Excerpts from the CNT:

In Colossians 3:1-17 Christ is presented as the life of the saints. In verse 4 Paul speaks of “Christ our life.” This indicates that the mysterious Christ is our life. This marvelous life, which is ours, is described in many wonderful aspects of Christ in the first two chapters of Colossians, such as the portion of the saints and the mystery of God (1:12; 2:2). Today we may live by this life. Christ as the life of the saints is the highest enjoyment; no other enjoyment is superior to Christ as our life.

The extensive, all-inclusive Christ is subjective to us, for He dwells in us as our hope of glory (1:27) and is our life (3:4). Nothing can be more subjective to us than our own life. In fact, our life is us. Our life cannot be separated from our person. Since Christ is our life, He cannot be separated from us. To say that Christ is our life means that Christ becomes us. Christ cannot be our life without actually becoming us. Christ dwells in us, and He is our life. He becomes us in our experience. As Paul says, “To me, to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). Life is our being. Hence, for Christ to be our life means that He becomes our being. For Christ to become our being is for Christ to become us.

Christ must be our life in a practical and experiential way. Day by day we need to experience Christ as our life. Christ should be our life within, and we should have one life and living with Him. Because we have another life—Christ as our life—we can live another kind of life. That Christ is our life is [3598] a strong indication that we are to take Him as life and live by Him, that we are to live Him in our daily life in order to experience the universally extensive Christ so that all He is and has attained and obtained will not remain objective but will become our subjective experience.

We need to be one with the Lord Jesus just as He is one with the Father. In John 14:10 the Lord said, “The words that I say to you I do not speak from Myself, but the Father who abides in Me does His works.” This indicates that the Father works in the Son’s speaking. Although the Father and the Son are two persons, They have only one life and one living. The life of the Father is the life of the Son, and the living of the Son is the living of the Father. In this way the Father and the Son have one life and one living. The principle is the same with Christ and us. Today we and Christ have one life and one living. The Son’s life becomes our life, and our living becomes His living. This is what it means to live in union with Christ.

In Colossians 3:3-4 Paul twice speaks of life, indicating thereby that we have one life with Christ. In verse 3 he says that our life “is hidden with Christ in God.” In verse 4 he goes on to say “Christ our life is manifested.” Life here is Christ’s life becoming our life. If it were merely Christ’s life, it could not be called “our life.” The fact that it is “our life” indicates that it refers to something which has become ours. However, the life here is not our natural life, the life inherited from Adam. Such a life could never be that which is hidden with Christ in God. God would never allow the natural life inherited from Adam to be hidden in Him. The only life that can be hidden with Christ in God is the divine life, the life of Christ. It is this life which has become our life. Paul’s use of the expression our life indicates that we and Christ, and also God Himself, have one life. We should not think that God has one life, that Christ has another life, and that we who believe in Christ have yet another life. Rather, God, Christ, and the believers have one life. The life of God is the life of Christ, and the life of Christ has become our life. We can declare that we have the life that Christ has, the life hidden within God.

The life of the saints is Christ, a wonderful person who is sitting at the right hand of God, with whom the saints were [3599] raised, and with whom their life is hidden in God, in order that they may seek the things which are above and may set their mind on the things which are above for them to be manifested with Him in glory (vv. 1-4). Therefore, we must put to death our members which are on the earth, all the fleshly and sinful members, and we must put off the old man with his practices while putting on the new man, which is being renewed according to the image of Him who created him (vv. 5-10). In doing so we are daily being transformed into the image of Christ by being sealed with the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 1:13; 4:30). As the life of the saints, as our life, Christ is also the constituent of the new man because He is all and in all; this means that Christ is us. In the new man there is no race, no nationality, no social rank, for in the new man Christ is all the members and is in all the members. The new man is the spontaneous issue of our taking Christ as our life and living Him.

a. Sitting at the Right Hand of God

In Colossians 3:1 Paul tells us that Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.

b. The Saints Raised Together with Him

In 3:1 Paul also says, “If therefore you were raised together with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ is.” 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, such as knowing Christ as everything to us so that we may take Him as life and thereby walk in Him.

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 raised together with Christ, we should live in the heavens. The heavens are joined to the church; therefore, to live in the heavens is simply to live in the church, for the [3600] 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 we participate in the church life, we have the sense that we are in the heavens. The church is in the heavens. Here, in this heavenly realm, we have no place for the elements of the world.

(1) Their Life Hidden with Him in God

In Colossians 3:3 Paul goes on to say, “Your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Because our life (not our natural life but our spiritual life, which is Christ) is 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. We should note that Paul does not say that our life is hidden with Christ in heaven. Rather, he tells us that our life is hidden in God, in the living, divine person. This indicates that God Himself is the realm, the sphere, in which we should live and walk.

Colossians 3:3 says that our life is hidden with Christ in God. To be with Christ in God means that we are one with Christ. In the words of 1 Corinthians 6:17, he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit. We are with Christ in God because we and Christ are subjectively one.

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.

In Colossians 3:1 and 3 we have a matter that deserves our attention. In verse 1 we are told that Christ is at the right hand of God, but according to verse 3, Christ is in God. Therefore, Christ is simultaneously at the right hand of God and also hidden within God.

First, Christ is in us, but eventually we are with Christ in God. Furthermore, according to 3:4, the Christ who dwells in us is our life. Inwardly, we have Christ as our life, and outwardly, we have God as our realm and sphere in which we live [3601] and walk. The Christ who dwells in us is life, but the God in whom we are hidden with Christ is the realm of our living. We should be able to testify that we are living not on earth nor even just in heaven but in God.

In ourselves it is not possible for us to be in God. We can be hidden in God only with Christ. On the one hand, Colossians 1:27 tells us that Christ is in us. This indicates that God has been wrought into us. Because Christ is in us, God has been wrought into us. But in 3:3 we are told that we are with Christ in God. This indicates that we have been brought into God. Therefore, God in Christ is now in us as our life, and we are in God as the realm of our living.

We should praise the Lord not only that the Triune God is in us but also that we are in the Triune God. Christ came by incarnation to bring God into us, and He went back to God by crucifixion and resurrection to bring us into God. Concerning this two-way traffic, we should see that Christ came both to work God into us and to bring us into God. Since we have been brought into God and are hidden with Christ in God, God should be the realm of our living. If we live and walk in God, we will be heavenly.

Our position is that we are in Christ. Because we are in Him, we are where He is—at the right hand of God (v. 1). In John 17:24 the Lord Jesus prayed, “Father,...I desire that they also may be with Me where I am.” To be where the Lord Jesus is, is not a matter of geography. The Lord is in the Father, and He prayed that the disciples, who were not yet in the Father, would be brought into Him. The Lord prayed, therefore, that they would be where He is.

It is crucial for us to realize that our position is not only in Christ but also in the Father. In the Gospel of John we are told clearly that the Son is in the Father (10:38; 14:10). This means that the Son’s position is in the Father. Since our position today is that we are in the Son, in Christ (1 Cor. 1:30), we also are in the Father (John 14:20; 1 Thes. 1:1; 2 Thes. 1:1). The Father, of course, is in heaven. Hence, our position also is that we are in heaven. What makes this fact that we are in Christ, in the Father, and in heaven real to us is that we are one spirit with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17). It is when we are in the [3602] spirit that we are in Christ, in the Father, and in heaven practically and experientially.

We need to appreciate the word hidden in Colossians 3:3. Today our life is hidden with Christ in God, but one day Christ will appear, and we will be manifested with Him in glory. Although we will be manifested with Christ in the future, now is the time for us to be hidden and to suffer. For this reason, we should not advertise ourselves. The life of a Christian today should be a hidden life.

At present, even Christ is hidden. Consider how much He is criticized, opposed, and attacked. People rebel against Him to such an extent that it almost seems as if He does not exist. Although Christ is suffering from this attack and rebellion, He continues to be silent and hidden.

Our Christian life should be a hidden life, a life hidden with Christ in God. Our church life should also be hidden in God and in the heavens. The church life is a life hidden with Christ in God and in the heavens. As long as we are hidden, we are with Christ in God, in the heavens, and in the church, but when we advertise and promote ourselves, we are outside of Christ and are not with Him.

We need to realize that our life is hidden with Christ in God. This means that our sphere of living should be not the earth but God Himself. Whenever we are in the spirit, we are raised up and have the sense that we are in God, far above everything and everyone. At such a time, we are living in God. But when we are not in the spirit, we have the sense that we are still living on earth. God is high, far above everything and everyone, even far above the heavens. When we are in the spirit, we are living in God.

Our life is the Christ who dwells within us, and this life is hidden with Christ in God; the Christ hidden in God is typified by the manna hidden in the golden pot (Rev. 2:17). In Exodus 16:33 we see that an omerful of manna was placed in a pot and laid up before the Lord to be kept for future generations. Hebrews 9:4 speaks of “the golden pot that had the manna.” The manna concealed in the golden pot signifies that our life is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). The Christ hidden in God is the manna hidden in the golden pot. [3603]

In the Bible gold signifies the divine nature. According to 2 Peter 1:4, we are partakers of this divine nature. Only the nature of God, the divine nature, can preserve Christ as our hidden manna. Within us we have a golden pot; that is, we have the divine nature. We cannot preserve Christ in our mind or emotion. We can preserve Him only in the divine nature, which we have within us through regeneration. Actually, the divine nature within us is God Himself. The manna in the golden pot indicates that the Christ whom we enjoy as our life supply is preserved in the divine nature, which is now in our inmost being, our spirit. Christ is our special portion of food hidden in the divine nature. When we touch the divine nature, the golden pot, we enjoy Christ as the manna hidden within it.

We need to discern between the natural life and the life that Christ has, the life hidden in God. First, Christ’s life is a crucified life (Gal. 2:20); second, it is a resurrected life (John 11:25); and third, it is a life hidden in God (Col. 3:3-4; Matt. 6:1-6, 16-18). These three characteristics distinguish the life that Christ has from our natural life.

The life hidden in God is a crucified life. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He always lived a crucified life. Although He was severely criticized and insulted, He did not weep for Himself. Instead, He extolled the Father, acknowledging the Father’s will (11:20-26). His life was a crucified life. If a person is truly one in life with Christ, his life will be a crucified life. The life that we have received of the Lord Jesus is not a raw, unprocessed life; it is a crucified life, a life that has been processed and thoroughly dealt with. If we truly know this life, when we are insulted, we will not say anything but instead thank the Lord and even praise Him in a genuine way. The life that we should live today should be such a crucified life.

The one life that we share with Christ is also a resurrected life. Nothing, including death, can suppress it. If we live a resurrected life, we will not be troubled should others criticize our work. If our natural life has not been dealt with, our service in the church will not last long. If we serve in the natural life, we will be easily offended and eventually will stop serving. But if our life in serving is a life that is crucified and resurrected, nothing will be able to defeat it. [3604]

Furthermore, the life that Christ has is a life hidden in God. Only the divine life can be hidden in God. The life that Christ has is not a showy life; it is a hidden life. If we serve by this life, we will not want to be seen by others. On the contrary, we will prefer to serve in secret. Our natural life is the opposite of this, for it is fond of making a show. Today’s religion appeals to this element in the natural life and nourishes the natural life, but in the church the natural life is put to death. Whatever we do in the church should be done by a life hidden in God. In Matthew 6 the Lord Jesus speaks of doing things in secret, not before men (vv. 1-6, 16-18). Even in presenting our offering to the Lord, we should be hidden. In all that we do we should live a hidden life, a life hidden with Christ in God.

(2) Seeking the Things Which Are Above

In Colossians 3:1 Paul says that since we were raised together with Christ, we should seek the things which are above. This verse indicates clearly that we have one position with Christ. How could we seek the things which are above if we were not above also? To seek the things above, we must be in heaven where these things are.

When we are in spirit, we are also in heaven, but when we are not in spirit, we are on earth and, experientially, even under the earth. Only when we are in spirit are we in heaven; whenever we are outside the spirit, we are earthly.

The way to seek the things which are above is to turn to the spirit and call on the name of the Lord. There is a transmission taking place from Christ in heaven to us on earth by means of the all-inclusive Spirit in our spirit (Eph. 1:19, 22-23; 2:22). Our experience tells us clearly that we touch the heavens by turning to our spirit, for our spirit is the receiving end of the divine transmission, whereas the throne of God in heaven is the transmitting end. Thus, by turning to our spirit, we are lifted into heaven. Because of the transmission from the throne of God in heaven into our spirit, when we enjoy the Lord here on earth, we are simultaneously in heaven. Then in our experience we are in Christ, in the Father, and in heaven. Then in the spirit we are one in position with Christ, seeking the things which are above. [3605]

(3) Setting Their Mind on the Things Which Are Above

In Colossians 3:2 Paul continues, “Set your mind on the things which are above, not on the things which are on the earth.” According to the New Testament, the things which are above include Christ’s ascension, His enthronement, and His being made the Head, the Lord, and the Christ. In Acts 2:36 Peter says that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ. In Ephesians 1:22 we see that in ascension Christ has been made Head over all things to the church. In Hebrews 2:9 we are told that the Lord Jesus has been crowned with glory and honor. In Hebrews 6:19 and 20 we see that the Lord Jesus is the Forerunner, the Pioneer, who has cut the way into glory within the veil; as our Forerunner, our Pioneer, Christ is now in glory. Such things are the things above, and we should set our mind on them.

Moreover, the book of Hebrews also reveals that Christ is our High Priest, the One who “sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (8:1). In Hebrews 4:14 we are told that we have “a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God.” As our heavenly High Priest, “He is able to save to the uttermost those who come forward to God through Him, since He lives always to intercede for them” (7:25). When we call on the Lord and have fellowship with Him, we sense that something from the heavens is being transmitted into us. Often this divine transmission causes us to be beside ourselves with joy. Since we have such a High Priest interceding for us, we should “come forward with boldness to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace for timely help” (4:16). The things which are above include the ministry of intercession of our High Priest. Because of His intercession, we may receive mercy and grace for our timely need.

Furthermore, according to Hebrews 8:1 and 2, Christ is also a Minister of the “true tabernacle” in the heavens. Christ is our heavenly Minister who is ministering in a tabernacle pitched by the Lord and not by man. This tabernacle, this sanctuary, is the third heaven, the heavenly Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies in the heavens is connected to our spirit; [3606] therefore, in experience, our regenerated spirit is also the Holy of Holies. Our spirit is thus connected to the third heaven, where Christ is ministering on our behalf. As the High Priest, He is interceding for us, and as the heavenly Minister, He is supplying us with the riches of God. In His intercession Christ brings us with our need to God. In His ministry He brings the riches of God to us.

In the book of Revelation we see even more of the things which are above. What we have in this book is not merely a window but an opened heaven. Heaven was opened to John, and he saw a throne set in heaven and One sitting upon the throne (4:1-2). This throne is not simply the throne of grace but the throne of authority, the throne of the divine administration. In Revelation 4:5 John goes on to say, “Out of the throne come forth lightnings and voices and thunders. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” John also tells us that in the midst of the throne he saw “a Lamb standing as having just been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth” (5:6). John’s vision in chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation is related to God’s administration today. From John’s vision we realize that heaven is neither silent nor without activity. On the contrary, from His throne God is carrying out His administration over the entire universe. The Lamb, the Redeemer, the One slain on the cross for our sins, is now on the throne and has seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God.

The Lord Jesus is executing God’s operation in the heavens. He is the Lamb with seven eyes, with the seven Spirits of God, carrying out God’s administration through the local churches. Actually, the churches are God’s embassies. For this reason, the world situation is not under the control of any earthly head of state but under the churches through which God is executing His administration. Just as the American embassy in a particular country is an extension of the United States, so the churches as God’s embassies are an extension of the heavens. Our headquarters, our administrative center, is in heaven. Therefore, we should look toward heaven, where [3607] there is a throne on which God is sitting and where the Lamb with seven eyes is standing to execute God’s administration through the churches as His embassies. Because the churches are God’s embassies, the enemy hates them. In Revelation 4 and 5 we have a vision of our central government, and in Revelation 1 through 3 we have a vision of the local churches as the embassies. Through the seven Spirits there is a transmission going on from the heavenly headquarters into the embassies. Through the seven Spirits, what is in the headquarters is transmitted into the churches. From the throne in the heavens, the divine transmission brings the things above into the local churches.

Seeing a vision of the things which are above will revolutionize our daily living. It will cause us to turn our attention from the things on earth to the things in heaven—to the glorified and enthroned Jesus, to the heavenly High Priest, to the Head over all things to the church, to the One executing the divine government. We should seek these things and set our mind on them. Then the riches of Christ’s heavenly ministry will be transmitted into us, and we will be transformed and constituted of Christ.

The things above are related to the second of Christ’s two ministries. The first aspect of Christ’s ministry was His ministry on earth. Lasting thirty-three and a half years, this ministry began with Christ’s incarnation and was concluded with His crucifixion. During the years that He was on earth, Christ accomplished much in His ministry. Through His death on the cross, He accomplished redemption for us. All Christians are familiar with the earthly ministry of Jesus and value it very highly, for it is through this ministry that we have been saved.

As important as Christ’s earthly ministry was, it is not the main aspect of His ministry. The primary part of His ministry is His ministry in heaven. By His earthly ministry He redeemed us, saved us, and regenerated us. But by His heavenly ministry, He is building the church (Matt. 16:18). The Body of Christ needs the heavenly ministry of Christ, the ministry of Christ above, in order to be built up.

To seek the things which are above and to set our mind on [3608] them are to join ourselves to the Lord in His ministry in heaven. We need to join ourselves to the One who is interceding, ministering, and executing God’s administration. Our living should be a kind of living in which we seek these heavenly things and set our mind on them. This means that we live in such a way as to join our heavenly Christ in His priesthood, ministry, and administration. If we all live in this way, the church life will be greatly uplifted.

Because Christ is interceding for a particular church, we also may become burdened to pray for that church. We then ask the Lord to transmit His heavenly supply into the saints in that locality. Whenever we receive news of a need in a certain place, we should immediately pray, joining ourselves to Christ in His intercession for that need. If we do this, we will be setting our mind on the things above.

Our standard needs to be uplifted. We are not here to seek earthly things but to have a living that is one with Christ’s living. Christ today is living as the High Priest, the heavenly Minister, and the universal Administrator. We need to join Him in His living and have one living with Him.

If we seek the things which are above and have one living with Christ, we will be wholly occupied with the enterprise of our Master. Our heart will be with Him in heaven, where He is interceding for the churches, supplying the saints, and administrating God’s government. This will be our concern, our desire. If we take Christ as life and seek the things which are above in such a way, the lustful members will be put to death, the evil elements in the fallen soul will be put away, and the old man will be put off. Furthermore, we will automatically put on the new man.

To seek the things which are above and to set our mind on them are to live Christ, to have one living with Him. When Christ prays in heaven, we should pray on earth. This means that there is a transmission between the Christ praying in heaven and us praying on earth. By means of this transmission we may pray in oneness with Him. We respond on earth to Christ’s praying in heaven. None of us should be unemployed. We all have the responsibility to respond to Christ’s heavenly transmission. Christ is in heaven interceding, ministering, [3609] and administrating, and we are on earth responding to Christ’s activity in heaven.

Between Christ in heaven and us on earth there is a divine transmission, a heavenly current. If we are receiving this transmission, we will respond to Christ’s work in heaven. However, if in our experience we are not continuously connected to Him or if we allow insulation to build up between us and Him, the transmission will cease. It is possible that among many genuine Christians today the connection with the heavenly Christ in their experience has been severed. We may be genuine Christians, but we may not experience the divine current, and there is no fellowship between us and the Lord. Instead of being cut off from the heavenly Christ, in our experience we need to continually receive the divine transmission. Day and night, we should be infused with a supply from heaven and experience the transaction between the heavenly Christ and us. We should continually respond to Christ’s interceding, ministering, and executing of God’s administration.

Prayer is the only way to have our mind set on the things in heaven. When we set our mind on things above by praying, we will not pray for trivial matters. Instead our prayer will be occupied with Christ’s heavenly intercession, ministry, and administration. Because Christ is interceding for the churches around the world, we also pray for the churches. We should let the Lord take care of all the small matters in our living. Our responsibility is to seek first the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness (Matt. 6:33). Since the Father knows our need, He will take care of us and meet our need.

When we set our mind on the things which are above during our times of prayer, we become a reflection of Christ’s ministry in the heavens. Through our prayer, Christ, the Head, is given a way to carry out His administration through His Body. When we pray, we are a heavenly ambassador on earth as the extension of God’s kingdom. However, when we are gossiping, we are not a heavenly ambassador at all. Only when we pray do we become an ambassador of the heavenly kingdom on earth in a practical way.

Christ’s ministry in heaven is for the goal of building up the Body and forming His bride. However, Christ’s ministry in [3610] heaven requires our response. We need to become on earth the reflection of that heavenly ministry. When we seek the things above, we respond to the Lord’s heavenly ministry and reflect it. If in our prayer we are willing to forget insignificant matters and care for the things above, we will become conscious of the traffic between us and Christ in heaven. We will sense a current flowing back and forth between Him and us. By means of this kind of prayer, the divine riches are transfused into us. This enables us to be one with others and to be right with everyone. This also issues in the renewing of the new man. Through the heavenly transmission and transfusion, the new man comes into existence in a practical way. Hence, the new man is produced by the heavenly traffic, transaction, and transfusion.

As we seek the things which are above, the new man will be renewed in a full way. In a very practical sense, the new man comes into existence through our seeking of the things which are above. Therefore, if the new man is to be expressed on earth, we need to enjoy Christ as the High Priest, the heavenly Minister, and the universal administrator, experiencing the two-way traffic between the heavenly Christ and us.

The all-inclusive life-giving Spirit is the issue of Christ’s redemption. Galatians 3:14 indicates that Christ has redeemed us so that we may receive the Spirit. Christ accomplished redemption not merely to save us from sin, but even the more to impart Himself into us as the life-giving Spirit. When we open our being and set our mind on the things above, this Spirit transmits the riches of the divine life into us. When we set our mind on the things above, this causes the heavenly transmission to function in our experience to bring the divine essence of Christ into us. The more this essence is added into our being, the more we experience the renewing of the new man. Renewing depends on the transmission of the divine substance into us.

(4) To Be Manifested with Him in Glory

In Colossians 3:4 Paul continues, “When Christ our life is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory.” In God, Christ, not our self, our soul, is our life. This [3611] life is now hidden, but it will be manifested. Then we will be manifested with this life in glory.

According to Romans 8, we will one day be glorified with Christ. In Romans 8:19 we are told that the “creation eagerly awaits the revelation of the sons of God,” at which time it will “be freed from the slavery of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (v. 21). When we appear with our Christ in glory, even our vile body will be transfigured into a glorious body, but as we await that wonderful day, we must remain hidden with Christ in God, in the heavens, and in the church.

We have one glory and destiny with Christ. Glory is our future and our destination. The Lord Jesus is now in glory. However, He is in glory in a way that is hidden from mankind. People in the world do not know where Jesus is, but we know where He is—He is in glory. One day Christ will be in glory no longer in a hidden way but in an open way, in the way of manifestation. Then everyone on earth will know that the Lord Jesus is in glory. Christ’s destiny is to be openly in glory. This is our destiny as well. We can declare, “Glory is our destination. We are heading for glory. Our destiny is to be in glory.” Since glory is our destination, we will eventually have one glory with Christ. It is not possible for us to describe this glory now, because we have not yet entered into it. When we are in glory with Christ, we will be beside ourselves with joy and ecstasy.

When we are manifested with Christ, we will be on display to the whole universe. However, today we should not make a show but should remain hidden in God, waiting for the time when we will arrive at our destination and enter into glory with Christ. Then at the appointed time, the time for a divinely-ordained display, there will be the manifestation of the sons of God in glory.

(5) Putting to Death Their Members Which Are on the Earth

In Colossians 3:5 Paul says, “Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and greediness, which is idolatry.” In our sinful members is the law of sin, making us captives of sin and causing our corrupted body to become the body of death (Rom. 7:23-24). Hence, our members, which are sinful, are identified with sinful things, such as fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and greediness. In Colossians 3:6 Paul points out that because of these things “the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.” In verse 7 he goes on to say that the believers once walked in these things when they lived in them.

In verse 5 Paul charges us to put to death our members which are on the earth. This charge is based upon the fact that we have been crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20a) and baptized into His death (Rom. 6:3). We execute Christ’s death upon our sinful members by crucifying them, by faith, through the power of the Spirit (8:13). This corresponds to Galatians 5:24. Christ has accomplished the all-inclusive crucifixion. Now we apply it to our lustful flesh. This is absolutely different from asceticism.

Christ’s all-inclusive death on the cross is applied to us at [3614] the time of baptism. All those who believe in the Lord Jesus should be baptized. In baptism we not only recognize Christ’s death but also apply it to ourselves. Therefore, in baptism we are placed into the death of Christ and are buried.

According to Romans 8:11 and 13, putting to death the practices of the body is an action carried out in the power of the Spirit. It is not accomplished by self-effort. Our attempts to put to death the practices of the body are nothing more than asceticism. We put to death the negative things in us by the power of the Holy Spirit. In order to do this, we need to open to the Spirit and allow the Spirit to flow within us. Through the Spirit’s flowing, we will experience the effectiveness of Christ’s death. This is not asceticism; it is the operation of the Spirit within us.

In Colossians 3:8 Paul speaks of putting away evil psychological things: “You also, put away all these things: wrath, anger, malice, blasphemy, foul abusive language out of your mouth.” If we compare this verse with the foregoing verses, we will see that Paul classified the things of the flesh in one category and the things of the fallen soul in another category. All negative things, whether of the flesh or of the fallen soul, must be put aside. We do this not by our own energy but by the power of the all-inclusive Spirit.

(6) Putting Off the Old Man with His Practices

In verse 9 Paul goes on to say, “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his practices.” This verse indicates that putting off the old man is like putting off an old garment. The total person of the old man must be put away. In this verse Paul tells us that we have put off the old man because we put off the old man in baptism. Our old man was crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:6) and was buried in baptism (v. 4). First, we put to death the physical lusts, then we put away the psychological evils, and last, we put off the entire old man with his practices. This is not by our own energy but by the power of the all-inclusive Spirit.

When we live together with Christ, we can put off the lusts of the flesh, put away the evil aspects of the fallen soul, and put off the totality of our old being. Then, positively, we can [3615] put on the new man. By living together with Christ, by experiencing Him as our life and seeking the things which are above, we put away all the negative things and put on the new man.

(7) Putting On the New Man, Which Is Being Renewed according to the Image of Him Who Created Him

In Colossians 3:10 Paul continues, “And have put on the new man, which is being renewed unto full knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.”

(a) Putting On the New Man

Putting on the new man is like putting on a new garment. The Greek word for new in this verse means new in relation to time, whereas the word used in Ephesians 4:24 means new in nature, quality, or form. Since Christ is the constituent of the new man, we, who are the new man, are one with Christ.

The new man is of Christ. It is His Body, created in Him on the cross (2:15-16). It is not individual but corporate. According to the clear vision in Ephesians 2:15, the new man is a corporate entity. This is proved by the fact that it is created out of two peoples, the Jews and the Gentiles. Furthermore, verse 16 indicates that the new man created out of these collective peoples is the Body of Christ. Hence, the new man and the Body are synonymous terms and may be used interchangeably.

The emphasis on the church being the Body of Christ is on life, whereas the emphasis on the church being the new man is on the person (1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 4:4; 2:15; 4:24). As the Body of Christ, the church needs Christ as its life; as the new man, the church needs Christ as its person (Col. 3:4; Eph. 3:17a). The new man is the corporate God-man, with Christ—the firstborn Son—as the Head, and the believers—the many sons of God—as the Body. We need to live the life of a God-man for the new man as the corporate God-man.

In order to put on the new man in an experiential way, we need to take Christ as our person (v. 17a; Gal. 2:20). The church is the new man, and in this new man there is only one person—Christ (Matt. 17:5; Col. 3:10-11). The old man must [3616] be put off, and we must live by our new person (vv. 5-9; Rom. 6:6; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:22-24). When we live by taking Christ as our person, especially in making decisions, our living will be the living of the new man (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38; Rom. 15:32; James 4:13-15).

Furthermore, if we would put on the new man in a practical way, we need to do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus (Col. 3:17). The name denotes the person, and the Lord’s person is the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17a). To do things in the name of the Lord is to act in the Spirit; this is to live Christ (Gal. 5:16; Rom. 8:4; Phil. 1:21).

(b) Being Renewed

On the one hand, Paul speaks of the creation of the new man (Eph. 4:24); on the other hand, he refers to the renewing of the new man (Col. 3:10). Since the new man has already been created, why is there still the need for the new man to be renewed? How can the new man be both created and renewed? The creation of the new man took place in our spirit. When our spirit was regenerated, the new man was created. Hence, the regeneration of the spirit is actually the creation of the new man. However, as far as the soul is concerned, the new man still needs to be renewed. It is crucial that this renewing takes place especially in our mind, the leading part of the soul, as indicated by the phrase unto full knowledge in verse 10. Before we were regenerated, our human spirit was part of the old creation. Then at the time of our regeneration, God the Spirit came into our spirit with the divine life and divine nature. This means that the Spirit of God regenerated our spirit with the elements of the divine life and divine nature. In other words, when we were regenerated, God the Spirit brought the divine life and nature into our spirit. Before regeneration we did not have anything divine. But at the time of regeneration something divine—the life and nature of God—was added into our spirit. This addition of the Spirit and the divine life to our spirit produced a new being—the new man. By receiving the life and nature of God, we were born of God and became sons of God.

Because the divine life and nature have been added to our [3617] spirit, our regenerated spirit has become part of the new creation. The difference between the old creation and the new creation is that the old creation has nothing of God in it, but the new creation does have something of God added to it. The reason the regenerated spirit is part of the new creation and of the new man is that the life and nature of God have come into it. In our spirit we have something divine—God’s life and nature.

At the time of regeneration the life and nature of God were added into our spirit, making it the new creation. Nevertheless, the soul with its faculties of mind, emotion, and will remains in the old creation. Thus, there is the need for the divine life and nature to spread from our spirit into our soul and to saturate the soul. This process of spreading and saturating is what we call transformation. In Romans 12:2 Paul charges us to “be transformed by the renewing of the mind.” Since the mind is the leading part of the soul, the renewing of the soul depends on the renewing of the mind. As the divine life and nature spread from our regenerated spirit into the mind, emotion, and will, our soul will be renewed. This renewing of the soul is actually the renewing of the new man.

Even though we have been regenerated, we are often inclined to live according to the old man, that is, to live according to the old creation. However, deep in our spirit we have the aspiration, the desire, to live in newness of life (6:4; 7:6). This desire comes from the new man in our spirit, seeking to spread the divine life and nature into our soul. This spreading is the renewing of the new man.

What we think about day by day indicates where our mind is set. Our mind should be set not on religion, philosophy, or culture but on Christ and His heavenly ministry. The more we set our mind on the things above—on Christ and His heavenly ministry—the more the divine elements in our spirit will saturate our soul and renew our soul. All that is in our spirit will have free course to spread throughout our inner being. Through this saturating and spreading, the soul is renewed. Eventually, when our body is transfigured, it also will be renewed (Phil. 3:21). Therefore, our spirit has been regenerated, but our soul is being renewed. On the one hand, in our [3618] spirit the new man was created with new elements, the elements of the divine life and the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, in our soul the new man is being renewed.

(c) Unto Full Knowledge according to the Image of God Who Created the New Man

In Colossians 3:10 Paul says that the new man is being renewed unto full knowledge “according to the image of Him who created him.” The image here refers to Christ, God’s Beloved, as the expression of God (1:15; Heb. 1:3). It was God the Creator who created the new man in Christ (Eph. 2:15).

It is significant that the new man is being renewed according to the image of God. This means that the renewing of the new man results in full knowledge and that this full knowledge is according to the image of God. The image of God in Colossians 1:15 refers to the expression of God and the fullness of God, that is, Christ Himself.

The new man has been created in our spirit, but our mind has not yet been renewed unto full knowledge. We need to be renewed in our mind unto full knowledge according to the expression of God, that is, according to Christ as God’s image. This means that we need a renewal in our mind according to what Christ is. This can take place only as we are renewed unto full knowledge.

Concerning the new man, our mind needs to be renewed unto such a full knowledge, according to the all-inclusive Christ who is the image of God, the expression of the invisible God. Our mind needs to be renewed to such an extent that we have a clear view of Christ as the image of God. When our mind is filled with the knowledge of the all-inclusive Christ, our emotion will be influenced. This will cause us to have a greater appreciation of the Lord Jesus. Love is a matter of the emotion, and the emotion is related to the understanding that we have in the mind. When the mind is renewed, the emotion is spontaneously renewed as well. Both in spiritual experience and in human experience, the mind affects the emotion, and the emotion affects the will.

We need to be renewed in our mind in order to have a proper love for the Lord in our emotion. Many saints are cold [3619] toward the Lord because in their minds they do not have much knowledge of Him. The more we have the knowledge of the all-inclusive Christ, the more we will appreciate Him and love Him. Although we still need a great deal more renewing, we nevertheless have a certain amount of knowledge of the Lord Jesus. This knowledge of Him causes us to love Him. Out of our love and appreciation for the Lord, we exercise our will to decide to be for Him, to follow Him, and to live Him, grow Him, and produce Him. We decide to live for Him and for His testimony. This decision comes out of the emotion, and the emotion is in turn influenced by the proper knowledge of Christ.

The central point of Paul’s word to the Colossians concerns the renewing of the mind unto the full knowledge of Christ. The Colossians needed a full knowledge, not according to philosophy, Gnosticism, Judaistic observances, or heathen ordinances but a full knowledge according to the image of God, which image is the wonderful, glorious, all-inclusive Christ. We need a renewing that results in full knowledge according to such a Christ.

We need to be captured by the dear Lord Jesus. The more our mind is renewed unto the proper knowledge of Him, the more we love Him. The renewing that takes place in our mind unto full knowledge according to the image of God creates appreciation within us for the Lord. This appreciation causes us to love Him. When we have such a love for the Lord, we will say, “Lord Jesus, I want to follow You at any cost. I am willing to pay any price, even the price of my life, to be one with You and be for You. Lord, I want to take You as my life and as my person. I want to live You, grow You, and produce You. Lord Jesus, I am here for You and for You alone.”

The renewing of the new man is according to Christ, who is the image and expression of God. When we set our mind on the things above, the way is open for the new man to spread the divine element from our spirit into our soul. This spreading of the divine element within us is according to Christ, who is the image of God, God’s expression. The more renewing that takes place in our soul, the more we will be able to express God. In other words, the more renewing we experience in the [3620] soul, the more we will have of the image of Christ. Although we have been regenerated, we may have very little of the image of Christ in our mind, emotion, and will. Instead, we may cling to the image of the old Adam. But if we set our mind on the things above, the divine element in our spirit will spread into our soul. As a result of the spreading of the divine element, we will have the image of God and become His expression.

c. The Constituents of the New Man

In 3:11 Paul goes on to say, “Where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all and in all.” The word where, which refers to the new man in verse 10, means in the new man. Not only is there no natural person in the new man, but there is no possibility, no room, for any natural person to exist. There cannot be Greeks, who were for philosophical wisdom, and Jews, who were for miraculous signs (1 Cor. 1:22). There cannot be circumcision—the observers of the Jewish religious rituals—and uncircumcision—those who do not care for the Jewish religion. Furthermore, in the new man there cannot be barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free man. A barbarian is an uncultured person, the Scythians were considered the most barbarous people, the slaves were those sold into slavery, and the free men were those who had been freed from slavery. No matter what kind of person we may be, as far as the new man is concerned, we must regard ourselves as nobodies. In the new man there is room only for Christ, not for any kind of natural person. Therefore, in the church we all are nobodies.

In the new man Christ is all. In the church as the new man, Christ is everything. This implies that He is every brother and every sister. This also implies that every brother and sister must be constituted with Christ. In the new man there cannot be Jewish members and Gentile members; there can only be Christ-members. If we would be constituted with Christ, Christ must be added into us more and more. We must be permeated with Christ, saturated with Christ, and have Christ organically wrought into our being. Eventually, we will [3621] be replaced by Christ. Then, in reality, He will be all and in all. He will be every member, every part, of the new man.

The new man does not come into existence by taking Christians from various countries and bringing them together. That would be a new organization, not the new man. The new man comes into being as we are saturated, filled, and permeated with Christ and replaced by Him through an organic process. The new man is Christ in all the saints permeating us and replacing us until all natural distinctions have been eliminated, and everyone is constituted with Christ.

In Colossians Paul presents the Christ who is the fullness of the invisible God. After mentioning aspect after aspect of such a Christ, he speaks of the new man. Between Christ as the fullness of God in chapter 1 and the new man in chapter 3 we have the experience and enjoyment of the all-inclusive Christ. The issue of our experience and enjoyment of Him is the church as the new man. Hence, the new man comes out of our enjoyment of Christ as the fullness of God. As we enjoy Christ daily, He is wrought into us, constituted into our being. In this way Christ becomes our constituent. Day by day Christ is being constituted into us. Eventually, we all will be thoroughly constituted of Him. As a result of being constituted with Christ, we become the new man.

The only way Christ can be all and in all in the new man is for Him to constitute Himself into us. The process of being constituted with Christ takes place through our enjoyment of Christ. We need to say, “Lord Jesus, I love You, I treasure You, and I enjoy You. Lord, I am here on earth for You and for You alone.” The more we open to the Lord and contact Him in this way, the more He infuses Himself into us and fills us to the brim. As we call on the Lord, praise Him, and offer Him our thanks and adoration, we are filled with Him. Through such an enjoyment of Christ and experience of Him, we are gradually constituted with Christ. It is as we enjoy Him that He constitutes us with Himself.

(1) Being All the Members

In the new man Christ is all; He is all the members of the new man. He is everything in the new man. Actually, He is [3622] the new man, His Body (1 Cor. 12:12-13). In the new man Christ is the centrality and universality.

The word all in Colossians 3:11 refers to all the members who make up the new man. Christ is all these members. Since Christ is all and in all in the new man and we are part of the new man, we are part of Christ. Each member, each part, of the new man is Christ. He is everyone in the new man. In the church, the new man, there is nothing but Christ.

In the one new man there is room only for Christ. We may wonder how Christ can be all in the new man. For this to be a reality, we must take Christ as our life and live Him, not ourselves. If Christ is the living of all the saints, then only He will be in the new man. Those from America will no longer live an American life, and those from Japan will no longer live a Japanese life. All the saints, whatever their nationality may be, will live Christ. Then in a way that is real and practical, Christ will be all the members of the new man. Christ will be us. Because we all live Christ, not ourselves, Christ will be all of us, every member of the new man.

(2) Being in All the Members

In verse 11 Paul says not only that Christ is all but also that He is in all. In other words, on the one hand, Christ is all the members, and on the other hand, He is in all the members. Since Paul says that Christ is all, why is there the need for him to say that Christ is in all? If Paul did not say that Christ is in all, only that He is all, then we may think that in the new man Christ is needed and that we are not needed. We should not think that because Christ is all the members in the new man, we are nothing and are not needed. On the one hand, the Bible does say that in the new man there is no place for the natural person, because Christ is all the members. Yet on the other hand, Paul says that Christ is in the members. The fact that Christ is in the members of the new man indicates that the members still exist.

When we take Christ as our life and live together with Him, seeking the things which are above, we have the sense deep within that we are one with Christ and that Christ is us (Gal. 2:20). But simultaneously we have an even deeper sense [3623] that Christ is in us. Therefore, it is true to say that Christ is both in us and that He is us. We are part of the new man with Christ in us. We continue to exist, but we do not exist without Christ; we are those indwelt by Christ. Now we can rejoice and say to the Lord, “Lord Jesus, when I take You as my life and live together with You, You are me. I am altogether one with You. But, Lord, I am still here, for You are in me. I am here, but I am here with You.” According to our experience, we all can give such a testimony. When we live Christ and are one with Him, we say, “Lord Jesus, this is not me—it is You.” However, at the same time, we have the sense that we are with the Lord and that He is in us.

God’s ultimate goal in His economy is to gain this new man constituted with the preeminent, all-inclusive Christ wrought into a corporate people. The new man is Christ constituted into us. On the one hand, the new man is Christ. On the other hand, we the believers are the new man. For this reason, in the new man Christ and we are one. We all need to have such a high view of God’s economy. According to this view, we and Christ are one, for we and He have one life with one living.

In Colossians 3:10 and 11 we see that in the new man Christ is all and in all. Christ is all the members and in all the members. In the new man there is no room for any natural person. Rather, Christ is everyone and is in everyone. To say that Christ is all and in all in the new man indicates that we are one with Christ and that Christ is one with us. We may even say that Christ is us and that we are Him. This points to our union with Christ. Therefore, the living of the saints must be a living that is in union with Christ, a living that is identified with Him. If we live in such a way, we and Christ, Christ and we, are one. We live, and Christ lives in our living.

In such a union we and Christ, Christ and we, are one. In a very practical sense, Christ is us and we are Christ, for we live as one. His life is our life, and our living is His living. Therefore, Christ lives in our living. This is the normal Christian living, the living that is up to God’s standard and that fulfills the requirements of His economy. [3624]

In the new man Christ is everyone, and He is also in everyone. This is to experience Christ not only as the reality of our daily necessities but to have Him as our life and to be one with Him in the divine enterprise. When we are one with Him in this way, He becomes us, and we live with Him in us. We live not alone but with Christ in us. Day by day we should have more experience of this—taking Christ as our life, living together with Him, seeking the things which are above, and coordinating with Him for the carrying out of God’s eternal purpose. Then we will all be able to say that to us to live is Christ and that Christ lives in us (Phil. 1:21; Gal. 2:20). Because Christ is the unique constituent of the new man, there should be no differences among the believers who are part of this new man. In the new man, all the room is for Christ. Christ is all and in all. This means that Christ is every part of the new man and is in every part. The goal of this extensive revelation of Christ is that we would all live Christ.

Moreover, in the renewing of the new man, Christ is all things, and He is in all the members. This indicates that in the renewing of the new man, Christ truly is all-inclusive. On the one hand, He is in all the persons, the members of the new man; on the other hand, He is all things in the renewing of the new man, including all virtues and attributes such as love, patience, and humility (Col. 3:12-14). All these virtues are Christ Himself. In the renewing of the new man, Christ is all the wonderful virtues, all the good things, and all the positive attributes.

If we would live Christ as the constituent of the new man, we need to be ruled by the peace of Christ (vv. 12-15) and inhabited by the word of Christ (vv. 16-17). The peace of Christ must arbitrate within our being, and the word of Christ must dwell in us richly. As Christians, we have different backgrounds and different concepts. These differences lead to disagreements among us; therefore, there is the need for an arbitrator. This arbitrator is the peace of Christ. It is crucial that the peace of Christ be allowed to preside in our hearts and to speak the final word regarding any controversy among us. The arbitrator should not be our opinions, concepts, choices, or preferences; [3625] it should be the peace of Christ, to which we are called in one Body.

The peace of Christ is the peace to which Paul refers in Ephesians 2:15, where we are told that Christ abolished “in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, so making peace.” This peace is the oneness of the new man, the Body. By abolishing the ordinances, Christ has created the different peoples into one new man. Now within us as members of the new man there is something which Paul terms the peace of Christ. Hence, the peace of Christ is the oneness of the new man composed of different peoples. Apart from the work of Christ on the cross, there can be no oneness among the different peoples. But through His death Christ has made peace; that is, He has produced oneness. This oneness of the new man is now within us. This oneness, the peace of Christ, must now be permitted to arbitrate in our hearts. It should function as a referee to settle the disputes among various parties. We need to set aside our opinion, our concept, and listen to the word of the indwelling referee. There is no need for us to quarrel or to express our opinion. We should simply let the peace of Christ make the final decision.

As those who are part of the new man, we should not only let the peace of Christ arbitrate within us but also let the word of Christ inhabit us, dwell in us, make home in us. We must be willing to set aside our concepts, our opinions, and give place to the word of Christ. If we want the word of Christ to inhabit us, we need to empty our entire inner being. All our inward parts—our mind, emotion, will, heart, and spirit—must be empty, available to be filled with the word of Christ. This word should not only dwell in us; it should also inhabit us, making its home in every part of our inner being. May every room and corner of our being be inhabited by the word of Christ! If we would live Christ as the constituent of the new man, the peace of Christ must be the arbitrator in our heart, and the word of Christ must be the content of our inner being. We all need to give place to the arbitrating peace of Christ and to the inhabiting word of Christ.

Furthermore, we need to persevere in prayer (Col. 4:2). [3626] When we enter into genuine prayer, we are far away from our culture, for we are one with the living Lord. When we pray in this way with others, we are truly one in the praying spirit. Then we touch the reality of the one new man, where there is no Greek or Jew, barbarian or Scythian, circumcision or uncircumcision. We realize that the new man is constituted with Christ alone and that in this realm there are no differences of culture. However, when we stop praying, we come back to our natural life with its opinions and striving.

In 3:3 and 4 we see that the Christ who is the focal point of God’s economy and the reality of all the positive things is our life. Our life is hidden with Christ in God. This means that we today are living in God. As our life, Christ is the constituent of the new man. In the new man the Christ who is our life is all and in all.

The desire of God’s heart is to have the new man. This was His plan in eternity past, and this was the reason He created the universe and accomplished redemption for us in Christ. Our preaching of the gospel and our being the new creation are likewise for the new man. The time has come for God to have the new man expressed on earth. If we take Christ as our life and live together with Him, the new man will come forth to satisfy God’s desire.

When we enjoy Christ as the reality of all positive things, we become Body-conscious. This indicates that the enjoyment of Christ issues in the Body of Christ. Then as we go on to experience Christ as our life and to have one living, destiny, and glory with Him, the issue is not just the church as the Body of Christ but the church as the one new man.

In 1:9—3:11 we see seven major aspects of Christ: Christ is the portion of the saints (1:9-14), He is the first both in creation and in resurrection (1:15-23), He is the mystery of God’s economy (1:24-29), He is the mystery of God (2:1-7), He is the body of all the shadows (2:8-23), He is the life of the saints (3:1-4), and He is the constituent of the new man (3:5-11). These aspects of Christ are presented in a marvelous sequence. First we see that Christ is the portion of the saints and last that He is the constituent of the new man. This indicates that the ultimate issue of enjoying Christ as our portion [3627] is that we experience Him as the content and constituent of the new man. Whenever we enjoy Christ, there is a definite result, an issue, of this enjoyment. To say that the enjoyment of Christ as the portion of the saints results in the experience of Christ as the constituent of the new man indicates that the enjoyment of Christ results in the church life. Christ is the all-inclusive portion of the saints, typified by the good land. If we enjoy Christ as such a portion, the result will be the new man with Christ as the content. Ultimately, the Christ we enjoy as our portion becomes the constituent of the new man. In this new man Christ is all and in all. Hence, it is crucial for us to learn to live Christ as the constituent of the new man.