Colossians 3:3 “… your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”
It is a remarkable circumstance that those things which are most cherished seem most hidden. This is so in the physical world. Gold, that metal most coveted and alluring, hides deep in the bosom of the earth. The diamond, most valuable of precious stones, lies hidden in the alluvial deposit. The emerald hides deep in the granite vein. The pearl lies deep below the tropical waters of Madagascar and Mexico, and sometimes in the very body of the pearl-oyster.
The same is true of the mental realm. The deepest and purest emotions are hidden, inasmuch as outward action always falls short of thought. The faith, the love, the richest virtues of a noble soul are never fully disclosed in speech or conduct. The more profound the emotion, the more hidden it is, so that the deepest love can sometimes only “love and be silent”.
This is also true of the spiritual realm. There is something deeper in man than the mental. Besides the psyche, or mind, there is the pneuma, or spirit. Fundamentally, the basis of human personality is spiritual, and because of this it is a mystery which eludes the inmost penetration of psychological enquiry and defies ultimate definition.
But overwhelmingly this hiddenness is true of that new life which we Christian believers possess in Christ – that new spiritual life which the Holy Spirit imparted to us when by faith we embraced the free gift of salvation given by the Son of God. It is the hidden life of Christ Himself which is introduced into our being. It is a life with motives other than those of this world; with heavenly aspiring and empathies unintelligible to earthly minds; a life replenished by hidden manna and secret springs; a life which in all its sources and resources is “hidden with Christ in God.”
This new life is our most precious secret. It is neither understood nor recognised by the world. “The world does not know us” (1 John 3: 1). But those of us who possess it, know its reality. It is not something which we merely carry about us, as one may carry religion; it is hidden within us, beyond any possibility of being destroyed by the sword of any earthly slayer.
In a museum in the north of England, you will see an imitation of the Sanci diamond. This diamond was named after Sanci, a French nobleman. He sent the gem by a messenger to Henri IV of France; but the messenger was assassinated while on his journey. The corpse, however, was afterward found, and opened, whereupon the diamond was discovered in the stomach, having been swallowed by the faithful servant! Mere religion is like carrying a gem in your pocket – and there are many robbers! Whereas those who possess the living Christ have the glorious Jewel of the ages actually within them! The life is hidden within us; it is also “hidden with Christ in God.” So, we are doubly safe!
Long ago, a royal despot tried to terrify a Christian who was dragged before him. “Do you not know I can take your life away?” With calm respect, the Christian replied, “O king, you are wrong. You may kill my body; my true life you cannot touch; it is hidden with Christ in God.”
That’s why our Lord said, “Do not fear those who can kill the body.” He also said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” And is not our treasure there – “hidden with Christ in God”?