Colossians 3:4,
"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory."
Much is written today in the world regarding having a peaceful and tranquil life. Books upon books for how to live a life with few obstacles, tips regarding how to be happy at work and in your marriage, not to mention the countless "how to" books that range from being a better person to being a better friend, yet without giving up who you really are. They even have the countless books "for dummies": "how to be a husband for dummies", "how to be a wife for dummies", "how to be a friend for dummies", and the list goes on and on. I think there is a "for dummies" book for just about anything and everything at a bookstore, implying we are all dummies.
Christianity has followed suit regarding its' own section of how one can have a "good" or "better" or "best life" now. Health, wealth, and prosperity books that make those who write them healthy, wealthy, and prosperous, but makes those who buy them frustrated, with less money than prior to buying the book, and hopeless. These books provide the same information as the secular books, but include verbiage from the Bible such as God, Jesus, Spirit, money, rich, healing, and gifts. Millions of these books are sold (bought by Christians who are ignorant of "the life in Christ Jesus" they have that effectually works to a degree these books can never reach), all to end at a "good will" store or "half-price books", because they simply don't work.
With all that said although there are countless verses like Colossians 3:4, yet this verse alone in four words explains the Christian life. Your life or our lives as Christians is Christ. The question remains what does that mean? Paul in Colossians chapter 2 explained what it does not mean. It does not mean following "philosophy", "vain deceit", "tradition of men", and "rudiments of the world" (2:8). It does not mean following God "in meats, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days" (2:16). It does not mean getting caught up in the spiritual phenomenon of Christianity "in a voluntary humility and worshiping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind" (2:18); and it is not a life of asceticism for Paul says, "why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (touch not, taste not; handle not; which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh" (2:20b-23). Unfortunately, these are the things that make up churches today. Paul explains these things as "not after Christ", "spoiling", "beguiling", and "not holding the Head (Christ)", yet as most Christians follow and practice these things it produces their Christian 'LIFE'. Their identity, experience, understanding, and knowledge stem from these things. Yet, to follow after these things is not to "walk after Christ", and not have Christ be your life.
The truth of the matter is before you even get to Colossians in Romans-Philippians there has been a "newness of life" described in much detail that makes up Christ and provide for you to be conformed into His image. Paul in Colossians 3:4 states the fact that by the time you get to this verse "Christ" should be "your life" and one day He will appear and because He will appear, "then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." May Christ be our life, so that, we will be presented "holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight" (1:22) when He appears. Is Christ your life?
Look Up,
Pastor J.M. Strelecki
5 comments:
Hi Pastor Strelecki,
Is Colossians 3:4 speaking about the Christian's "walk" or his "position" or "standing" IN CHRIST?
Here we see another verse which speaks of a Christian's "life" linked to the Lord Jesus:
"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son"(1 Jn.5:11).
Once a sinner believes He is given life in the Son and is completely identified with both His life and death:
"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions —it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus" (Eph.2:4-6; NIV).
Therefore I believe that these verses are in regard to the Christian's "standing" or "position" IN CHRIST. I also believe that Colossians 3:4 is speaking about the same thing, especially since the preceding verse says that the Christian's life is hidden with Christ:
"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory" (Col.3:3-4).
In His grace,
Jerry Shugart
Hello Jerry,
Thanks again for your comments and question. I will be brief again in my response. Please feel free to keep responding to my posts, but any lengthier questions, please email me at rightlydividedquestions@gmail.com.
My understanding is BOTH. Life in Christ consists of both. Both positional life and functional life. My understanding in the context of Colossians 3 after Colossians 2 is primarily dealing with the Christians walk, but cannot be detached from the Christians position in Christ. In fact, when the doctrine of our sanctified position in Christ is taught back in Romans 6 the position provides us the capacity to "walk" (Romans 8), "walk after the Spirit". Therefore, they are never not connected. Overall, my understanding Paul is describing that Christ is not just our life positionally, but functionally as well; hence my brief blog.
Notice, Colossians 2:6, "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him:" Then Paul goes into much detail regarding what not to follow and walk after in the remainder of the chapter which leads to chapter 3. Again, the positional life in Christ is the means to produce functional life in Christ. This is seen in Colossians 3:1, "if ye then be risen with Christ (which we are), seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. One ought to be seeking the things which are above (a aspect of one's functional life in Christ), because one is risen with Christ (a aspect of our positional life in Christ). He then goes on to explain in verse 3, "for ye are dead" (positional), and your life is hid with Christ in God (positional & functional). Colossians 3:4 (positional & functional) and notice verse 5, "mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth..." (functional, based upon the positional).
All in all, Paul is dealing with both positional life in Christ, but that it also should produce function life unto God.
The doctrine that teaches all of this is Romans 6:1-11 our position in Christ and Romans 6:12-23 get our position to function: Romans 7:1-25 position doesn't function under the law: Romans 8:1-13 position functions by walking after the Spirit. Notice Romans after doctrinally teaching our position in Christ in verses 1-11, Paul writes Romans 6:12-13, "Let not sin THEREFORE reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, AS THOSE THAT ARE ALIVE FROM THE DEAD, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." The position provides the capacity to functionally live unto God, it is the whole reason we were given it. Therefore, Colossians is dealing with both. Christ is our standing; however, He is much more than that; He is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption is a general way of describing a whole bunch.
Lastly, notice the other passage you quoted teaches the same thing, you just didn't quote far enough. Look at the explanation of why we were risen with Christ and quickened together with Christ and saved by grace through faith and not by works. Ephesians 2:10, "for we are His workmanship (position), created in Christ Jesus UNTO GOOD WORKS (functional) which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
Hope this helps. One can have life and be immobile or dysfunctional; however, life exists for the purpose of functionality unto God. Also, you don't build a house and let it be. Yeah, the house may beautiful, wonderful, and great (which our position in Christ is); however, we are supposed to functionally live in and out of that house.
Hope this helps. Thanks again.
Look Up, (Col. 3:1-4)
Pastor Josh Strelecki
Hi Pastor Strelecki,
Of course you are right that Paul speaks of both our "walk" and our "position" in Christ but my remarks were specifically in regard to Colossians 3:4 and how it is understood by its context:
"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory" (Col.3:3-4).
I cannot see how this particular passage is referring to a Christian's walk since Paul says that "your life is hid with Christ in God."
In His grace,
Jerry
Hello Jerry,
I respect your stance and position on this verse; however, I have a little different understanding which might just be MY understanding. Therefore, because of that I will not respond any longer to any comments regarding this post. You are free to respond, by all means.
Again, I understand Colossians 3:4 is taking into consideration both positional and functional life. If there is two aspects to our life in Christ I don't see it impossible to talk about positional in one area, functional in another, and both in some instances. I believe that to be the case in Colossians 3:4. In verse 1, "if ye then be risen with Christ" is dealing with positional life. Verse 3, "for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God" is positional life; however, because Paul is bringing up the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ and making a general declaration that Christ, who is our life is not just positional, but functional. The appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ and appearing with Him in glory especially in Colossians isn't solely dealing with our positional life and the default glory that corresponds with it, but glory of being a joint-heir with Christ and not just receiving the inheritance, but the reward of the inheritance (Col. 2:18, 3:24) and the reward of the inheritance that the members of the body of Christ can partake in is based upon one's USE of the positional life given them in regards to the decision making skills and conduct and behavior we are to bear that is provided in Paul's epistles; therefore, as you proceed in godly edifying Christ is not just our positional life, but our functional life and Colossians 3:4 is underscoring the fact that the One whom we have the same life and standing as, as well as, the One whom we think like, act like, and labour with will appear at which time we also will appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:4 is the segway from position in 1-3 to function in verse 5.
Again, this may only be my understanding of which you obviously are free to disagree with to any degree or manner you choose, but really doesn't need to be discussed anymore.
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