“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” - Colossians 3:3–4
Ancient worshipers approaching God's glory in the temple understood themselves to be in mortal danger — the prophet Isaiah, seeing the Lord's glory, felt he might be undone entirely. God's holiness was not simply awe-inspiring; it was consuming. The prophets taught that no one could even look on God and live. And yet Paul tells believers their life is now hidden with Christ in God — safely within that very glory, with nothing to fear from it.
One pastor described entering the press box at a World Series at the invitation of a well-known broadcaster. As he was suddenly surrounded by the noise, glare, and glory far beyond his own standing, the pastor was stopped and questioned by security. What allowed him to go forward was a simple testimony: “I'm with him.” That broadcaster, later came to faith on his deathbed after years of quiet ministry from a faithful wife. What allowed him to enter heaven’s gates after so many years of an irreligious life was another simple testimony: “I’m with Jesus.”
The analogy holds for every believer no matter what standing our own merits might seem to provide or deny. The access we have to God's overwhelming glory is granted because we are with Someone else whose merits cover us.
Our status before God’s glory is not something we could achieve, nor is it a feeling we must constantly regenerate. We are secure in God’s presence because we are with Christ. His grace covers us and gives us access to the glories of God’s heart forever.
RESPOND: Where in your life do you still feel you need your own credentials to approach God, rather than simply being “with Christ?”
Reflect for a moment on the idea that you are “hidden with Christ in God.” Then, thank God that you are secure in his presence forever, not because of your merits, but because you are with Jesus, trusting him to cover you by his grace.
PRAYER: Father, I don't have standing of my own before Your glory, but I am hidden with Christ in You, and that is enough. Let that truth hold me steady today, whether I feel close to You or far away. Thank You that my security does not depend on my merits but on my Savior’s. Thank you for sending Him to walk this world to claim me and for giving me access to the glories of your heart by being with Him in my heart. In Jesus' name, amen.