What is the “Hidden Life”?
It might seem obvious that the “hidden life” is the person we are on the inside, that we hide from everyone else. Maybe a better way to say it is that it’s the part of ourselves that we don’t want anyone to see. Hidden doesn’t necessarily carry a negative connotation, though. It simply means “out of sight”, or “not readily apparent.” Our society has created that negative connotation. However, before we became shaped by our world and all that goes on within it, hiding meant playing a game, or trying to feel safe when we were scared, or planning a surprise or a gift for someone.
The Hidden Life is described in Colossians 3:
1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.8 But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. 9Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— 11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, [jbarbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.
12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
NASB
The Hidden Life is one which is hidden in Christ. John the Baptist says of Christ in John chapter 3 verse 30: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” When our life is hidden in Christ, our sin nature becomes less apparent. It doesn’t disappear until he returns and He is revealed in His glory. (Col 3:4, see above) Only then are we fully redeemed into our relationship with God again.
In the meantime, the rest of the above passage from Colossians tells how we should live. So then, The Hidden Life is about how we hide our lives in Christ today. It is about what we put into our lives to make us who we are. The NIV translates Psalm 119: 11 as, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” When we “hide” the word in our heart, we aren’t keeping it from anyone. We place it so deeply within our being that it becomes our foundation, and many layers are laid on top of it to make up who we are. Like the structure of a building that is covered by its walls, what we hide in our hearts is what holds us up and shapes us.
Proverbs discusses in great detail the importance of hiding biblical truth in our hearts:
Proverbs 2:2-Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding;
Proverbs 3:1-My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments;
Proverbs 3:3-Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Proverbs 4:4-Then he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments and live;
Proverbs 4:21-Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart.
Proverbs 6:21-Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck.
The Hidden Life is about trying to put wisdom and knowledge within ourselves so that we can accurately handle the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15). My hope is that together we can build in our own hearts the hidden life described in Colossians 3. May we continue to grow in knowledge and understanding of the truth through the stories and discussions shared at TheHiddenLife.org.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.