DISCLAIMER: This is a bit of a long one.
The Spirit of God testifies to and confirms the simple, but almighty, security of the life that “is hidden with Christ in God”… “My peace I give to you…” — a peace which brings an unconstrained confidence and covers you completely, from the top of your head to the soles of your feet. “…your life is hidden with Christ in God,” and the peace of Jesus Christ that cannot be disturbed has been imparted to you.
~ Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest ~
Referenced above: John 14:27 and Colossians 3:3
It must be a strange concept to the world; a life that is hidden. Concealed, obscure, covert.
Withdrawn…
Difficult to perceive…
Indistinct to the senses….
Far from the public eye or important activities…
In concealment…
Sheltered in a hiding place…*
These are not incorrect definitions of the life “hidden with Christ in God.”
It is a life withdrawn. I do not mean that Christians by nature are hermits or completely dissociated with society (although certainly this is the case with some). But ours is a calling to be withdrawn from the world’s pattern for living. When Jesus prayed for His followers before His arrest — imagine that! The most holy Being, the Savior even of His captors, was arrested and condemned by men as a criminal! — He said,
“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth…” (John 17:15-17).
We are supposed to be in this world — I mean, after all, here we are — but our hearts are supposed to be withdrawn from the world itself, and should be fixed on heavenly things; namely, on our Savior and His quickening return (Colossians 3:1-2).
Difficult to perceive? Yes, I think this is accurate. To anyone who is not a Christian — and even, I daresay, to many of us who call ourselves Christians — the life of a Christian is a difficult thing to understand. Think about it: We are supposed to willingly “lose” our lives for the sake of Jesus. We are supposed to love the people who would spit in our face and not lose a wink over our detriment (commonly known as our enemies). Jesus says that if someone slaps us in the face, we should offer him the option of slapping our other cheek as well. Oh, and did I mention? We are also supposed to die. It is no wonder that the world thinks Christians are lunatics! Everything we are supposed to do and be is completely counter-intuitive to the human nature! It is no surprise that Paul said that “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing…
…BUT” he continued, “to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18). Biblically speaking, our way of life should be pretty difficult to understand to the rest of the world.
This is also where “indistinct to the senses” comes in. The life of a Christian is a life of self-denial. Our human senses that crave and hunger and lust after anything and everything around them are surely quite taken aback when we begin to deny them. We see and we want. We smell, and we hunger. We hear and we listen harder. We touch, and we want to grasp. We taste, and we indulge. How very foreign to our human nature is the principle of self-control. Yet this is a very crucial component to the Christian life (Galatians 5:22-23).
Far from the public eye or important activities. This is applicable in a specific way. Jesus was, in fact, frequently under the ever-curious eyes of the public, and He was also present at important events such as the Feast of Tabernacles, weddings, and funerals. Had He lived during our period, He likely would have had a fair bit of media publicity.
However, there was a vitally significant part of Jesus’ life that was kept very private. His forty-day temptation, for one. And He frequently got away from the crowds to commune with His Father in fervent, sometimes sweat-inducing prayer. We glimpse only tiny segments of these parts of Jesus’ life; He practiced what He preached:
“…when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who sees in secret…” (Matthew 6:6). Ministry is often a public thing; but there are elements of our walk with the Lord that are meant to be far removed from public places and activities.
I love the notion of my life being concealed and sheltered in a hiding place…
A mighty Warrior rescues me from vicious predators in a blinding rainstorm. With His strong arms, He sweeps me up and covers me with His cloak. He carries me away to a cave, out of reach from the biting wind, stinging rain, and untold dangers. When He has settled me safely in His hiding place, He goes out to slay whatever threat remains. And upon His return, offers me a place with Him, to abide with Him and learn from Him in His secret dwelling place, always under His loving protection and watchful eye….
This is a tale that can be further elaborated. Perhaps you have a different preferred narrative. There are other ideas surrounding this notion of concealment in a secret hiding place. David said of the Lord,
“…in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.” (Psalm 27:5).
The psalmist of chapter 91 says,
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalm 91:1).
This psalm is chalked full of vivid descriptors of the life of the one who abides in the shadow of the Almighty. It is a life that cannot be touched apart from the Keeper’s will. It is a life of fearlessness, implicit trust, and intimacy with the Most High.
We must often remind each other of what our life is { I N C H R I S T }. These are not mere fantasies, illusions, or sentiments. These are actually fundamental components to our lives in Christ.
It is easy to forget what our lives are supposed to be if we are not daily renewing our minds in the truth. So remind yourself. Remind your spouse. Remind your children, sisters and brothers, friends…
Ours is a hidden life. A life concealed, set apart, and obscure to the fallen world around us. And it is bursting with heavenly wonder to behold if we will discover it…
Says the Lord, “Because you have set your love upon Me, therefore I will deliver you; I will set you on high, because you have known My name. You shall call upon Me, and I will answer you; I will be with you in trouble; I will deliver you and honor you. With long life I will satisfy you, and show you My salvation.”
~ A paraphrase of Psalm 91:14-16 ~
*Paraphrased definitions from Dictionary.com
songs of stippled stardust 