“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:1-4)
Lord Jesus, 1000 times “Yes!” to everything Paul says about you, and us, in this one amazing paragraph. The Gospel is this good, you are this loving, and union with you is this glorious. We co-crucified with you (Gal. 2:20)—your death was our Judgment Day. We were buried with you (Col. 2:12) and have been raised to newness of life in you.
Though our bodily resurrection awaits your return, our spiritual resurrection is history—a done deal and present reality. Our lives are safely hidden in yours. In fact, you have become our life—our reason for being, our perfect righteousness, our hope in the darkness, our peace in the chaos, our joy-fountain and love-oasis. And on one glorious, perfectly-timed Day, we will completely like you (Rom. 8:30; 1 John 3:1-3).
But today, like every day, we may not choose to be aware, grateful, and preoccupied with all these Gospel-riches and incomparable goodness. For a variety of foolish reasons, we might prefer to fill our thinking with “earthly things,” not the realities of heaven. ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ (Matt. 6:31).
Or worse… maybe we’d rather set our hearts on self-pity, getting even, criticizing people, worrying about tomorrow or fearing today. Blessed Jesus, free our stubborn, unbelieving, self-preoccupied hearts. Hallelujah, you don’t love us to the degree we are already like you, but to the degree we are hidden in you—which is 100%. So Very Amen.