Christ Our Life

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Colossians 3:4

When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with him in glory.

Yet to appear.

I. CHRIST IS OUR LIFE.

1. This is John's way of talking. "In Him was life," etc.

(1) Christ is the source of our life. "As the Father raiseth up the dead," etc. Jesus is our Alpha as well as Omega. We should have been dead in sin if it had not been said, "You hath He quickened." He gives us the living water, which is in us a well springing up into everlasting life.

(2) Its substance. There is much mystery in the new nature, but none as to what is its life. Penetrate the believer's heart and you will find Christ's love throbbing there; penetrate his brain and you will find Christ to be its central thought.

(3) Its sustenance. He is the living bread which came down from heaven.

(4) Its solace. His loving kindness is better than life.

(5) Its object. As speeds the ship towards the port, the arrow to its goal, so flies the Christian towards the perfecting of His fellowship with Christ. As the soldier fights for his captain and is crowned in his captain's victory, so the Christian. "To me to live is Christ."(6) Its exemplar. The Christian has the portrait of Christ before him as the artist has the Greek sculptures. If he wants to study life, he studies from Christ. Husbands and wives truly knit together grow somewhat like each other in expression, if not in feature, and the heart in near fellowship with Jesus must grow like Him. Grace is the light, our loving heart the sensitive plate, Jesus the object who fills the lens of the soul, and soon a heavenly photograph of His character is produced — similarity of spirit, temper, motive, action.

2. What is true concerning our spiritual life now is equally true of our spiritual life in heaven.

3. This life of Christ marks our dignity. Kings cannot claim it as such. Talk of their blue blood and pedigree, here is something more.

4. This accounts for Christian holiness. How can a man remain in sin if Christ is his life?

5. See how secure the Christian is. Unless Christ dies he cannot die.

II. CHRIST IS HIDDEN, SO, THEREFORE, IS OUR LIFE.

1. TO the unspiritual Christ is as though He did not exist. The worldling can neither see, taste, nor handle Him. Yet unseen as He is He is in heaven, full of joy, pleading before the throne, reigning, and having fellowship with His saints every where.

2. The servant is as his Lord, and is treated accordingly.

III. CHRIST WILL ONE DAY APPEAR AND WE WITH HIM.

1. How?

(1)  In person.

(2)  With great splendour.

2. When? No one knows, and it is impertinent to inquire.

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