THE HIDDEN LIFE

MY LIFE IS HID WITH CHRIST IN GOD

Colossians 3:3, “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”

 This verse does not mean what the average preacher interprets it to mean. May I note that God does not frown on a sincere man who makes a sincere mistake about a Scripture while teaching a Bible truth? I have for years taught this verse was speaking of the soul. However, it does not say so! It says that your life is hid with Christ in God.

 All of the sermons I have ever heard concerning this verse would be on this wise, “Your soul is hid with Christ in God.” However, it does not say that! Also I have heard, “Your spirit is hid with Christ in God” but it does not say that either! It simply says, “…your life is hid with Christ in God.” 

 It means the world cannot see our life. They are on the outside and it looks dull to them. To the world the Christian life is hidden. The reason is they cannot see with whom we are hidden. The Scripture says in essence we are hidden with Christ in God. It may be a dull looking house, but if a groom is in that dull looking house with his new bride it’s a pretty good place to reside. It may not look like much on the outside, but that doesn’t mean there is no joy in there. So, if your life is hid with Christ in God you have it made!

 This really all depends upon who is in there with you. The Christian life looks pretty boring unless you realize whose in there with you! WOW! Somebody say amen! Inside you are hid with Christ with God if you are born again. It looks pretty dull but it is not.

 Please take note of that life that is hidden.  Let us take and conduct a tour into this hidden life. May I introduce to you Mr. John Doe an unsaved man? He is on the outside looking in.  When he looks at the Christian life he sees no flashing neon signs. The old King James Bible has no pictures in it! There is no fancy cover on the outside of the King James Bible. “Mr. Doe you are on the outside and you can’t see it. Now, Mr. Doe let me take you on a little tour! Let me show you inside the Christian life. You see our life is hid with Christ in God.

 “May I show you a Scripture Mr. Doe? II Corinthians 6:8-9, 'By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;' You see Mr. Doe we are not very well known as the world counts being known. We are not famous on planet earth, but there are billions in Heaven who know us real well. So, we are unknown by the world and well known by the real world. 

 "The magistrates and the kings of this world do not know us, but we are well known by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Mr. Doe we are unknown in your world but well known while hid with Christ in God.

 “II Corinthians 6:9, '…as dying and behold we live…' you see Mr. Doe from your viewpoint outside looking in it looks pretty dull. It looks like a dead kind of a life.” Mr. Doe interrupts and says, “You have to listen to those Christian songs? You have to listen to all that screaming preaching? You have to listen to those Bible studies week after week? You have to give 10 % of your income plus offerings to that church? No rock or rap music? No movie going? No liquor or alcohol?” Yes, “Mr. Doe the Scripture says it looks '…as dying and behold we live…' 

 “I have to tell you the truth it looks like death to me!” My reply is simple, “When you are hid with Christ in God it is not death but it is life.” II Corinthians 6:10, "As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing." It looks sorrowful out there but in here is a lot of rejoicing going on Mr. Doe. 

 "When politicians come to church most of them are so uncomfortable. We laugh and cut up and they don’t know how to act. Mr. Doe looking at the church building it looks dead but really it is not a place of death but rather of life.

 "Mr. John Doe come on inside and you will see the happiest bunch of people you have ever feasted your eyes on in your life. II Corinthians 6:10 says, '…as poor yet making many rich…' Mr. Doe if you took the average Baptist congregation and held them up by their heels and shook them you wouldn’t get enough money to buy a decent car. Yet, Mr. Doe, it says, ‘…as poor yet making many rich…’ 

 "Mr. Doe our job as a local church is to go throughout our Jerusalem and beyond making people rich with a home in Heaven, living on streets of gold, living in a mansion debt free, making them heirs, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ the Son of God. You can’t see it from your viewpoint but that doesn’t make it a fantasy just because you can’t see it.

 “Inside this place called a local church Mr. Doe the book looks dull, the building looks dull, the sermons sound dull, the music seems dull, the preacher looks dull, the orchestra sounds dull, and the Sunday school looks dull but it says we as poor are yet making people rich.

 “II Corinthians 6:10, ‘…having nothing, yet possessing all things…’ Mr. Doe you look at us and it appears that we have nothing, but the truth is we have every thing. Here is what you do not see from the outside. We are hid with Christ in God. Come on in Mr. Doe and let me show you and conduct a tour for you so you can see for yourself? Our joy, our peace, and our rejoicing are hidden from those on the outside. Pay careful attention Mr. Doe!

THE BOOK CALLED THE SCRIPTURES

  

 “Let me show you Mr. Doe the book we read and believe. It is called the King James Bible. This Bible has always existed! There never was a time when those Scriptures did not exist. These are the eternal Words of God. Every Word always was in existence, before there was ever a man, a world, a mountain, a valley, a hill, a bird, a fish, or a beast of the field there was the Word!

 “Please listen carefully Mr. Doe! When all the other books have been burned this old King James Bible will still exist. When every book that has ever been written has passed away these Scriptures will endure forever. This book we call the Scriptures always was and always will be! You see Mr. Doe that is why it is so good in here, but it doesn’t look good from out there! 

 "We are hid with Christ in God and Mr. Doe once you get in here you will see an eternal book called the Scriptures. That is one reason we are so happy Mr. Doe. This is not some dumb magazine published by some heathen. Hey, Mr. Doe, pick out your best novel and try to gather a crowd to teach that novel to for 2,000 years on Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. Then gather a crowd to go into the entire world to spread the news about that novel on a Thursday night and see how long it lasts!

 “Let Hollywood put their best movie in one place in one location and run the same picture for 50 years and see if they’ll have any one returning after 50 years to see the movie let alone have the crowd grow.

 “Mr. Doe this old book called the Scriptures is alive and it is eternal. Heaven may pass away and earth may pass away but God’s Words abide forever.”

THE BOOK OF LIFE

  

 “Mr. Doe, Robert Glynn Gray Sr. is written in that book. In Luke 10:20 we are told to rejoice because our name is written down in Heaven. Mr. Doe it is hard for you to understand what is happening unless you come in here with us and see it.  You say the Christian life looks dead but we are not the ones committing suicide, getting drunk, on dope, at the tavern, and having nervous breakdowns. 

 "The world will not last but my name is in the Book of Life and it will last forever. Our life is hid with Christ in God. From the outside you cannot know the joy of knowing that you have a reservation for a home in Heaven.

THE BOOK OF SINS 

 “Mr. Doe please look at my record in Heaven and take time to read all the sins listed under my name? Now, Mr. Doe there is a reason we happy in here. It is because we have an eternal book of Scriptures called the King James Bible. We have our names written down in another book called the Book of Life. There are also no sins listed under our names in Heaven. 

 "Mr. Doe there is not a nightclub out there that can compare to having no sins recorded under your name in Heaven. There is no joy that the world has to offer to compare to knowing that you are going to miss Hell and be in Heaven forever. It may look dead in here from out there but when you get you name in the Book of Life and all the sins removed from the Book of sins. WOW! Then you can shout with us Mr. Doe!

 “From out there it looks a little dingy in here doesn’t it Mr. Doe? Haven’t you ever wondered, as you would drive by our church building why all those people attend three times a week? As you drive by you see not flashing neon signs on the church building. Inside you will find no pictures of Liz Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, or Jayne Mansfield, but Mr. Doe inside of this place our life is his with Christ in God.

THE BOOK OF WORKS

  

 “Let me show you another book in Heaven it is called the Book of works. What is listed under my name in Heaven? All of the righteousness of Jesus Christ! Was Jesus kind, good, and sincere? Mr. Doe that is why we have so much fun in here and you can’t see it from out there where you live. We have an eternal book of Scriptures, names are written down in the Book of Life, we have no sins recorded under our names, and we have Jesus’ righteousness written under our names in Heaven. You see sir our lives are hid with Christ in God! 

 "The reason we are so happy is because we have an inerrant, preserved, and perfect inspiration in this book of Scriptures, our names are written down in the Book of Life in Heaven, no sins are written under our names in Heaven, and we have Jesus’ righteousness written on our record in Heaven.

“Sir, you can’t compare a drink of liquor, a Hollywood star, a Hollywood movie, a rock concert, a rap concert, a tavern, or country and western music to having your sins paid for and an assurance of Heaven.

A LOCAL CHURCH

  

 “Mr. Doe we have fellowship inside here and it is called a church. It is a called out body of baptized believers. The fun we have we remember! We have Christian schools, a Bible College, Sunday schools, preaching services, teaching services, fellowshipping, caring for each other, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and soul winning. Sir, there is not a country club in the world to compare to God’s local church.

WE ARE GOING TO HEAVEN TO LIVE FOREVER

  

 “Sir, our lives are not only hid with Christ in God now but they will be for all eternity in Heaven. Pain, cancer, aids, swine flu, headaches, heartaches, back trouble, surgeries, pneumonia, and funerals will not exist in Heaven and you wonder why we are so happy. Mr. Doe can you see past what you think is dull and dead to see the life that is unseen by your world? Folks driving by just can’t see it can they?