Christ alone is seen as He who lives in His people. The christian can indeed say our “life is hid with Christ in God,” and his practical walk ought to express the absent Christ to the world. The world cannot see the source of the Christian's life, nor the object for whom the christian lives, but the world should be able to see “Christ in you.”