Hidden in Christ

Do you remember that game "Hide and Go-Seek," where one person would be "it" and everybody would find some place to hide? Well, if your hiding place was not sufficient, you would be tagged and you would become "it."

Saints, we're living in a day we need to start hiding. A more spiritual way to describe this would be to "find a covering." The direction that America is headed, if you're going to survive, literally, you're going to have to be covered. The American economy could collapse literally at any moment. You're going to need to be financially covered (hidden). Remember the Recession of 2008? The federal government is the epitome of dysfunction. When the economy collapses and the government has no money to pay subsidies and welfare and other government programs that we take for granted, you're going to have to be covered. And now we know, given the sad course of events that took place in South Carolina, that even going to church is not safe. You have to be covered!

The covering that's required to move forward in 2015 and beyond is Christ Jesus. Colossians chapter 3 says that we "are dead, and your life is hid in Christ in God". There are a lot of us that are "in Christ," but there's only one problem, we're not "hidden in Him." Now, theologically you may say that is impossible, and if you want to be strictly doctrinal you may be correct. But if you look at the text, the prerequisite for being hidden in Christ is death to self. Then the text proceeds to describe what that death looks like by referring to "mortification of the deeds of the body."

Saints, there are too many of us as believers that have not learned to die to self. And as a result, it's leaving us exposed. Exposed spiritually, exposed financially, exposed relationally, exposed physically and exposed emotionally. These are treacherous times; and Satan hasn't gotten off his job, which is to steal, kill and destroy you (John 10). We must learn to be Hidden in Christ if we're going to survive the perils of the days to come.

In order to effectively be hidden in Christ, you have to commit to operating in a "self-less identity." Too many of us are too full of ourselves. Full of what we think, full of how we feel, full of what seems right to us. This is not the will of God. God is not looking for a self-centered people, He's looking for a Christ-centered people. You can't be both, you must make a choice. Just because you're moral and righteous doesn't necessarily mean you've learned to be selfless. Just look at the Pharisees who crucified Christ. When you've become self-less your posture has consistently become, "not my will, but THY WILL BE DONE" (Luke 22). 

As we allow the Holy Spirit to bring us to this point, we begin to discover that we're no longer preoccupied with our "selves," we're focused and obsessed with the Person of Christ. All we want is Him. All we want to do is the Master's will. We won't care about consequences, we won't care about sacrifice, we won't care about image, we won't care about results; all we'll care about is Jesus. 

Once we mature to this mind-set, nothing in the earth realm can touch us. Economic Recession? Fine, I'm Hidden in Christ. Political Unrest? Fine, I'm Hidden in Christ. Terrorist Attacks? Fine, I'm Hidden in Christ. No Weapon Formed Against Me Shall Prosper! (Isaiah 54). And Saints, even if we have to die (like the saints in South Carolina), it's still fine because of what Jesus said to Martha in the 12th chapter of the Gospel of John, "I Am the Resurrection, and the Life." Therefore, whether on earth or in Heaven, secular circumstances can't affect my state of being, because I'm always hidden in Christ.