"For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ our life is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory." (Colossians 3:3-4)
Living the life where we seek the things above, where we set our affections on the things obove has nothing to do with our performance. It is,rather, our point of reference and the position from which we live.
The contrast here in Colossians is the below life and the above life. We wake up and by default begin our day in neutral. Without the setting, and the seeking above, we will automatically gravitate towards the below life. We find ourselves just coasting through the day and picking up speed as we are swept along by the life below. Unfortunately that then becomes our point of reference and our position from which we handle everything that comes our way. We find ourselves living by our environment, by the atmosphere around us, by our feelings within us, and we all can testify what this looks like at the end of the day.
Paul says in Colossians 3:3 “ you are dead.” That seems like an unattractive statement, but actually, it is most wonderful, because it simply says we don’t have to live this below life anymore. Jesus took care of that! And now “your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Amen!
Consider the position of Christ and the Father on the throne above (3:1-2): it is a honored, authoritative, victorious, secure, seated, finished, satisfied and glorious position. All that God desired for us from eternity past and into eternity future is seated right there with Christ in the Father. Now, look and see where you are. Hidden with Christ in God! This is your real position, and nothing can change it.
This is the above andcan be our point of reference in regard to everything. So, Seek the above. Set your affections there.
This is why it is important to wake up and spend time with Jesus as early as possible. By default, we will gravitate to the below life, but praise the Lord we are dead, and Christ has brought us into the above life. And from there we are able to receive the Life because we know from there the Spirit of Christ has been poured out. That above life has been transmitted into our spirit. "And if Christ is in you . . . the spirit is life" (Romans 8:10 )
Now, here is another contrast: the hidden life and the manifested life. The hidden life is the “above” life and it is intended to become a manifested life, not just in the future, but in our daily “below” life as we set our affections above.
Saints, the life in you is supplied from the life above. This life is longing to be manifested below. This life is the resurrection life, it is the crucified life, and it is this hidden life that is with Christ in God.
So, where is your affections right now? Where is your mind? Interrupt that! Right now set your affections on what is true. Peruse Christ, His person and His work. Love Him, sing to Him, open up to Him because this is your position in reality. Allow His life in you to be manifested from the throne in all your living. Praise the Lord!
"Always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body;
for we who live are always delivered unto death on account of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh;" (2 Corinthians 4:10,11)
