In 3:1 Paul says, “If therefore you were raised together with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.” The word “raised” here refers to the raising aspect of baptism, which is altogether contrary to asceticism. We were raised together with Christ. We are now where Christ is, sitting in the heavens. Hence, we should not practice the things on earth that ascetics do. Rather, we should seek the things which are in the heavens.
We need to live by Christ in the heavens, not by the elements of the world. As those who have died with Christ from the things on the earth, especially to things related to asceticism, as those who have been baptized into His death (Rom. 6:3), and who have been raised together with Christ, we should live in the heavens. But how can we do this? The diagram will help us to answer this question also. By the diagram we see that the heavens are joined to the church; therefore, to live in the heavens is simply to live in the church, for the church and the heavens are one. This is the reason that there should not be any of the elements of the world in the church. Today, to be in the church is to be in the heavens, and to be in the heavens is to be in the church. In our Christian life the church and the heavens are one. As I participate in the church life, I have the sense that I am in the heavens. Many Christians talk about going to heaven in the future, but we are in the heavens daily. Oh, the church is in the heavens today! Here, in this heavenly realm, we have no place for the elements of the world.
In 3:3 Paul goes on to say, “For you died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God.” Because our life (not our natural life, but our spiritual life, which is Christ) has been hidden with Christ in God, who is in the heavens, we should no longer care for things on the earth. God in the heavens should be the sphere of our living. With Christ we should live in God.
In verse 4 Paul continues, “When Christ our life is manifested, then you also shall be manifested with Him in glory.” In God, Christ, not our self, our soul, is our life. This life is now hidden, but it will be manifested. Then we shall be manifested with this life in glory.
Many Christians take 3:3 for granted. But what does it mean to say that our life has been hidden with Christ in God? Although this is difficult to explain, the diagram will help us to gain some understanding of it. As a result of the process outlined in this diagram, God, man, the heavens, and the church have been brought together. I realize that some Bible teachers do not believe that God, man, the heavens, and the church have become one. Concerning this, we need to have all the riches of the full assurance of understanding. As we consider the diagram, we can say first that we are in God. Because God has been processed, we who believe in Christ are now in God. We are also in the heavens and in the church. To be in God is to be in the heavens, and to be in the heavens is to be in the church. We can also say that to be in the church is to be in the heavens and that to be in the heavens is to be in God. Praise the Lord that we are in God, in the heavens, and in the church. If we realize this, we shall spontaneously understand that our life is hidden with Christ in God. We are with Christ and cannot be separated from Him. In God we are with Christ, in the heavens we are with Christ, and in the church we are with Christ. We have died with Christ, we have been raised with Christ, and we are hidden in God with Christ. All this is possible because we and Christ have become one. Now for us to live is Christ.
Moreover, 1 Corinthians 12:12 tells us that Christ is the Body. Since we, the believers, are the Body of Christ, this reveals our oneness with Christ. We truly are with Christ. Where Christ is, there we are also. With Christ, our life is hidden in God.