I was reading Colossians today and this phrase in chapter 3, verse 4 stood out.
When Christ, who is your life…(CSB)
Paul is talking about how we have become a “new man.” That the old person we used to be has gone away. We have been changed and transformed. It is a truly remarkable thought.
As read the epistle I was reminded of the Father’s love for us, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, and the Holy Spirit’s continued work in me. So, in light of these realities, this idea of identification with Jesus just jumped off the page. What’s more, the implication is that my life, if I am claiming a connection with Jesus, is not my own. What I take this to mean, given the context, is that my life is, in fact, Jesus’ life.
Maybe a better way of trying to explain what this means is to think about the movies. Have you ever looked at a superhero and wondered what it would be like to have their superpower? Have you ever seen a character and imagined what it would be to have what they have? Have you wondered what it would be like to have been born into the British Royal family? (Maybe that is just me…)
This provides us with an analogy. When we picture ourselves in the lives of those others people, whether they are fictitious or not, we would not be living our own lives. We would be living their lives. We would be imagining what we would do if we had the circumstances we are presented or conjure up for ourselves. But, we all know life is not like this. We know it would not be our lives, but we are just trying to imagine what that life would be like.
The difference between this thought exercise and what Paul describes is that Jesus has in fact given to each us his life. If we have placed our faith in him, we have become children of God. We have become heirs and co-heirs with Jesus to his inheritance. We have been made righteous as he is righteous.
We now have everything that he has because he has truly given it to us. If this is true, then we have to ask ourselves a most important question: What are we doing with the life Jesus has given to us?
Are we making the most of it? Or are we squandering it? Are we enjoying it? Or are we complaining that it is not what we thought it was going to be?
I don’t know about you, but I found myself convicted by the idea that I may be wasting Jesus’ life in me. Have you every considered this as a possibility? I know I had not. But, now that I have, I have to do something about it.
What will you do?
James 4:1-6
May we be faithful and passionate to His Spirit placed within us so that we can receive even more grace to be His man doing His work. Yes, it is His life. Christ in us is our only hope.
It has been a while…
Spoke in revival in your old church a few weeks back. A father followed Jesus making a profession that night and was baptized Sunday. Praise God!
Tom Osborne
Tom! It is good to hear from you. I hope you are well in Metter!
That is a wonderful report. It is always a time to rejoice when a soul is saved by God’s grace.