Our hidden life in God

Because we moved into our house in winter, many of the plants in our garden were (at least to me) mostly blobs of leaves and branches. But when spring came, patches of colour began emerging, eventually stunning us with beauty: red-orange tulips, bluebells, creamy yellow azaleas. 

Even now, in the middle of summer, we are surprised by flowers emerging where we had not expected them. One bush, which we had considered uprooting because of its blandness, has recently developed clusters of tiny white flowers that emit a vanilla scent. 

This revelation of something that has been hidden resembles what St Paul writes in his letter to the Colossians: 'your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory' (3:3-4).

We are like the summer blossoms: our potential is hidden until Christ appears, when we become fully known.

By 'potential', I'm not referring to talents or charisma. Although such gifts are good, St Paul is describing something deeper than our abilities: he's describing who we are becoming in God. Perhaps another way to say it is that our identity is hidden in God.

We see the connection between life and identity when Jesus calls his disciples to follow him. He invites them to receive eternal life, and this also means a change in their identity. In the case of Peter, James and John, they leave behind their identity as fishermen so they may learn how to gather people into the net of the kingdom of God. Their identity as disciples becomes their life.

We see the connection between identity and hiddenness in the Book of Revelation, which says those who overcome evil are given a new name which only they and God will know (2:17).

The significance of this name is unpacked by Metropolitan Anthony:

This name is not a label we are given and called by in this world. Our true name, our eternal name exactly fits us, our whole being. . . It defines and expresses us perfectly. It is known by God alone and he tells us what it is. No one else can know it because it expresses our unique relationship with our Creator. (Creative Prayer, 1987)

This eternal name hidden in God, therefore, describes our real identity, deeper than any other identity we may have.

I was recently filling out a form asking for various pieces of my identity: my name, date of birth, marital status, ethnicity and nationality, gender, medical history and so on. But what the form failed to realise is that, as a Christ-follower, I have a hidden identity deeper than any of these, which will only be revealed on the day of Christ's appearing.

The Transfiguration of Christ, in which he briefly revealed his divine glory to Peter, James and John

Although our identity in God is our most important identity, it can be easy to forget. Sometimes I would rather define myself another way, something more attractive or tangible. For example, when I studied writing as a form of ministry, I often tended to understand myself more as a writer than as someone who belonged to Christ. After all, wasn't writing the reason I was in seminary? 

Thus, I was surprised when one of my writing professors taught that one of the most important things about writing and ministry is following the leading of the Holy Spirit in every area of our lives, even if God calls us to a different form of ministry than writing!

It has taken me a long time reorienting myself away from primarily identifying myself as a writer, for instance, towards understanding that my identity is hidden deeper than that. Writing, like many kinds of work, is a tool Christ can use in us, but the tool is not as important as the Master who teaches us how to use it. 

This distinction is important because if I define myself primarily by my work, then I may forget why I'm doing that work. I can end up worshipping my work rather than God. However, if I remember that I belong foremost to God, then everything else falls into its proper place.

How do we remind ourselves that we belong to God?

I believe we can learn from the prophet Jonah here. In the midst of running away from God, Jonah was asked the following questions: 'What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?' (1:8). In other words, who are you? 

He could have answered by describing his work: 'I am a prophet', or his family reputation: 'I am son of Amittai', but at this turning point he confesses that his real identity is in God, saying 'I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land' (1:9). After defining himself as one who worships God, Jonah begins returning to God.

Like Jonah, we recall our life in God by worshipping him and prioritising that posture of worship. Our real identity is as worshippers of God.

I have recently written about various ways we worship God, such as obeying his commandments; serving him through our jobs; living righteously; forsaking love of the world; standing before God in the midst of hardship; and especially worshipping with the Church, whose worship joins the ongoing worship that is taking place in heaven.

I believe all these forms of worship can be summed into St Paul's urging us to 'offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship' (Rom. 12:1).

As we offer ourselves to God as living sacrifices, the life of Christ grows in us, transforming us so that on the day of his appearing, we may resemble him (1 Jn. 3:2). Although Christ's life is hidden in us, as we worship God, we begin to display beauty and emit a pleasing aroma to God, even in this life, just as Christ has done (Eph. 5:2).

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, you also will appear with him in glory. (Col. 3:1-4)