The Life Hid with Christ
The Life Hid With Christ
"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hid with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3
One of my goals for this year is to cultivate "the life hid with Christ." The concept of having your life hid with Christ is a bit new to me; I am slowly discovering what it means and catching glimpses of it as I mature in Him, and it is glorious.
The life hid with Christ has to do with many themes that I've been thinking about lately: grace, humility, sanctification, loving others well, and self-centeredness versus Christ-centeredness.
Up to now I think I can safely say that though I've been a Christian, my life has not been hid with Christ in the way that it should be. I've been very self-conscious and self-dependent. Paul's words to the Galatians accuse and convict me: "having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?"
What is the life hid with Christ? It is one that is no longer self conscious, but unconscious (of self). It is learning to love your neighbor not for ultimately selfish reasons, as we are wont to do, but loving them as Christ loved the church. It is sanctification in action. It is seeking to portray not self, but Christ to others. What this looks like was described very well by C.S. Lewis in his famous quote on humility: "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less."
The question we must ask now is: how is the life hid with Christ accomplished? Through the transforming of our hearts and minds in Christ alone. It is the opposite of the self-perfection that I have tried to achieve, striving to please God and others through my own 'good works', seeking ultimately not to bless others but to endear myself to them. Sanctification, the life hid with Christ, is something that the Spirit accomplishes in us through the drawing near to God and becoming like Him. "Draw near to me, and I will draw near to you." It is more than acting like a Christian; it is being a Christian, being filled with Christ, having the mind of Christ and living it out. It is easy to get caught up in changing our outward behavior and make that the goal, when it should simply be the result of the inner man being transformed into the 'image of God'. Paul speaks to the ease that the Christian life should be in this passage in Colossians: "So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful."
I want to become more conformed to Christ and to love others wholly unselfishly. And this is something that I cannot do. Instead, I must tend my relationship with Christ so that He fills me up to overflowing and naturally pours out of all I do and say, rather than having to strive and work to push out what little bits I can dredge out of Him. I believe Hill Abbey is the perfect garden in which to nurture my relationship, to mature in Him until I can transplant into the world.
"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hid with Christ in God." Colossians 3:1-3
One of my goals for this year is to cultivate "the life hid with Christ." The concept of having your life hid with Christ is a bit new to me; I am slowly discovering what it means and catching glimpses of it as I mature in Him, and it is glorious.
The life hid with Christ has to do with many themes that I've been thinking about lately: grace, humility, sanctification, loving others well, and self-centeredness versus Christ-centeredness.
Up to now I think I can safely say that though I've been a Christian, my life has not been hid with Christ in the way that it should be. I've been very self-conscious and self-dependent. Paul's words to the Galatians accuse and convict me: "having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?"
What is the life hid with Christ? It is one that is no longer self conscious, but unconscious (of self). It is learning to love your neighbor not for ultimately selfish reasons, as we are wont to do, but loving them as Christ loved the church. It is sanctification in action. It is seeking to portray not self, but Christ to others. What this looks like was described very well by C.S. Lewis in his famous quote on humility: "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less."
The question we must ask now is: how is the life hid with Christ accomplished? Through the transforming of our hearts and minds in Christ alone. It is the opposite of the self-perfection that I have tried to achieve, striving to please God and others through my own 'good works', seeking ultimately not to bless others but to endear myself to them. Sanctification, the life hid with Christ, is something that the Spirit accomplishes in us through the drawing near to God and becoming like Him. "Draw near to me, and I will draw near to you." It is more than acting like a Christian; it is being a Christian, being filled with Christ, having the mind of Christ and living it out. It is easy to get caught up in changing our outward behavior and make that the goal, when it should simply be the result of the inner man being transformed into the 'image of God'. Paul speaks to the ease that the Christian life should be in this passage in Colossians: "So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful."
I want to become more conformed to Christ and to love others wholly unselfishly. And this is something that I cannot do. Instead, I must tend my relationship with Christ so that He fills me up to overflowing and naturally pours out of all I do and say, rather than having to strive and work to push out what little bits I can dredge out of Him. I believe Hill Abbey is the perfect garden in which to nurture my relationship, to mature in Him until I can transplant into the world.
I'm so glad you're there, it is a good garden!! In the quietness I hope you'll get well acquainted w/ the Spirit's still small voice so that you will know it even in the loudest of storms.
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